STV joins a growing number of broadcasters to start turning off its standard definition (SD) channels on satellite, but before its HD service becomes universally available free-to-air.
- Two STV SD regions to close via satellite on Tuesday 9th January.
- Part of a wider clearance of satellite capacity by broadcasting partner ITV.
- Freeview and cable viewers unaffected.
STV’s SD service for the West of Scotland (Glasgow) and Dundee will be removed from satellite EPGs on Tuesday. It joins the BBC and ITV in closing SD services next week, although little advance warning was provided of STV’s plans, which were confirmed by Sky on Friday.
The removal of the two sub-regional services is part of a wider change on ITV’s satellite capacity. STV currently piggybacks on ITV capacity to carry its SD regions, plus one regional version of its HD channel.
ITV is closing multiple SD regional services, plus ITV3 SD, ITV4 SD and ITVBe SD, on Tuesday 9th January 2024. As a result, all remaining ITV SD and STV SD services will ultimately be combined on to one satellite transponder until they are finally closed in the future.
But STV hasn’t yet made all of its regional versions available free-to-air in HD on satellite. The full STV HD regional service is currently exclusive to pay TV platforms from Sky and Virgin Media. This means the move could result in some Freesat viewers losing their local version of STV.
If you’re a Sky subscriber using Sky+HD or Sky Q
Viewers using Sky+HD or Sky Q boxes will already have the relevant STV HD regional service on channel 103, and won’t be affected.
If you use an old SD-only satellite receiver
Viewers using older Sky SD and Freesat SD boxes in the Glasgow and Dundee areas will no longer receive their local STV service on channel 103. Instead viewers in the Glasgow area will see STV’s Edinburgh regional service on 103. In Dundee, viewers will see STV North (Aberdeen) on 103.
However, anyone still using these boxes will also be losing all BBC services next week anyway. Affected users are being urged to upgrade now.
If you’re a Freesat HD user
Controversially, the removal of two STV SD regional services comes before STV has made all of its HD regions available free-to-air. Currently only STV West (Glasgow) is carried free-to-air on satellite. All other STV HD regions are encrypted. A switch to free-to-air at this point in time would result in licensing issues, as these regions are carried on a pan-European satellite beam.
For viewers in the STV East (Edinburgh) and STV North (Aberdeen) regions, there will be no changes. Your relevant SD services aren’t closing on satellite. The current SD version on channel 103 stays on air. The copy of STV HD on Freesat channel 111 is the West (Glasgow) version.
Meanwhile, in the STV Dundee region (Tayside), there will be no direct replacement. As a result, viewers will be switched to STV North (Aberdeen) on channel 103. The copy of STV HD on channel 111 is the West (Glasgow) region.
In the STV West (Glasgow) region, the soon to close SD channel is currently on channel 103 and the HD channel on 111.
STV has been approached for further information and clarification of its plans.
Freeview, Virgin Media, EE TV
Viewers on other platforms are not affected by the satellite SD switch-off.
SD channels will continue on Freeview, while on Virgin Media STV is already HD-only.
Marc Thornham