FREEVIEW


'Freeview' is the operator of free digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard. The Freeview brand name, owned by DTV Services,[1] is used to promote the free digital terrestrial television service as a whole and those services operated by companies who rent capacity from Freeview Consortium shareholders.[2]

Contents
Overview
Service costs
Coverage and reception
Freeview Playback
Freeview channels
TV channels
Radio stations
Text and interactive services
Future channels
Closing Down
Former channels
British Sky Broadcasting channels
See also
Notes and references
External links

Overview


Freeview was launched on 30 October 2002 at 6 am when it took over the digital terrestrial television (DTT) licence to broadcast on three multiplexes from the defunct ITV Digital (originally called ONdigital).
The founding members of DTV Services were the BBC, National Grid Wireless and British Sky Broadcasting. On 11 October 2005, they were joined by ITV plc and Channel 4. The Freeview service broadcasts free-to-air television channels, radio stations and interactive services from the BBC, Sky and other broadcasters.
2006, Q4, UK's 60 million TV sets (not ''homes'', Ofcom figures3)
As of the end of December 2006, 30.4% of first sets and 25.6% of all TV sets in the UK use Freeview. 7,703,000 of the 25.3 million UK homes are 'Freeview only', with 15.3 million Freeview enabled TVs (and integrated digital televisions) in 10.5 million homes.[3]
The Freeview model has been copied in a number of countries including France and Spain.
Service costs

Freeview offers no premium or pay-per-view channels and no subscription channels, the name distinguishes the service from ITV Digital, cable and satellite digital TV services. To receive the Freeview services, a set-top box (typically available from £10) or a new television with an integrated digital tuner is required. DTT reception cards for computers are also available for a similar price. Some viewers also need an aerial upgrade which can cost around £80 to £180.[4] In addition, the annual television licence must be purchased, as is required for all viewers of broadcast television in the UK irrespective of the method of reception.[5]
In addition to Freeview, a subscription-based service, Top Up TV, launched in March 2004 using unused channel space on Multiplexes that were owned by parties, who at the time, were not members of the Freeview consortium. The Top Up TV service is not connected with the Freeview service; it simply runs alongside it on the DTT platform. It was possible to receive Top Up TV selected Freeview set-top boxes or televisions equipped with a card slot or CI slot, however, this was discontinued in 2006 in favour of "Top Up TV Anytime", a service which depends on a proprietary set top box.
The 'Digital TV Group' made up of all the multiplex owners, is responsible for co-ordination between Freeview and Top Up TV services.
Coverage and reception

Approximately 73% of households are in a location that can receive Freeview broadcasts.[6] Maximum Freeview coverage of the UK whilst analogue and digital services are running in tandem has now been reached.[7] The British government plans to switch off analogue transmitters region-by-region, starting in 2007,[8] to allow for an increase in both Freeview coverage and transmitter power. The government estimates that the coverage level of the three public service broadcasting multiplexes will reach 98.5% of the population (the same as analogue television) and six-multiplex reception will cover 90% of the population once the digital switchover has been completed in 2012.
Freeview Playback

Main articles: Freeview Playback

Freeview Playback is a consumer brand created in the UK by the DTG Group to "raise consumer awareness and promote sales" of Freeview-capable digital video recorders. Players which meet specified quality and functionality criteria are permitted to carry the Freeview Playback logo, and benefit from joint marketing and consumer confidence.

Freeview channels


A full list of digital terrestrial television channels in the UK is also available, which includes the additional Top Up TV and Setanta Sports services.
TV channels


  1. BBC One (some regional variations in programming)

  2. BBC Two (some regional variations in programming; variations from analogue in Wales and Northern Ireland)

  3. ITV1, STV or UTV[9] (some regional variations in programming)

  4. Channel 4 (except Wales) or S4C Digidol (Wales only)

  5. Five

  6. ITV2

  7. BBC Three

  8. Channel 4 (Wales only) or TeleG (Scotland only)

  9. BBC Four

  10. ITV3

  11. Sky Three

  12. UKTV History

  13. Channel 4+1[10]

  14. More4

  15. ABC1 (not available in Wales; does not broadcast for its full hours on Freeview, to be removed[11])
  16. QVC (reduced hours in Wales)

  17. The Hits

  18. UKTV Bright Ideas

  19. Ftn (Will be replaced by Virgin 1 this Autumn)

  20. TMF

  21. Ideal World

  22. bid tv (reduced hours in Wales)

  23. price-drop tv

  24. ITV4

  25. E4

  26. E4+110

  27. ITV2+110

  28. Film410

  29. Five US

  30. Five Life

  31. SmileTV

  32. Nuts TV (Placeholder, launches September 12th, 9pm to 1am)

  33. CBBC Channel

  34. CBeebies

  35. CITV Channel

  36. BBC News 24

  37. BBC Parliament

  38. Sky News
  39. Sky Sports News
  40. S4C2 (Wales only)

  41. Community Channel (does not broadcast for its full hours on Freeview)

  42. Teachers' TV (does not broadcast for its full hours on Freeview)


Radio stations


  1. BBC Radio 1

  2. BBC Radio 1Xtra

  3. BBC Radio 2

  4. BBC Radio 3

  5. BBC Radio 4 (FM version)

  6. BBC Radio 5 Live

  7. BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

  8. BBC Radio 6 Music

  9. BBC Radio 7

  10. BBC Radio Asian Network

  11. BBC World Service (English language European service)

  12. The Hits Radio

  13. Smash Hits

  14. Kiss 100

  15. Heat (not available in Wales)

  16. Magic 105.4

  17. Q

  18. Oneword

  19. 102.2 Smooth Radio

  20. BBC Radio Scotland (MW version; Scotland only), BBC Radio Wales (Wales only) or BBC Radio Ulster (Northern Ireland only)

  21. BBC Radio nan Gaidheal (Scotland only), BBC Radio Cymru (Wales only) or BBC Radio Foyle (Northern Ireland only)

  22. Mojo (not available in Wales)

  23. Kerrang!

  24. talkSPORT

  25. Clyde 1

  26. Premier Christian Radio

  27. U105 (Northern Ireland only)

  28. Virgin Radio

  29. Heart 106.2 (Northern England, Southern England, Wales, Southern Scotland and the Isle of Man only) or 100.7 Heart FM (West Midlands only) or Heart 106 (East Midlands only)

  30. Radio Music Shop (not available in Northern and Central Scotland)

Text and interactive services


  1. Teletext

  2. Teletext Holidays

  3. Teletext Cars

  4. Teletext Games

  5. Teletext on 4

  6. BBCi

  7. Sky Text


Future channels


★ Virgin 1 (due Autumn 2007) will replace Ftn[12]

★ Nuts TV (due 12 September 2007, ch42)[13]
Closing Down


★ Ftn, due to leave Autumn 2007.[12]

★ ABC1, to close. 11
Former channels


★ 3C – Closed on all platforms on 27 March 2007 at 5 p.m., replaced immediately by Clyde 1

★ CBM – Never launched; tested in May to August 2003, before termination of contract.

★ FourText – Channel 4-owned digital teletext service, replaced by Teletext on 4 in 2003.

★ Film4+1 – replaced on Freeview with Channel4+1

★ ITV News Channel – Hours reduced in November 2005 to make room for ITV4; removed and shut down on Friday 23 December 2005 at 6 p.m. to provide space for CITV.

★ ITV Play – Closed on all platforms on 13 March 2007, replaced on 15 March 2007 by ITV2+1.

★ Jazz FM – Replaced by 102.2 Smooth FM in June 2005, then by 102.2 Smooth Radio in March 2007.

★ Men & Motors – Removed in April 2006, replaced by ITV Play, itself removed in March 2007.

★ More4+1 – 1 hour timeshift of More4, removed on 18 May 2006, replaced by Big Brother Interactive Channel, which in turn was replaced by Film4 on 23 July 2006.

★ NTL – Two day TV guide removed in Summer 2003

★ Quiz Call – Channel 4 owned Quiz channel sold to iTouch, closed on 15 November 2006 and replaced, temporarily, by Film4+1.

★ Sky Travel – Replaced on Freeview in October 2005 by new channel Sky Three

★ Teletext TV Guide – TV Guide section of Teletext removed 2004 for the addition of Teletext Cars.

★ TV Travel Shop – Space bought out by Top Up TV in January 2004, now hosts Top Up TV encrypted channels. Channel shut down.

★ YooPlay Games (previously ''Free2Play'' then ''F2P Games'') – closed 18 July 2006, space leased to SMG plc for Virgin Radio, which launched the same day.
British Sky Broadcasting channels

It was announced on 8 February 2007 that Sky intended to withdraw Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News from the platform in the summer of 2007.
Sky executives have discussed various strategies with major media buying agencies, including leaving Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News on Freeview in favour of launching a pay TV service on digital terrestrial. Estimates of the potential cost to Sky in terms of lost ad revenue for having its channels withdrawn from Virgin's cable TV service range from £45m to £60m for 2007.[15]
However, the 'Ofcom Consumer Panel' complained that the plan was "generating serious consumer detriment"[16] and the 'National Consumer Council' call the BSkyB plan "bad news for consumers"[17] which has caused Ofcom to launch an investigation into the "features of the [UK pay TV] market, including control over content, ownership of distribution platforms, retail subscriber bases and vertical integration".[18]

See also



★ Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom

★ Freesat

★ BT Vision

★ Top Up TV

★ Télévision Numérique Terrestre

★ UK topics

Notes and references


1. DTV Services Limited Company Profile
2. Channel 4 buys new Freeview slot
3. The Communications Market: Digital Progress Report Digital TV, Q4 2006
4. Frequently Asked Questions
5. TV Licensing - TV Licence Information
6. Freeview Facts: When will I be able to get Freeview?
7. Freeview FAQ: I have no coverage, what can I do now?
8. First digital TV switch date set
9. ITV1 is the brand name for twelve of the fifteen regional ITV Network franchises and is used in England, Wales, southern Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Each of these twelve franchises has a separate brand name used prior to local programming (see ITV1). STV is the brand name for the franchises for central and northern Scotland. All fifteen franchises broadcast their services between 09:25 and 06:00. GMTV operates the franchise for national breakfast television and operates between 06:00 and 09:25.
10. Channels whose name is the same as another channel with "+1" appended transmit the same content as the named channel, delayed by one hour.
11. Broadcastnow.co.uk - Television, production, broadcast and radio industry news
12. Virgin Media plans new channel launch
13. Nuts TV to launch on Freeview
14. Virgin Media plans new channel launch
15. Terrestrial - News - Report: Sky reconsiders leaving Freeview - Digital Spy
16. Consumer Panel asks Ofcom to step in to resolve Virgin and BSkyB dispute
17. NCC demands action on dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB
18. Market investigation into the pay TV industry

External links



★ Freeview

★ The industry association for digital TV in the UK

★ Extended Freeview reception prediction

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