Spotlight TV leaving Sky and Freesat

The country music channel Spotlight TV is leaving Sky (ch 365) and Freesat (500) on August 31st. Article from RXTV. Doesn’t say however whether the channel is leaving Astra entirely. Currently on 2G, 11082 H.

https://rxtvinfo.com/2022/country-music-channel-spotlight-to-exit-sky-and-freesat

byte

Thanks for the heads-up.

I'm likely to receive a few calls about its disappearance later next week...

Maz2016

Thanks for this. The mother will be devastated Id say she’s the only house in the country where spotlight is in the top 10 channels in the FTA box.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527254#Comment_119527254

Could remain as an FTA channel on Astra. We’ll have to wait and see. Alot of people will miss it if its totally gone especially as it carried Ireland West Music TV twice a week.

Maz2016

If it’s leaving FreeSat , I would highly doubt it will stay on Astra. Could be wrong though (hopefully). As you say a lot of people will miss it.

muffinhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527177#Comment_119527177

Are you Joe Duffy?

mackersdublin

Considering the owner has stated the channel is closing after this recent campaign https://spotlight-tv.co.uk/our-future

No channel leaves Sky's EPG and remains broadcasting on 28.2 off the EPG

The channel was due to close in mid August, but now Sky has confirmed it's closing permanently next Wednesday (31st) https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/What-s-On/Changes-to-the-Sky-TV-guide-August-2022/td-p/4061607

Sky's TV Guide has it closing at 6am on Thursday 1st Sept

Maz2016

Going slightly off topic, you’d have to agree or at least see the viewpoint of the owners of Spotlight TV. The system they use (which is 70 years old) is flawed.

“There are around 32 MILLION households in the United Kingdom. BARB surveys only 5,200 of them. So the viewing figures awarded to a television channel are based on the actual viewing of less than 1% of the population (0.016% to be precise).

So, in theory, 30 million households might tune in to a particular programme, but if none of those households happen to be within the BARB family, the programme is given a zero rating, effectively saying nobody watched it.” - per link in above post.

that system is very unfair. If that’s the system used here, it might explain why virgin media pulls in over 20% a week on their channels (1-3).

byte

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528813#Comment_119528813

Hah, no! I only wish my income was the same as his! 😆

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119529319#Comment_119529319

Wouldn’t it be down to statistical significance and margin of error? In Ireland, a RedC poll of a thousand people will give a result accurate to within +/- 2% iirc.

dam099

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531744#Comment_119531744

Yes I would agree. The example of 30 million households watching and none of them being one of the 5,200 they use for their survey would have an infinitesimally small probability of occurring. Unless the method to select the sample is skewed somehow that is likely an adequate sample size.

Has the channel gone from the Sky & Freesat EPG? Still there on the Sky online guide at 365.

https://www.sky.com/tv-guide/20220901/4104-50/365

Gone however from the Freesat guide at 500:

https://www.freesat.co.uk/tv-guide

Maz2016

Yes it’s gone

Gone from Astra as well.

Manach

Unfortunately it is gone. Usualy I tune in on Sunday evenings to relax to their music.

muffinhead

Just seen someone mention on the Spotlight TV Facebook page that the following shows will be broadcast on Channel 7 (Sky ch. 181) on Monday nights:

• Shamrock City @ 6pm
• Hot Country EXTRA @ 7pm
• Hot Country TV @ 8pm
• Michael Commins @ 9pm
• Ireland West TV @ 10pm

Tuning info for other receivers here: https://www.lyngsat.com/tvchannels/gh/Channel-7.html

ronanphilip

The channel is now available to stream under the name Music and Memories

Watch Online www.musicandmemories.tv

Freeview #271 on your internet-connected smart TV (Channelbox)

Channelbox App available from Google Play and App Store

muffinhead

I notice on Phil Mack's Facebook page he posted "For all viewers in Ireland we launch there in late October, details early next week". I wonder will Music & Memories TV be coming to Saorview?

Maz2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119681872#Comment_119681872

Be very interesting to see that

Maz2016

Ok guys a (disappointing) update. Music & Memories is going to Veusat from late October I hadn’t heard of them but basically you buy a free to air box off them and then pay them €25 per year for free to air channels. I wouldn’t pay any company €25 for free to air tv channels. They must be playing this channel via an internet stream I’d imagine. Disappointing update , can’t see many people investing in this for one extra tv channel

Kenny Powers

Does anyone have a direct link to stream this channel using VLC or other?

ybcby

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119696716#Comment_119696716

https://edge-fast2.evrideo.tv/51da5aca-56ff-4735-bde8-b75d2ae4d9b9_0_HLS/video_10801920_p_0.m3u8

Kenny Powers

Nice one thank you , whit that link there is a glitch in the audio every few seconds yet the Chanelbox and streaming via web is fine.

muffinhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119696078#Comment_119696078

Veusat?

Maz2016

That was my reaction as well 😂

Gerry Wicklow

" Veusat is a service that provides you with over 130 + Free To Air TV channels from the UK and Ireland for €25 PER YEAR.

All the Channels are FREE TO AIR and fully legal. All channels are received through your satellite dish and TV aerial......

The €25 PER YEAR charge is to cover our Channel Update facility."

Dang Maybe I should start charging for update info I post on here. 🤣

Maz2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119697499#Comment_119697499

You’d swear it’s a hard job updating when a channel change’s frequency. Ok the ITV’s did this year but all the main channels are usually pretty stable. Still can’t figure out, if they are using a satellite dish and aerial how are they going to provide this channel

muffinhead

It looks as though Music & Memories TV will be internet streamed on these Veusat boxes. Presumably anyone with a smart TV with IPTV app could set up a stream to this channel using the link posted above and not have to worry about one of these boxes. Bit of shame for the viewers without an internet connection.

Delta2113

No recording facility with Veusat - unbelievable.

tapasandtinto

My mother got a Veusat box over a year ago and it’s a great service. At €25 a year, it’s a lot cheaper than other TV suppliers and all she has to do is press a button and it updates for her. So I think €25 is nothing. She’ll be buying the new box to watch Music and Memories now because she loved Spotlight.

Aquos76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119825995#Comment_119825995

ha ha, your first post on here too, good one pal 🤣

Maz2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119826408#Comment_119826408

Exactly! Veusat doesn’t appear to be a good service for me anyway. Any Veusat customers will have to buy the newer box (€120) fo get music and memories than €25 a year. They don’t allow you to record, don’t allow you arrange the channels in the order you want, can’t hide channels like the shopping and religious channels. Plenty of better boxes out there for cheaper and no yearly charge. Updating the channel with the touch of a button is handy but in all fairness it only takes a couple of minutes to do it anyway

Charles Slane

"Updating the channel with the touch of a bottom is handy"

Haha! That auto-correct gave me an unexpected laugh! Thank you, Maz2016!