Comments on: Sky News ‘in Freeview talks’

By: Televisionary

Televisionary — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:32:50 +0000

Greg, – yes, UK Freeview does have red button interactivity. I’ve used it to choose which court to watch during Wimbledon on BBC. Their stations are only limited to a) the bandwidth costs and b) the fact there is no return path- so unlike Foxtel which is usually connected back via a phone line, it cannot be used to order movies, etc.

By: tess1988

tess1988 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:39:53 +0000

hope this happens, and it will be the first step into FTA tv for other provides that we have now(ABC/SBS/7/9/10 etc) and then in the future foxtel or other providers could start to provide channels on freeview, but in a way i hope it doesn’t replace channel 7 or 9 second channel as i hope sky news would just be a extra channel using its own bandwidth, and for all of yous who say that the space shouldn’t be used for this channel, should remember if this channel doesn’t get launched its not like the other networks are going to fill the space available anytime soon/if ever.

As far as the red button goes, ii dont know if freeview/over-the-air tv supports it but my set top box does have a read button which does nothing, and im not sure but in the uk i do think they have ‘red’ button services but not sure, i know for sure SKY does.

By: Greg Alexander

Greg Alexander — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:53:37 +0000

Thanks – does Freeview UK have “red button” interactivity on some channels?

I thought that was limited to BSkyB satellite TV (like Foxtel has here).

By: jimbob

jimbob — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:43:25 +0000

Freeview – I happen to have mentioned it in the sentence. Sky is potentially coming to freeview…

By: lesroo

lesroo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:40:36 +0000

When quality journalism returns to Free To Air TV, then I might raise an eyebrow about another news service becoming available. Over the past two decades, TV journalism has sunk to an all-time low.

What a joke when Ms Grimshaw got her nose out of joint about the Ramsay ravings, after her outrageous interview with Matthew Johns virtually destroyed his career and personal life. Seems second-rate journos can stick-it but can’t take it!

I’m not a fan of Ramsay, Johns or Grimshaw, but I do recognise low quality journalism when I see and hear it.

By: Greg Alexander

Greg Alexander — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:35:25 +0000

What do you mean “Wonder if Sky will have interactivity”. Do you mean Freeview, or Foxtel? Foxtel already has red button interactivity like Sky.

By: jimbob

jimbob — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:44:01 +0000

You know – Australian Freeview is laughable – which is a shame. I wonder if Sky will have the famous red button interactivity. Oh I forgot its Australia. So No.

By: Greg Alexander

Greg Alexander — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:20:28 +0000

Yeah, Fox8 does make a certain amount of sense. Sky UK created a Freeview version of its Fox8 equivalent (Sky1), with different content, used as a way of encouraging users to subscribe to Sky.

In Australia, Fox8 is owned by Foxtel. If it was owned by News Corp I wonder if they’d want to spin off a Fox8-like channel. Maybe they’re exploring/negotiating their own FTA channel with Nine anyway.

By: Jeb

Jeb — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:24:21 +0000

Graham, Sky News would probably invest more in their own reporting if they gained access to Freeview… the entire channel would probably get a substantial leg up.

I’m not that keen to see the biased, alarmist reporting that Murdoch’s news channels are famous for on free-to-air TV, though.

Kind of surprised Fox 8 isn’t getting a look in somehow – I’d always figured they’d very deliberately named the channel “Fox 8″ to fit in with the free-to-air channel names at some point.

By: Graham Lang

Graham Lang — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:33:21 +0000

Why wouldnt Nine and Seven both take Sky News content for their nightly editions as well as Freeview,,, They own it dont they? its a great , many times awarded news service and they would save a shit load of dosh, rather than try and kill each other in the ratings each night, Then with the tens of $Millions saved concentrate on quality australian entertainment…which they are very good at .
Just a ten million dollar thought
.

By: Sky News headed to Freeview? | The Spy Report

Sky News headed to Freeview? | The Spy Report — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:09:02 +0000

[...] Mumbrella quotes the paper’s Prince column, which said that the talks were part of the “desperate search for some half-decent content to put on the multichannels”. [...]