ITV to the rescue ?, ITVand ITV2 FTA?

arkles

Taken from sky digital online front page

04/07/03 ITV to announce plans of Solus card change next week

Viewers' are confused over the Free To Air change next week, which will see BBC move to Astra 2D. With the BBC's decision in abandoning Free To View cards (Solus) many people are left wondering about what will happen to their terrestrial channels such as ITV, Channel Four and Five. Well, Channel Four's response was published here this morning.

ITV have now contacted SDO to tell us that they will make an official announcement next week once the "mess" has cleared up. ITV are unsure themselves about what will happen and are awaiting for BBC's free service to go live before saying anything.

However, they did tell us that their stance will be different to Channel Four's because unlike them they will try their utmost best in providing ITV1 and ITV2 to viewers without a Sky card on a Free To Air set top box.

Keep it with SDO for the very latest.
News Feed: Raj Baddhan Source: ITV News Break: 16:14

04/07/03 Channel Four responds to Solus card change

sceptre

Originally posted by arkles
Well, Channel Four's response was published here this morning.

Anyone have a link to this statement?

robert muldoon

Originally posted by sceptre
Anyone have a link to this statement?

Yes, what was Channel 4's response?

arkles

04/07/03 Channel Four responds to Solus card change

Channel Four has told SDO that their flagship channel will become a part of Sky's monthly package come 10th July. This comes in response to BBC's decision in going Free To Air on Sky Digital from that date onwards.

Speaking to the Head of Press at Channel Four, Matt Baker, he also clarified that the channel will NOT be available to Free To Air set top boxes, which is a major blow to viewers' who do not subscribe to a Sky monthly package. The reason for this is because BBC who have been issuing the Solus viewing cards (Free To View) will stop doing so from next week, which means new viewers' who have plans to view the free channels on Sky will miss out on receiving Channel Four, Five and ITV1.

Channel Four has also said that it does not have any intentions of distributing Solus cards because of the costs involved. Channel Four has no plans of following the BBC's Free To Air mode just yet, saying that they're "very happy" with how things are at the moment.

News Feed: Raj Baddhan Source: Channel Four News Break: 12:39

EKRIUQ

Originally posted by sceptre
Anyone have a link to this statement?

http://skydigital.mediabullet.co.uk/

Here's the link

Originally posted by arkles

Speaking to the Head of Press at Channel Four, Matt Baker, he also clarified that the channel will NOT be available to Free To Air set top boxes, which is a major blow to viewers' who do not subscribe to a Sky monthly package. The reason for this is because BBC who have been issuing the Solus viewing cards (Free To View) will stop doing so from next week, which means new viewers' who have plans to view the free channels on Sky will miss out on receiving Channel Four, Five and ITV1.

That statement is very ambigous.
It says that CH4 will not be available to FTA viewers as opposed to FTV.
So it doesn't rule out being available to Solus cards.
Then it says "which means new viewers' who have plans to view the free channels on Sky will miss out on receiving Channel Four, Five and ITV1."
which means that "new" satellite viewers who obviously will be without a solus card as they are no longer being issued will be without ch4.
And at the start of the statement, they still only talk about new viewers who on getting their digibox for the first time will now only be able to see Ch4 as part of a sky package.

Incidently, Does channel four have a charter?? as it is in an awkward position in that it is a public service broadcaster in the UK and as such is now excluding free reception of it's satellite service to new digital satellite viewers.
mm

johnnyq

Haven't these topics been already mentioned on numerous other threads ?

arkles

ok for anyone that has the time and mental ability,

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds03/text/30603-12.htm

please feel free to move this thread to an existing one, if required

robert muldoon

Originally posted by arkles
ok for anyone that has the time and mental ability,

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds03/text/30603-12.htm

please feel free to move this thread to an existing one, if required

Well done Arkles- how on earth didyou manageto see that?

So some nice Baroness has again confirmed the message of doom.
She was trying to introduce an ammendment to a broadcasting Bill in the UK, to put the onus on the five main terrestrial broadcasters to pay for Solus cards.

The ammendment was withdrawn
mm

DMC

Arkles, no need for all the new threads.

Merged.

icdg

Originally posted by Man
Incidently, Does channel four have a charter?? as it is in an awkward position in that it is a public service broadcaster in the UK and as such is now excluding free reception of it's satellite service to new digital satellite viewers.
mm

No. It derives its authority from the Broadcasting Acts 1990-1996. It has a Licence from the Independent Television Commission which stipulates that it is to "cater to tastes not generally catered for by Channel 3 (ITV)" - that essentially is its mission statement.

Scottish paddy

I think it is interesting that Ch4 is now to become part of the SKY "package" available only to SKY subscribers on satellite. This is a public corporation in the UK. So much for all the ranting on this forum about RTE and its agreement with SKY and how this could only happen in Ireland!

DMC

No one every said it couldn't happen, it is surprising that it has.

Just to note that TalkSport is a subscription channel, available when you subscribe to a UK Sky Digital package, yet it is free to air on analogue radio.

watty

Sky wants no FTA 28.2E as it erodes its control
There are a bunch of TV FTA on other Satellites that are Pay TV on Sky:
Eurosport (int version Egnlish analog sat, German Digi Sat)
MTV (Two german versions, analog and Digi Sat)
Al Jazeera
TV5
Bloomberg (Analog part time, Digi full time)
CNBC

Sky claim as part of pack, but Free (also other satellites)
Sky News
QVC
CNN

Boomerang was free of Sky till recently
Carton Network was free on Sky Analog

There are some half decent non-shopping channels FTA on Sky still. Sky of course don't list which channels you get with no susbscription.

S4C~digidol apart from Welsh has I believe Rugby.
TCM
ITV/ITN News
Reality TV
Performance
Classic FM TV
p-Rock
Extreme Sports
Motors TV (rumoured to join pay channels soon)
Fashion TV

plus some others with occasional decent progs.

Richard

My Sky Supscription expired on Sunday night (just as I was about to watch a new episode of the Simpsons!). I cancelled it a month ago.

BBC ONE CB is now not available for me via Other Channels. This is different to how ITV1 behaved when it appeared first, as it was available via an expired ROI subscription card, but not without a card altogether.

Anyway, I've now got the subscription card upside down and I hope that the BBC channels will apear on the FTA EPG come Thursday!

robert muldoon

Originally posted by arkles
Taken from sky digital online front page

04/07/03 ITV to announce plans of Solus card change next week

Viewers' are confused over the Free To Air change next week, which will see BBC move to Astra 2D. With the BBC's decision in abandoning Free To View cards (Solus) many people are left wondering about what will happen to their terrestrial channels such as ITV, Channel Four and Five. Well, Channel Four's response was published here this morning.

ITV have now contacted SDO to tell us that they will make an official announcement next week once the "mess" has cleared up. ITV are unsure themselves about what will happen and are awaiting for BBC's free service to go live before saying anything.

However, they did tell us that their stance will be different to Channel Four's because unlike them they will try their utmost best in providing ITV1 and ITV2 to viewers without a Sky card on a Free To Air set top box.

Keep it with SDO for the very latest.
News Feed: Raj Baddhan Source: ITV News Break: 16:14

04/07/03 Channel Four responds to Solus card change

So where's the statement??

johnnyq

it will probobly be tomorrow

arkles

I think this thread can be deleted now

Here's a copy of the actual text ITV is sending out
Solus Cards July 2003

As a result of the BBC’s decision to broadcast its services differently on satellite (‘in the clear’) satellite viewers who are not pay TV subscribers may at some point in the near future stop receiving ITV1, Channel 4 and Five via their satellite boxes.

· The BBC will broadcast ‘in the clear’ from 10 July, although this does not mean free-to-air only viewers’ cards will stop working at that point. This will not happen until BSkyB disables them. We do not know when Sky will do this and would recommend speaking to them (08702 404080/ www.sky.com) for more specific details.

ITV1, Channel 4 and Five will, of course, continue to be universally available through traditional analogue aerials. If you try pressing button 3 on your TV, anyone with a rooftop aerial and analogue coverage should still receive ITV1.

If you really want to continue watching the digital version of ITV1 then you have two options: (1) contact Sky (08702 404080/www.sky.com) and subscribe to a pay TV package of which ITV1 will be a ‘free’ element (2) find out if you can receive a digital terrestrial signal and obtain a Freeview (08708 80 99 80 / www.freeview.co.uk) box.

Q&A

Are you not obliged to be available free-to-view via Sky or satellite?
ITV1 is obliged to be universally available in analogue. We achieve this using the aerial transmission system. As there are many people now watching their TV via cable and satellite we are also available on these platforms but only for viewers who have a valid card or subscription.

How does this effect the government's plans to provide free-to-air digital services for all?
If and when the Government switches off terrestrial analogue so that ITV1 is only available in digital format ITV1 will, along with Channel 4, Five and the BBC, be obliged to be universally available in digital to all viewers. We will, of course, make whatever provisions are necessary to guarantee universal access to ITV1 in digital prior to the Government switching off analogue terrestrial.

Why must we remain encrypted? If the BBC can do it, why not ITV?
ITV1’s current arrangement with BSkyB was negotiated some time ago and runs until the end of 2004. The BBC has been able to do this because its deal has terminated. We will watch carefully the impact of the BBC’s move and consider whether it is an option for us to follow suit next year.

Why will ITV, C4 & C5 not provide cards?
ITV currently pays millions of pounds a year to be available to satellite viewers. But Sky wanted a lot more money from ITV, C4 and Five to fund access to free-to-view viewers. We have to weigh our desire to be easily available to all in digital format against the financial cost – every penny that comes out of our budgets for carriage is money that can’t be spent on programmes.

I do not have adequate analogue or Freeview coverage, so why am I being penalised?
You are not being penalised. Unfortunately you are a victim of the fallout from the BBC’s decision to abandon the old system of solus cards. If you can’t recive an analogue terrestrial signal for some reason you can, of course, still receive ITV1, Channel 4 and Five by subscribing to Sky.

sceptre

So basically there are two relevant things in that statement:

1. ITV will remain encrypted for the next 12-odd months (which we knew already). Towards that date they'll probably be thinking and discussing whether following the BBC to FTA is worth it or not - there's no decision so far.

2. ITV aren't going to be paying for or providing any FTV cards so that licence payers can watch the channel on Sky without taking out a subscription. They haven't said they'll be knocking off reception to curent FTV card holders though - assuming they continue the "nothing to do with us" attitude, people with series 2 solus cards will probably be able to receive ITV until Sky issues the next batch of cards.

So it may be good news for those of us who were lucky enough to get our grubby paws on an FTV card before the deadline. At least we haven't heard any bad news.

Those who didn't get one will have to wait until the current ITV contract with Sky runs out and hope they follow the BBC into freedom.

Feel free to poke holes in the above reasoning.

loftus

Will a cancelled UK sub. card still get you ITV, channel 4 & 5. Will I be able to take out a UK sub. cancell it after a month and then use the card as a FTV card.

Originally posted by loftus
Will a cancelled UK sub. card still get you ITV, channel 4 & 5. Will I be able to take out a UK sub. cancell it after a month and then use the card as a FTV card.

A lot of guess work going into the speculation on what is or isn't happening.
To date as you probably know, cancelled UK sub cards have defaulted to FTV status.
There is no reason to suggest that this won't continue to be the case unless Sky decide to switch off the version two non sub cards aswell.
mm