[Media Boy]

1st of all Happy new year to all...

Keep up-to-date on upcoming channel launches and other important events across the two platforms of Virgin TV - update Week 1.

January:
8th. Discovery new channel 'DMax' starts on Virgin Media Channel 197 - 17.25 UPDATE now testing on some NTL Boxes.
8th. The National Geographic Channel +1 may start on Ex-Telewest on Channel 231.
14th. Arsenal TV may start on Virgin Media XL Pack.
31st. VMTV and UKTV to go widescreen.

Pop Girl is to start on Virgin Media.
Motors TV may appear on Telewest in January IF it do not appear it will be removed from NTL.

February:
1st. Sky Movies rename again Sky Movies SD 1 (Virgin Channel 411) will be renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 also the same name tweak will also be applied to Sky Movies SD 2 (Virgin Channel 412) as well.

Channels still to come to Virgin Media:
The History Channel +1 will start soon on Ex-Telewest.
Channel 4 HD will appear when Virgin get room to put it in January or March.
True Movies 2 and AnimeCentral may ALL start on Virgin Media in January.
Nuts TV, Cartoonito, TCM2, ESPN Classic, Bubble Hits, Al Jazeera English and BBC Gaelic Channel ( Scottish viewers only ) all may appear on Virgin Media in March.

Other news:
NASN is to be rebranded 'ESPN' in 2008.

Sometime in 2008:
Virgin plan to remove all the Ex-ntl or Ex-Telewest channels so that Virgin Viewers can have the same lineup.
BBC Worldwide is looking to buy out its Virgin Media partner in UKTV
Virgin Media is planning to launch 24-hour linear HD channels in 2008, its chief executive Malcolm Wall told trade paper Media Week. Story from Wotsat

The list of Channels rumoured to be coming to Virgin Media - update Week 1.
Virgin are still in talks with Sky over their Basic channels coming back on air.
ITV are rumoured to be in talks with Virgin over ITV HD coming to Virgin [ We may also get ITV2 +1 and ITV3 +1 as part of the deal. ]
Also Film 24, Star and Chello Zone are also rumoured to be in talks with Virgin - note: Chello Zone is the new name for Zone Media.
ARY QTV and The Musik may appear soon on Virgin.

New channels that are now testing on some Ex-ntl boxes.
JJB Sports TV
DMax

Alignment of Ex-Telewest channels to match with Ex-ntl: areas has began and the following channels will move in the coming weeks

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 Just 18 moves from 480 to On Demand
Red Hot Asians moves from 482 to On Demand
Red Hot Amateur moves from 483 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. PCNE Chinese
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 who also own Global Radio's ( LBC, The Arrow ).

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
832. Leonardo
911. Radio: BBC Radio 4 LW
917. Radio: RTE Radio 1
920. Radio: WRN Europe
971. Radio: Deutsche Welle Radio

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 ] can have them.

If I miss any thing pm me and tell me and I will put it on every Sunday. [ I will post again later in the week if Virgin add or removed channels that week. ]