Solent TV: Gone Bust

I'm sorry to hear they've gone off air - they werent all that bad.
I live on the mainland, but always liked to tune their way every so often. I remember watching the start of the Iraq War on there - they used to run a service called the Information Station - a glorified Pages from Ceefax, interspersed with Sky News (if I remember rightly)

In 2004 they rode-out a lightening strike to their transmitter, which knocked out their transmissions for a couple of months istr, though they continued to broadcast online. They even made a commemorative wallpaper for their website
solent_tv_offair
http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/sth_offair_640x480.jpg

After that, they went on to introduce NICAM stereo to their UHF signal - and reported it on the news, and then obviously they went to the effort of going out on Sky (though I think it took them around 18 months to negotiate a deal).

They were always good for local news (and an alternative programme before I got Freeview)

I also found this, which is what accompanied the test card which they put on air during their initial tests back in 2002. Test Transmission

Ahhh, fond memories....

It's interesting how there's no sign of ceasing transmission on the channel itself:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/solent.jpg

and the EPG is still up to date too:

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/solent2.jpg

I'm told the playout server started itself up again automatically at 06:00hrs this morning. It's been stopped remotely, and that caption you posted is the default output should the server stop. In short they have closed, but someone needs to turn up on site and put last night's caption back up !

Of course it helps that Channel M is owned by the Guardian Media Group who can afford to give it enough money to make it vaguely professional and worth watching.

I don't know about other RSLs, but what I've seen of York TV is mostly so amateurish and awful that it's quite funny to watch, but the novelty soon wears off.

I've no idea how they're still going, as unless you're in a very specific part of York where the York TV transmitter happens to be in a direct line between your house and Emley Moor, the reception's awful. I guess though that they wouldn't be able to afford carriage on Sky.

The area it broadcast too was always far too small and quiet. I know they were a not-for-profit channel but they always appeared like more of a pi55-into-the-wind channel to me.

One thing which Portsmouth TV always got right (although they closed too) was giving the local station a local personality, to me Solent TV came across like it was trying to be a big boy broadcasting to an area slightly larger than a public toilet.

I live in York City Centre and can't pick up York TV despite doing retunes on analogue - I believe it's mainly the southern part of the city that had the best reception as the channel was based at the university.

The only success stories I'm aware of regarding RSLs are Channel M and Channel 9 from Derry (then again, I've not seen any C9TV for five years so don't know if it's still a loop of Sky News/music videos and the Channel 9 Infochannel).

For those who haven't noticed, it is now off the Sky Guide EPG. Adding it in manually just gives colour bars, so it's now well and truely gone.

Yes, after many delays it launches on Sky on 4 July.