[Media Boy]

Keep up-to-date on upcoming channel launches and other important events across the two platforms of Virgin TV - update Week 3.

January
31st. UKTV are to go widescreen.
31st. VMTV may go widescreen this month.
Pop Girl may start on Virgin Media this month.
Motors TV may appear on Telewest this month IF it do not appear it will be removed from NTL.

February
1st. Sky Movies SD 1 is to be renamed Sky Movies Screen 1 on Virgin Channel 411.
1st. Sky Movies SD 2 is to be renamed Sky Movies Screen 2 on Virgin Channel 412.

March/April
The National Geographic Channel +1, The History Channel +1 [ Both on Ex-Telewest ], Nuts TV, True Movies 2, AnimeCentral, DMax + 1 Channel 4 HD, Arsenal TV, Cartoonito, TCM2, ESPN Classic, Bubble Hits and Al Jazeera English all may start on Virgin Media.

Coming to Virgin Media before 2009
Sometime in 2008: Virgin plan to remove all the Ex-ntl or Ex-Telewest channels so that Virgin Viewers can have the same lineup.

Other news
NASN is to be rebranded in 2008.
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.

The list of Channels rumoured to be coming to Virgin Media - update Week 3.
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.

The list of Channels THAT Virgin Media have worked on this week - update Week 3.

New Channels added:
Sorry no news this week...

Channels removed from Virgin TV
Sorry no news this week...

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

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 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
Xplicit XXX Nightly moves from 484 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 SO Virgin need to sign an new deal to carry on getting them.

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

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. ]