Keep up-to-date on upcoming channel launches and other important events across the two platforms of Virgin TV - week 20 update
Updated every Thursday before midday (on Cable Forum )
======== Freeviews on Virgin TV =======
Right Now
National Geographic channel is free to everyone for all of May. (Digital only)
======== Coming up on Virgin Analogue TV =======
Virgin will be starting the Analogue switch off soon. They will also upgrade some currently analogue areas to digital. More info here soon.
May
Analogue viewers in Coventry and Glasgow will be cut off sometime this month.
NOTE:
Virgin Media has initiated a scheme to shutdown it’s analogue Cable TV network..
Currently, around 200,000 Virgin subscribers only have analogue TV.
Virgin has begun a program of area by area upgrades, but this is a long term program and at this point in time, it is unknown how many areas actually will get upgrades. It is also possible that Virgin will not upgrade everyone in some areas.
Some customers will actually be forced off the network, but Virgin claim this will be a small number.
Info from Cable Forum and Virgin Media.
======== Coming up on Virgin Digital TV =======
May
25th. British Eurosport and British Eurosport 2 may go widescreen on Virgin Media.
30th. Planet Rock may closed on Virgin Channel 924.
New look 4oD starts on Virgin Media.
June
2nd. Q Radio will re-launch on Ex-ntl Channel 929.
24th. NME Radio launches on Virgin Media.
By Summer
The Hits TV is to be rebranded to 4Music.
Summer
BBC Scotland is to launch BBC Gaelic on Virgin Media ( only in Scotland ).
The full launch of BBC iPlayer will appear on Virgin Media.
By July 1st
STAR hope to launch STAR One and maybe STAR Gold on Virgin Media by this date [NOTE: An deal have still to be signed so it may not happen. ]
August
An Virgin Media worker has started an rumoured that Virgin 1 HD is to launch this month.
Autumn
An 'new look' UKTV Channel starts. [ TV Boy think it will be UKTV Gold that will be rename. ]
Channels that will appear soon on Virgin Media [ Been Confirmed by the Broadcaster, BARB or by Virgin Media. ]
Nuts TV
Pop Girl
Channel 4 HD
JJB Sports TV - now testing on some NTL Boxes
Will happen before 2009
Virgin plan to remove all the Ex-ntl or Ex-Telewest channels so that Virgin Viewers can have the same lineup.
The following channels are rumoured to be coming to Virgin TV this year.
The National Geographic Channel +1*
Motors TV*
BBC TV Local Channels*
The History Channel +1*
Playhouse Disney +
True Movies 2
AnimeCentral
Cartoonito
TCM2
ESPN Classic
Bubble Hits
Al Jazeera English
ARY QTV and The Musik
* = Maybe coming to Ex-Telewest due to Ex-ntl viewers having them right now.
Other news
NBC Universal-backed kids' broadcaster KidsCo is rumoured to be in discussions with Virgin Media looking to launch a linear TV channel on their platform.
Liberty Global (Zone Horror owners) 'would consider' buying Virgin Media's television channels, it has said.
VMTV is rumoured to be going widescreen.
ITV are rumoured to be in talks with Virgin Media over they ITV1 HD Channel coming to Virgin TV soon [ We may get ITV on Demand, ITV2 +1 and ITV3 +1 as part of the deal ].
Five are rumoured to be in talks with Virgin Media over they Five on Demand coming to Virgin TV soon [ We may get Fiver +1 and Five US +1 as part of the deal ].
NASN is to be rebranded in 2008.
Virgin are rumoured to be in talks with Sky over their Basic channels coming back.
Motors TV are says to be 'currently finalizing the renegotiation of they contract' with Virgin Media
No news in months: Film 24 and Chello Zone are both rumoured to be in talks with Virgin.
The list of Channels THAT Virgin Media have worked on this week
Channels renamed/Move EPG:
No news this week...
New Channels added:
501. PPV Event 3
Channels removed from Virgin TV
No news this week...
New channels that are now testing on some Virgin Media boxes.
JJB Sports TV ( Ex-ntl only )
Virgin Media have still to move the following Ex-Telewest channels to match with EPG in Ex-ntl: areas.
TBA
Television X moves from 473 to On Demand
Playboy TV Nightly moves from 475 to On Demand
The Adult Channel Nightly moves from 477 to On Demand
Spice Extreme Nightly moves from 478 to On Demand
Red Hot TV moves from 480 to On Demand
Xplicit XXX Nightly moves from 484 to On Demand
Gay TV Nightly moves from 485 to On Demand
Virgin still have to sign deals for the following ex-NTL channels to appear on the ex-Telewest Network
EPG Channel Name
231. The National Geographic Channel +1
235. The History Channel +1
545. Motors TV
811. Zee Music
812. Alpha ETC Punjabi
833. Phoenix CNE
861. BBC One England
862. BBC One Scotland
863. BBC One Northern Ireland
864. BBC One Wales
865. BBC Two England
928. Radio: Magic
929. Radio: Q
930. Radio: BBC Radio Scotland
931. Radio: BBC Radio Wales
932. Radio: BBC Radio Ulster
934. Radio: BBC Radio nan Gaidheal
936. Radio: BBC Radio Cymru
962. Radio: The Hits
963. Radio: Kiss 100
964. Radio: Kerrang!
966. Radio: Smash Hits!
NOTE: EMap Radio channels: ( Magic, Q, The Hits, Kiss 100, Kerrang!, Smash Hits! ) have all been sold to H Bauer.
In this months ''Electric!' Virgin Media have make an list of channels that are on both networks but I noted the following Ex-ntl Radio channels in it.
EPG Channel name
929 Q Radio
935 Magic
962 The Hits
963 Kiss FM
964 Kerrang Radio
966 Smash Hits Radio
So it look to me like they are coming soon to Ex-Telewest.
Virgin still have to sign deals for the following ex-Telewest channels to appear on the ex-NTL Network
EPG Channel Name
830. Deutsche Welle TV
911. Radio: BBC Radio 4 LW
917. Radio: RTE Radio 1
920. Radio: WRN Europe
971. Radio: Deutsche Welle Radio
TV Boy Thinks: Virgin will keep Bauer Radio Channels, BBC TV and Radio Channels, Nat Geo +1, Motors TV, History channel +1 and ZEE channels and drop the rest.
I know that some radio channels are on Ex-Telewest in some parts of the UK and they will stay but will need to move all the BBC Radio channels that are only on NTL to new channels numbers so that all the Virgin Networks [ Ex-ntl and Ex-Telewest ] viewers can have them.
======= NON Virgin Media news =======
Digital UK Latest - last updated on the 1st of May 2008 at 11.30am
Transmitter news info:
November 2008
6th-20th. The Selkirk transmitter and its 11 relays, serving Scottish Borders starts switchover on 6 November 2008 and the process will be complete on 20 November 2008.
April 2009
8th & 22nd. The Beacon Hill transmitter group, serving Torbay and south Devon will switchover in two stages: stage one will be on April 8th and stage two on April 22nd 2009
May 2009
6 & 20th. The Stockland Hill transmitter group, serving Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset will switchover in two stages: stage one will be on May 6th and stage two May 20th 2009
April and June 2009
The Caldbeck transmitter and its 38 relays, serving Cumbria and South West Scotland switches between April and June 2009.
The Douglas transmitter area and its 9 relays, serving the Isle of Man switches between
April and June 2009.
The Kendal transmitter area and its 8 relays, serving the south lakes switches between April and June 2009.
July/September 2009
Preseli transmitter area, serving south-west Wales will be converted between July and September 2009.
Carmel transmitter area, serving south Wales, will be converted between July and September 2009.
Kilvey Hill transmitter area, serving the Swansea area, will be converted between July and September 2009.
The Huntshaw Cross transmitter group, serving north Devon will switchover between July and September 2009
The Redruth transmitter group, serving west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will switchover between July and September 2009
The Caradon Hill transmitter group, serving east Cornwall and Devon, including Plymouth will switchover between July and September 2009
October/December 2009
The Winter Hill transmitter area, serving the entire Granada region and its dependent relays will all be converted between October and December 2009.
Llanddona transmitter area, serving north-west Wales, including Anglesey will be converted between October and December 2009.
Moel-Y-Parc transmitter area and Storeton Wales, serving north-east Wales, will be converted between October and December 2009.
Long Mountain transmitter area, serving east-central Wales, will be converted between October and December 2009.
January/March 2010
Blaenplwyf transmitter, serving west and central Wales, will be converted between January and March 2010.
Wenvoe transmitter, serving south-east Wales, including Cardiff, will be converted between January and March 2010.
TBC
Switchover will start in the West TV region in 2010.
Switchover will start in the STV North TV region in 2010.
Switchover will start in the STV Central TV region in 2010 and will finish in 2011.
Switchover will start in the Central TV region in 2011.
Switchover will start in the Yorkshire TV region in 2011.
Switchover will start in the Anglia TV region in 2011.
Switchover will start in the Meridian TV region in 2011.
Switchover will start in the London TV region in 2012
Switchover will start in the Tyne Tees TV region in 2012.
Switchover will start in the Ulster TV region in 2012.
WHY DO WE NEED TO SWITCHOVER?
Switchover is a complicated process, and needs to be done in stages so that everyone in the country will be ready for it.
The best way to check which TV region you are in is by seeing which ITV news service you receive or by going to Teletext page 106.
*The Channel Islands will be switching over to fully digital TV and this is currently scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. The actual dates for switchover in the Channel Islands are subject to negotiations with France.
Don’t worry; you'll get plenty of notice before services in your area are affected, and advice on what to do.
More info here:
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when
Info from DigitalUK.
And now for me to say thanks to the following regular Virgin contributors of this thread who give me some of my Information.
They are:- harmitage, grabbi, JG3870, Jasmeet, buba3d, sakiblateef and Bob.
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