Sky has confirmed details of changes to its satellite TV service coming at the end of June/beginning of July.
- Times Radio makes its TV platform debut
- TNT Sports ending standard definition broadcast
- National Geographic cutting timeshift
Times Radio will celebrate its sixth birthday this coming week by launching on Sky’s satellite TV service.
Sky confirmed satellite customers will be available to listen to Times Radio on channel 0142 (excluding Republic of Ireland) from Wednesday 1 July. It’s the first time Times Radio, an audio spin-off of The Times newspaper, has been distributed on a TV platform.
The news and opinion station boasts a roster of presenters including many former BBC names such as Fi Glover, Jane Garvey, John Pienaar, Carole Walker, Calum MacDonald and Stephen Sackur alongside former Culture Minister Lord Vaizey and Labour peer Baroness Hazarika. Ex-RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy hosts a Sunday afternoon show on the station. Its flagship breakfast show is presented Monday-Thursday by former TalkTV politcal editor Kate McCann and ex-Radio 4 Front Row presenter Stig Abell.
Times Radio launched on 29 June 2020 on DAB and online. By 2022, the station reached 700,000 listeners. Listenership dropped to 492,000 in 2024, but has since risen above 600,000 again. Its DAB reception remains patchy in parts of the UK. The launch on Sky’s satellite service bucks the recent trend of stations leaving Sky. It joins sister stations TalkSport and Virgin Radio on the platform.
TNT Sport changes
TNT Sports will continue to broadcast on satellite exclusively in HD from Wednesday 1 July when it closes its existing standard definition simulcasts.
The channels, operated as part of a joint venture between Warner Bros Discovery and BT, have for some time only been marketed in HD for both residential and business use, with no extra fee for watching in HD. Most other satellite channels have in the past few years dropped dual broadcasting in both HD and SD.
Sky TV customers can add the TNT Sports pack to their existing subscription for £28 per month, or £25 per month if bundled with Sky Sports. The package includes the four TNT Sports channels in 1080p HD, access to the TNT Sports on HBO Max app. It also includes Discovery+ Entertainment. An additional fee applies if you want to access the TNT Sports service in 4K UHD.
SD switch-off will end dual listing in the 800 section of Sky’s TV guide. From a technical point of view, it will help clear satellite transponder capacity.
National Geographic closes +1
Factual channel National Geographic (or NatGeo) will stop broadcasting its +1 channel on Tuesday 30 June. (Sky channel 229, or 230 in Scotland)
It’s the latest channel to cease offering a timeshift channel. Sky has been gradually phasing out +1s over the last five years and +1 are not available on its IP platform used by Sky Stream pucks and Sky Glass TVs
Times Radio tuning parameters
Times Radio’s satellite signal is receivable across Europe via the following parameters:
- Satellite: Astra 2G (28.2°E)
- Frequency: 11552
- Polarisation: Horizontal
- Symbol Rate: 23000
- FEC: 2/3
- Mode: DVB-S2 8PSK
- Service ID: 55192
By: Marc Thornham |Image: Composite. News UK/National Geographic/WBD