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Home»Terrestrial»TG4 lobbying for a higher ranking Freeview slot
Terrestrial

TG4 lobbying for a higher ranking Freeview slot

28 December 2021
TG4 ident featuring a man leaping over a traffic crossing.

The Gaelic-language channel wants ‘greater visibility’ in Northern Ireland, so as to attract more ‘passing viewers’.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, TG4 hopes a move up Freeview’s channel ranking will achieve this. TG4’s Director-General Alan Esslemont said the broadcaster had been “seeking to promote itself more widely in Northern Ireland in 2021 as it marked its 25th anniversary”. But the broadcaster says its channel slot means viewers are less likely to stumble across its programmes.

TG4 previously asked Digital UK, the organisation responsible for managing Freeview channel numbers, for a more prominent slot. In 2020, TG4 requested a move to Freeview channel 8. At the time, it argued that it should have greater prominence, like S4C in Wales and BBC Alba in Scotland. Freeview channel 8 is currently empty in Northern Ireland.

Instead, on 4th November 2020, TG4 moved down from Freeview channel 51 to 52. This was part of a national reshuffle ensuring all UK-based public broadcasters were found in the top 24 slots of the channel guide ahead of new Ofcom rules coming into force.

And next month, Freeview channels below 23 in the channel list will be shuffling down, to create a national channel slot for BBC Three, which returns at the beginning of February. This could result in TG4 moving down again, this time from channel 52 to 53.

No regulatory decision on TG4 Freeview number

The decision to award a channel particular prominence rests with Ofcom. Ofcom’s decision is based on a channel’s UK public service broadcasting status. The regulator recently rewrote prominence rules in preparation for BBC Three returning. However, there is currently no specific provision for TG4 gaining an advantage in the channel list, as it is not a UK public broadcaster.

TG4 launched in the Republic of Ireland in 1996, becoming the home of Gaelic language programming. TG4’s inclusion on Freeview in Northern Ireland is a result of the Good Friday agreement. The agreement initially allowed TG4 to broadcast in analogue in the Belfast area. A special multiplex carrying RTÉ and TG4 was established to continue broadcasts after the digital switchover. But by the time TG4 arrived on Freeview in 2012, higher ranking channel numbers were already allocated to other channels.

TG4 does not enjoy any prominence on other platforms in Northern Ireland, either. On Sky in Northern Ireland, the channel is on 163. Meanwhile, Virgin Media offers the channel in Northern Ireland near the bottom of its channel list, on channel 877.

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RXTV info | Covering the reception and distribution of UK terrestrial TV (Freeview), cable, satellite and connected TV services for users and installers.

Freeview changes

30th June 2022

  • Channel 41 | Horror is replaced by Legend [COM4/SDN]
  • Channel 65 | FreeSports closes [COM7].
  • Channel 65 | That’s TV UK moves to this channel number.
  • Channel 68 | CBS Drama renames to Reality Xtra and changes multiplex [COM6/ArqB moving to Local/Comux].
  • Channel 69 | CBS Justice is closing [COM6/ArqB]
  • Channel 77 | NOW 80s moves from multiplex COM7 to G_MAN. Coverage in Manchester only.
  • Channel 87 | PBS America+1 closes [COM7]. The main PBS America channel continues on 84.
  • Channel 91 | Classic Hits (formerly That’s Music) moves to this channel number and moves from COM7 to COM6/ArqB.

Other Freeview channel updates…

Satellite
  • Astra 1N, 19.2°E 12604 H (SR22000, FEC 5/6, DVB-S, QPSK) Bloomberg Europe New frequency.  SID 7200.  [Old version on  Astra 1L, 19.2°E 11597 V carries label advising to retune.]
  • Astra 2F, 28.2°E 12226 V (SR27500, FEC 2/3, DVB-S2, 8PSK) BBC Two Northern Ireland HD test transmissions (Service ID 11015/1199)
  • Astra 2E, 28.5°E 11836 H (SR 27500, FEC 5/6) Sky News Ireland new frequency (SID: 5406)

Saorview: Irish DTT  | How to manually tune Sky box | Sky Glass channel list |  UHF channels and centre frequencies

 

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