Posted 12th June 2009 by Paul
According to reports, ITV are considering making their digital channels into subscription-only offerings.
The Guardian says “ITV has held talks with BSkyB about switching its advertiser-funded free-to-air digital channels such as ITV2 to subscription, meaning they would no longer be available to Freeview viewers”. It’s being considered due to the downturn in advertising revenue recently. This would mean ITV channels would be pulled from Freeview where they currently are free-to-air if they decide to go ahead with the subscription-only strategy.Click here to read more on The Guardian website.
Tags: itv, Terrestrial (Freeview and Top Up TV)
Posted 8th January 2009 by Paul
ITV’s catch up TV service ITV Player is launching on Virgin Media soon, it has been announced. Virgin Media has reached a deal with ITV to offer the service on its TV service. A press release on Virgin Media’s website today says “the agreement will give ITV its largest ever potential on demand audience, with Virgin Media’s 3.5 million TV customers able to view over 40 hours of top quality programming from ITV1, 2, 3 and 4 each week”. Programmes will be available on Virgin Media’s Catch Up TV On Demand service for seven days after they’re broadcast.
There’ll also be a catalogue of old programmes available in Virgin Media’s TV Choice On Demand section – Virgin Media says “viewers will also be able to choose from 500 hours of award-winning ITV comedies, documentaries and dramas, all ready to watch at any time on demand”. The press release says a selection of high definition programmes will also be available On Demand.
Click here to read the Virgin Media press release in full.
Tags: Cable (Virgin Media), hd, itv, itv hd, itv on demand, itv player, on demand
Posted 17th October 2008 by Paul
High definition will be available on Freeview for the first time from the end of next year. It has been announced that three HD channels will be launching on Freeview next year – one will be BBC HD, the second will be ITV HD and the third is Channel 4 HD. These HD channels will only appear in regions that are digital only, so this is why only certain areas will get the HD channels in 2009 and it will be staggered across the country as and when digital switchover completes in each region, finishing off with the London area in 2012.
The BBC isn’t sure on what content will appear on the Freeview version of the BBC HD channel but it’s thought to either be exactly the same as the BBC HD service on satellite & Virgin Media cable, or a variation of it – it’s not known what the broadcast hours will be on Freeview. The ITV HD channel on Freeview will air an exact simulcast of the normal ITV1 schedule and The Register says ITV will “sub-let the channel to others outside prime time”. Channel 4 HD on Freeview will also air the same as schedule as the normal Channel 4 – it’s not known if Channel 4 HD will be on air for 24 hours a day. An as-yet unnamed fourth HD channel will be announced at a later date. You will need to buy a new Freeview HD set top box to watch the high definition channels. Click here to see the Ofcom news article.
Tags: bbc, channel 4, hd, itv, Terrestrial (Freeview and Top Up TV)
