Together TV to temporarily benefit from recent changes to Freeview capacity, meaning viewers with older Freeview TVs can once again access the channel.
- Together TV now available through an aerial on channel 83.
- Retune may be required.
- Channel was previously streaming for most of the day after previously losing its Freeview capacity.
Together TV, originally launched as the Community Channel, has taken up a vacant chunk of Freeview bandwidth ahead of Christmas.
This means the channel can now be received via the regular terrestrial Freeview service, without needing an internet connection. A retune may be required to restore the new copy of the channel on 83. The old copy of the channel will move to channel 790 following a retune.
Together TV features a daily schedule of lifestyle and factual programmes from a number of the UK’s main broadcasters, currently including Channel 4’s The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes and Building the Dream.
Why does Together TV’s availability on Freeview change so often?
As a Community Benefit Society, Together TV benefits from donated bandwidth allowing it to broadcast on Freeview. In a similar way to how charity shops temporarily fill space on the High Street when there’s a vacant shop unit, Together TV often fills in various empty multiplex slots for a limited period of time.
Today’s change, unannounced by Freeview, is the result of ITV recently making changes to its channels.
ITV3+1 and ITVBe+1’s broadcast hours were cut at the end of November, leaving the bandwidth empty for another channel. SDN, the ITV subsidiary which owns the broadcast capacity, had previously advertised the slot to interested parties earlier this year.
For now, Together TV takes the slot. In preparation for times when it doesn’t have a Freeview slot, the channel switches to streaming, allowing viewers with Freeview Play TVs to access a feed of the channel via the internet.
During 2023, Together TV has had limited terrestrial availability since the spring. Its former Freeview bandwidth was acquired for the launch of a new wildlife channel. Together TV will be one of the channels that looks set to benefit greatly from the launch of Freely – the streaming replacement for Freeview. Freely’s only bandwidth constraint will be the viewer’s internet speed.
Marc Thornham