Thomas Cook TV - just what Freeview needs

Thomas Cook TV has launched today on Freeview channel 41, airing from 7-10pm.


This replaces TCM - which was available on Top Up TV, so TUTV Anytime viewers are now down to about 14.5 hours a day of actual live programming, plus 100 hours or so of the Anytime crap.



So a new primetime slot becomes available - and is pretty much wasted with a holiday channel.

Extending ABC1's hours through to midnight would have been a better move - might have given the channel a bit of new life as during the day at least it seems to be broadcasting most the same programmes (well, apart from the ditched drama) as it did at launch.

ABC1's Freeview hours is what's holding back the channel. I'm sure they've been looking to go 24/7 for a couple of years now. At launch I remember reading they'd have original UK programming after 3/4 years and become a 'proper' channel - doesn't seem likely does it?

I think the real problem with that is that it would not be available in Scotland between 6 and 7, due to tele g. abc 1 are intrested in going 24 hours on freeview, which can be shown due to them bidding for the last two freeview slots which became available. However i don't think that will be any real changes to abc 1's broadcast hours on freeview for another 5 years and digital switchoff.

I don't think they should let one hour a day just in Scotland put them off though - they could easily air say 06.00-12.00 in England, and 06.00-18.00/19.00-00.00 in Scotland - it's not as if whatever is on at 6pm wouldn't be shown at some other time too.

Don't know if they'd get a slot in Wales if they went primetime - perhaps 19.00-00.00?


I've not got my Welsh aerial linked up at the moment - is Thomas Cook TV available?

Problem is, Disney may have decided that to buy the airtime off TUTV isn't worth the money as they wouldn't make it back in advertising revenue, and ABC1 is clearly a channel with a very limited budget, therefore blowing the majority of the budget on a Freeview slot that only extends their presence by six hours in England wouldn't be a very good move.

There are spare "slots" on a couple of multiplexes that haven't been allocated for whatever reason, I believe there's at least one 24hr slot there, whether it gets up for grabs is another matter. Disney may consider it more worthwhile to hold on for one of these if it becomes available and a true 24hr slot as opposed to effectively owning two halves of two streams.

Anyway as of late, there seems to be more buying-in of stuff for ABC1 which is only getting aired on Sky and Cable, in the 11pm hour. They've been very keen on a 24hr presence on Freeview since the channel went 24hrs in September 2005. Unfortunately at this moment in time it looks like the only way they could have done it is the old TCM TUTV stream - and half of that's gone to Thomas Cook TV. Short of buying a big enough chunk of TUTV, I don't see what else they can do but wait.

No I think UKTV Gold should be put on freeview its a better channel than ABC1 and thomas cooks

i'm more interested in the steady demise of topuptv.

It''l be interesting to see how much longer they'll survive, they don't even seem to advertise TopUp TV anymore

What a waste of spectrum!

I'd understand if it was an overnight slot going spare. I won't give a list of channels I'd love to/never ever ever would see on Freeview, but wouldn't an entertainment channel be better? Even if it is on for 3 hours.

How about a UK Gold light? I know UK Gold isn't as good as it was but it's better than Thomas Cook TV

Yes.

And in real life, UKTV Gold is a pay channel and planning to stay that way by every account. Wishing otherwise isn't going to change anything.

I myself would rather watch 2001 again than a bunch of women with big breasts attempting to sell me a holiday.