Satdude
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Satellite news 6.04.05
News
BBC and Sky in 'row' over FA Cup coverage
The BBC and Sky are reported to be involved in a row over who will broadcast which of this season's FA Cup semi-finals. Arsenal take on Blackburn on Saturday week with Manchester United and Newcastle clashing the following day, both at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. And the Sunday game is the one both the BBC and Sky Sports want - with neither broadcaster willing to back down, according to Sunday newspapers.
Analogue TV switch-off begins in Wales
Two Welsh villages have become the first parts of the UK to lose their analogue TV signals. Around 460 households in Ferryside and Llanstephan went digital-only on March 29 as part of a government pilot scheme. Feedback from the trial will help in the national switchover process, which is due to begin nationwide in three years' time. The Welsh householders have been provided with set-top boxes, a support helpline and one-to-one support for the elderly.
ITV to relaunch Men and Motors in May
ITV has confirmed it will "relaunch" Men and Motors next month, a month later than originally expected. The news comes as ITV was named as the winner of the first vacant channel space on Freeview. "Men and Motors is changing and will be relaunched as a shinier, naughtier, funkier channel in May," said a message posted on the channel's official Web site. ITV is expected to overhaul the channel into ITV4 later in 2005.
Major rethink on Sky's EPG line-up unveiled
Sky intends to completely overhaul the line-up of channels on its servivce later this year, according to press reports. The number of channel genres (ie news, sports) is tipped to grow from seven to 15 to account for the huge growth in the number of channels on the service in recent years. At launch it offered 140 channels, but there are now more 500. The main menu page will be split into two, with Entertainment, Lifestyle & Culture, Movies, Sports, News, Documentaries, Kids and Music channels on one page and Radio, Shopping, Religion, International, Gaming & Dating, Specialist and Adult stations on the second. The changes will be rolled out in the autumn.
Digital penetration reaches 60% across UK
Just-released figures from media regulator Ofcom show digital TV penetration in the UK is close to breaching the 60% barrier, with 59.4% of UK households having made the switch by the end of 2004. Freeview's digital terrestrial service accounted for the lion’s share of this 6.6% growth on the previous quarter. The total number of digital households stood at nearly 14.8m as of December 31. Sky Digital's satellite service accounted for 7.3m of these, and Freeview 4.6m. While this represented only 2.5% quarterly growth for Sky, Freeview rocketed by 17.3%.
New mature content channel for Sky Digital in September
A new TV channel aimed at mature content men will launch in the UK this September. Called Faze TV, it will have a £5 million programming budget and its schedule will include fashion, news, music, sport, drama serials and films. "mature content channels have launched successfully in the US and France in the past 12 months," said boss David Bouchiertold. "The proposition is perfect for extending the appeal of multichannel television to an important niche audience."
Your Destiny TV starts interactive palm readings
Viewers of psychic-themed TV channel Your Destiny TV can now receive palm readings via their mobiles, after the company behind the UK station, TV Commerce Holdings, launched a new interactive service. Viewers can take pictures of their own palms with their phones and send them in to the studio in order to receive a reading. The service is available via 02, Vodafone, Orange, 3 and T-Mobile. It costs £4.50 a go with £1.70 of this being clear profit for TV Commerce, according to the company.
Fashion TV ready to return to Sky Digital
Fashion TV has begun test transmissions ahead of its official return to Sky Digital. It ceased transmissions last November after an alleged dispute with Sky. However, the tests can be found at '4164' on 11.508GHz/H (SR 27500, FEC 2/3) and a full launch is expected over the next few weeks.
Former Sky chief quits as Foxtel chairman
Sam Chisholm has quit as chairman of Australian pay platform Foxtel, following his resignation from the company's 50% owner, Telstra, back in October 2004. Chisholm, the former chief exec of Sky, has been Foxtel's chairman and Telstra's representative on the board since August 2001. However, he said he will stay on the Foxtel board, this time as a representative of 25% owner, Publishing & Broadcasting Limited, replacing PBL exec chairman James Packer, son of mogul Kerry. The other 25% of Foxtel is held by Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd.
Red Hot channels changed on Sky Digital
Several adult channels have switched positions in the line-up on Sky Digital. Red Hot Only 18 has moved from channel number 976 to 982 while Red Hot Rears is now available on 976. Red Hot UK Talent on 981 is now called Red Hot Climax while Red Hot Films on 983 has been revamped as Red Hot Movies.
Life TV to launch new time-shifted channel
Life TV is preparing to launch a second service on Sky Digital to accommodate its main channel on channel 160. Test transmissions of the new channel, which will be timeshifted by two hours, are going ahead and the channel will be on air by the end of May. Life TV+2's tests are available at 11.266GHz/H under the label '52107'.
Digital TV news
Pakistan news and entertainment channel Geo UK has started on Sky channel 838... New Asian channel Zee Gujarati has launched on Sky Digital channel 839... Shopping channel QVC UK has reported a 17% rise in sales and a leap in customer numbers... Telewest is reportedly exploring the possibility of an £800m sale of Flextech, which owns channels such as Bravo and Challenge and a 50% stake in the UKTV family of digital channels with the BBC... The Hallmark Channel has been pulled off air in Spain and Portugal, just weeks before the David Elstein-led $242m buy-out of the international business is completed.
France launches digital terrestrial TV service
France has finally launched a digital terrestrial television service. Called TV numerique terrestre it is branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or 'Digital Television For All' and offers 14 free-to-air channels initially available for 35 per cent of the population.
Regards Satdude.
News
BBC and Sky in 'row' over FA Cup coverage
The BBC and Sky are reported to be involved in a row over who will broadcast which of this season's FA Cup semi-finals. Arsenal take on Blackburn on Saturday week with Manchester United and Newcastle clashing the following day, both at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. And the Sunday game is the one both the BBC and Sky Sports want - with neither broadcaster willing to back down, according to Sunday newspapers.
Analogue TV switch-off begins in Wales
Two Welsh villages have become the first parts of the UK to lose their analogue TV signals. Around 460 households in Ferryside and Llanstephan went digital-only on March 29 as part of a government pilot scheme. Feedback from the trial will help in the national switchover process, which is due to begin nationwide in three years' time. The Welsh householders have been provided with set-top boxes, a support helpline and one-to-one support for the elderly.
ITV to relaunch Men and Motors in May
ITV has confirmed it will "relaunch" Men and Motors next month, a month later than originally expected. The news comes as ITV was named as the winner of the first vacant channel space on Freeview. "Men and Motors is changing and will be relaunched as a shinier, naughtier, funkier channel in May," said a message posted on the channel's official Web site. ITV is expected to overhaul the channel into ITV4 later in 2005.
Major rethink on Sky's EPG line-up unveiled
Sky intends to completely overhaul the line-up of channels on its servivce later this year, according to press reports. The number of channel genres (ie news, sports) is tipped to grow from seven to 15 to account for the huge growth in the number of channels on the service in recent years. At launch it offered 140 channels, but there are now more 500. The main menu page will be split into two, with Entertainment, Lifestyle & Culture, Movies, Sports, News, Documentaries, Kids and Music channels on one page and Radio, Shopping, Religion, International, Gaming & Dating, Specialist and Adult stations on the second. The changes will be rolled out in the autumn.
Digital penetration reaches 60% across UK
Just-released figures from media regulator Ofcom show digital TV penetration in the UK is close to breaching the 60% barrier, with 59.4% of UK households having made the switch by the end of 2004. Freeview's digital terrestrial service accounted for the lion’s share of this 6.6% growth on the previous quarter. The total number of digital households stood at nearly 14.8m as of December 31. Sky Digital's satellite service accounted for 7.3m of these, and Freeview 4.6m. While this represented only 2.5% quarterly growth for Sky, Freeview rocketed by 17.3%.
New mature content channel for Sky Digital in September
A new TV channel aimed at mature content men will launch in the UK this September. Called Faze TV, it will have a £5 million programming budget and its schedule will include fashion, news, music, sport, drama serials and films. "mature content channels have launched successfully in the US and France in the past 12 months," said boss David Bouchiertold. "The proposition is perfect for extending the appeal of multichannel television to an important niche audience."
Your Destiny TV starts interactive palm readings
Viewers of psychic-themed TV channel Your Destiny TV can now receive palm readings via their mobiles, after the company behind the UK station, TV Commerce Holdings, launched a new interactive service. Viewers can take pictures of their own palms with their phones and send them in to the studio in order to receive a reading. The service is available via 02, Vodafone, Orange, 3 and T-Mobile. It costs £4.50 a go with £1.70 of this being clear profit for TV Commerce, according to the company.
Fashion TV ready to return to Sky Digital
Fashion TV has begun test transmissions ahead of its official return to Sky Digital. It ceased transmissions last November after an alleged dispute with Sky. However, the tests can be found at '4164' on 11.508GHz/H (SR 27500, FEC 2/3) and a full launch is expected over the next few weeks.
Former Sky chief quits as Foxtel chairman
Sam Chisholm has quit as chairman of Australian pay platform Foxtel, following his resignation from the company's 50% owner, Telstra, back in October 2004. Chisholm, the former chief exec of Sky, has been Foxtel's chairman and Telstra's representative on the board since August 2001. However, he said he will stay on the Foxtel board, this time as a representative of 25% owner, Publishing & Broadcasting Limited, replacing PBL exec chairman James Packer, son of mogul Kerry. The other 25% of Foxtel is held by Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd.
Red Hot channels changed on Sky Digital
Several adult channels have switched positions in the line-up on Sky Digital. Red Hot Only 18 has moved from channel number 976 to 982 while Red Hot Rears is now available on 976. Red Hot UK Talent on 981 is now called Red Hot Climax while Red Hot Films on 983 has been revamped as Red Hot Movies.
Life TV to launch new time-shifted channel
Life TV is preparing to launch a second service on Sky Digital to accommodate its main channel on channel 160. Test transmissions of the new channel, which will be timeshifted by two hours, are going ahead and the channel will be on air by the end of May. Life TV+2's tests are available at 11.266GHz/H under the label '52107'.
Digital TV news
Pakistan news and entertainment channel Geo UK has started on Sky channel 838... New Asian channel Zee Gujarati has launched on Sky Digital channel 839... Shopping channel QVC UK has reported a 17% rise in sales and a leap in customer numbers... Telewest is reportedly exploring the possibility of an £800m sale of Flextech, which owns channels such as Bravo and Challenge and a 50% stake in the UKTV family of digital channels with the BBC... The Hallmark Channel has been pulled off air in Spain and Portugal, just weeks before the David Elstein-led $242m buy-out of the international business is completed.
France launches digital terrestrial TV service
France has finally launched a digital terrestrial television service. Called TV numerique terrestre it is branded as Television Numerique pour Tous, or 'Digital Television For All' and offers 14 free-to-air channels initially available for 35 per cent of the population.
Regards Satdude.