Changes to Freeview transmission discussion (with a techie edge)

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  • My TV has updated Merit's position, so I can confirm COM7.

    The change of multiplex may not have changed the transmission hours though, there's a slate on Channel 34 with the Merit logo and mentioning the start time as 9pm

  • Traditionally, major changes were on Tuesday & Thursday.

    My perception has been that in the last year Tuesday has been less important. I only notice as Wednesday is the day the big supermarket shop happens and it has coincided a lot with DTT changes in recent times. 8)

    It's weird, Tuesday was indeed one of The Days.

  • My TV has updated Merit's position, so I can confirm COM7.

    The change of multiplex may not have changed the transmission hours though, there's a slate on Channel 34 with the Merit logo and mentioning the start time as 9pm

    Ok, that's happened before with a change of mux. It doesn't pick up the correct offset until the channel arrives on the actual mux. It, sort of, makes sense, the relationship between the EIT, TDT and TOT starts working properly when everything is on the correct multiplex.

  • what do we think ITV are playing at?

    Like many have suggested elsewhere, making it sellable.

    You can't sell channel numbers on Freeview, you can sell channels, but I think it has to have a schedule and broadcast something first. They won't want to be selling the slot on SDN, just the number, so they've moved Merit off their multiplex. The idea being the buyer, if they want better coverage than a temporary multiplex provides, obtains the space on COM5 or 6 separately.

    It has been suggested that CCXTV is the same strategy, for a different owner. But with them they seem to be packaging it with a full slot.

    All just speculation for now, no-one is saying anything.

    Together gets its space gifted (and possibly some programming as I understand it), so they clearly "let" ITV have a slice of the Together+1 stream. Likely a temporary arrangement.

  • Like many have suggested elsewhere, making it sellable.

    You can't sell channel numbers on Freeview, you can sell channels, but I think it has to have a schedule and broadcast something first. They won't want to be selling the slot on SDN, just the number, so they've moved Merit off their multiplex. The idea being the buyer, if they want better coverage than a temporary multiplex provides, obtains the space on COM5 or 6 separately.

    It has been suggested that CCXTV is the same strategy, for a different owner. But with them they seem to be packaging it with a full slot.

    All just speculation for now, no-one is saying anything.

    Together gets its space gifted (and possibly some programming as I understand it), so they clearly "let" ITV have a slice of the Together+1 stream. Likely a temporary arrangement.

    But won't the new LCN allocated to Merit have been awarded to whoever ends up buying it anyway (if they had applied for it at the same time)? Or is ITV going to potentially sell off one of their own lower numbers and move one of their channels to a higher slot?

  • But won't the new LCN allocated to Merit have been awarded to whoever ends up buying it anyway (if they had applied for it at the same time)? Or is ITV going to potentially sell off one of their own lower numbers and move one of their channels to a higher slot?

    Of course whoever buys Merit would get the LCN, that would be the whole point of the exercise in creating the channel, to get around the Freeview rules that mean you can't sell the LCN on its own.

    Assuming ITV hasn't suddenly got in the mood to make a gardening/cooking channel and everyone's reading this all wrong. 8o

  • Of course whoever buys Merit would get the LCN, that would be the whole point of the exercise in creating the channel, to get around the Freeview rules that mean you can't sell the LCN on its own.

    Assuming ITV hasn't suddenly got in the mood to make a gardening/cooking channel and everyone's reading this all wrong. 8o

    So is it because it looks like ITV are 'selling' a decent EPG number for one of their channels and moving said channel to a worse position?

  • So is it because it looks like ITV are 'selling' a decent EPG number for one of their channels and moving said channel to a worse position?

    Well they probably are getting decent numbers on ITV Hub and so maybe they are fine with demoting +1s on a platform that is, relatively speaking, expensive. Make money on an asset.

    I had a great theory, probably nonsense, this morning for all this Merit/CCXTV type of thing happening, but life intervened. I can post it if you fancy a laugh, it may be just creative nonsense on my part. ^^

  • Well they probably are getting decent numbers on ITV Hub and so maybe they are fine with demoting +1s on a platform that is, relatively speaking, expensive. Make money on an asset.

    I had a great theory, probably nonsense, this morning for all this Merit/CCXTV type of thing happening, but life intervened. I can post it if you fancy a laugh, it may be just creative nonsense on my part. ^^

    Please do :)

  • OK Richard, here's my probably nonsense theory about what might be happening with Merit and CCXTV. :P

    First up the "theory" may be related to the upcoming requirement that PSB channels be in the Top 24 positions on the EPG. BBC4 in Scotland needs to move and BBC3 might be returning, two spaces maximum are needed. The Shopping channels possibly feel they are going to get forced out so I think this might be preemptive action.

    There are interesting things of note about the positions of the channels involved.

    1) Ideal World currently has channels on LCN 22 and 23 (CCXTV), right next to 24, the cut off point.

    2) QVC has LCN 35 (QVC Beauty) and 36 (QVC Style) right after Merit's LCN of 34.

    Ideal World could buy Merit, swap places with their main channel of the same name and then sell Merit and CCXTV to a buyer that doesn't mind dealing with the problem coming in January 2021 with the Top24 issue.

    Same goes for QVC, and it has the additional convenience of placing all their channels on concurrent LCNs if it bought Merit.

    It could be both Shopping channels are involved in the same process. Ideal World may only be half way through dealing with LCN 23, having already swapped CCXTV with Create & Craft, and QVC are doing it Merit.

  • My interpretation of two license tweets today reported by @ukdtt is that the removal of the Pick+1 Freeview license and the addition of a Sky Arts one means Sky are moving forward with Sky Arts going Free-To-Air.

    I reckon you're right.

    With the BBC and the government heading towards an almighty clash, I think this is positioning by Sky to say they are the new "PSB" on the block.

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