Virgin Media to auction off the best slots on its TV guide

Why? Would you have been forced to use them even if they were?

That's TV have clearly done their marketing wrong as the channel relaunched as That's Cambridge a few months back!

Looks like they've got some confusion over their name as their website http://www.cambridge-tv.co.uk/ doesn't appear to use the official That's Cambridge name.

This is the official That's Cambridge website: http://www.thats.tv/cambridge/
The old operator appears to supply the new one with content, according to http://www.cambridge-tv.co.uk/about-us/

I think this has started happening - since its closure BBC Three has remained on channel 106 as a barker channel, but it's being removed from 14th August. I wonder if they'll move the local TV channel from 159 rather than auction it off though.

I doubt it - local TV has done nothing to warrant a prominent position on any EPG.

Ooh, looks like the first major change that stems from this has happened - E4 is now on channel 106 where BBC Three used to be. It’s now the first channel in the EPG after the traditional five.

Interesting that Channel 4 has secured 106 for E4, the highly desirable slot on the first page of the Virgin Media EPG previously occupied by BBC Three. I doubt we'll ever find out how much they paid for it.

I wonder if ITV bid, as ITV2 would have been an obvious candidate, so it could sit between Channel 5 and BBC Four as it does on Freeview.

Presumably broadcasters can get ratings broken down by platform to see if such moves are worthwhile.