Children’s and News channels moving on Freeview and YouView EPGs today
Neil Walker
Senior Distribution Manager, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Distribution
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If you watch television on a Freeview, Freeview HD or YouView device (be it a TV set or a set-top box) then you may need to do a manual rescan on your receiving equipment this Wednesday afternoon.
The Children’s and News channels are moving to make way for further general entertainment channels on the digital terrestrial television (or Freeview) EPG (electronic programme guide) this afternoon (Wednesday 3 September). Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat viewers will be unaffected.
In 2012, Digital UK, who manage part of the Digital Terrestrial television platform, undertook an in-depth consultation to make sure the Freeview EPG would be fit for purpose in future.Ìý One of the outcomes was a decision that once EPG channel number 65 had been allocated on the Freeview EPG then plans would be made for Children’s and News channels to be relocated, to make room for more entertainment channels on Freeview.Ìý
With the early 100s were already occupied by HD channels, the 120’s were identified as the best block for Children’s channels, and the 130’s for News.Ìý At the same time, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Red Button service will be moving home from its current listing at 301 to its new home at 601, to make room for the growth in IP-delivered channels offered by BT and TalkTalk through YouView boxes.
Whilst channel numbers are changing, the relative order of the channels within the genre will remain the same – so the Â鶹ԼÅÄ services affected (CÂ鶹ԼÅÄ, CBeebies, Â鶹ԼÅÄ News and Â鶹ԼÅÄ Parliament) will all remain at the top of their respective genres, in accordance with .Ìý
It’s worth saying that some equipment will automatically do a rescan on Wednesday afternoon, but some viewers will need to do a manual retune.
A comms programme has already been under way for a few days now with the affected channels playing out special trails advising of the channel move and the potential need to do a rescan, and Digital UK have organised ‘pop-up’ messaging to warn viewers of the forthcoming changes.
Once the retune has taken place, holding slides will be in place for one month that will redirect viewers to the Â鶹ԼÅÄ channels on their new EPG numbers.
More information and help on retuning can be found at: .
Neil Walker is Senior Distribution Manager, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Distribution