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New LCN consultations
Some reading material for the weekend... http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/industry/About_DTT/consultations
Consultation 1: Use of LCN 7
Proposal 1: Move LCN 8 to LCN 7, LCN 9 to LCN 8 and LCN 23 to LCN 9
Proposal 2: Move Alba/C4Wales to LCN 7, unite local TV at LCN 8
Shopping channel bashing opportunity: A vacated LCN 23 will be offered to Create & Craft by virtue of it being associated with Ideal World (on LCN 22)
Consultation 2: Content genre LCNs for HD services
Proposal 1: Do nothing, if the HD channels ever get merged in to the content genres any without SD simulcasts will be allocated new LCNs at the end
Proposal 2: Allocate an LCN in each genre when a new HD-only channel launches. It wouldn't get any other benefits such as, being propelled up the LCN list, or even being used for the SD version of the channel if that launches later.
Shopping channel bashing opportunity: Under proposal 2, QVC+1HD will get LCN 75 reserved for them.
Consultation 1: Use of LCN 7
Proposal 1: Move LCN 8 to LCN 7, LCN 9 to LCN 8 and LCN 23 to LCN 9
Proposal 2: Move Alba/C4Wales to LCN 7, unite local TV at LCN 8
Shopping channel bashing opportunity: A vacated LCN 23 will be offered to Create & Craft by virtue of it being associated with Ideal World (on LCN 22)
Consultation 2: Content genre LCNs for HD services
Proposal 1: Do nothing, if the HD channels ever get merged in to the content genres any without SD simulcasts will be allocated new LCNs at the end
Proposal 2: Allocate an LCN in each genre when a new HD-only channel launches. It wouldn't get any other benefits such as, being propelled up the LCN list, or even being used for the SD version of the channel if that launches later.
Shopping channel bashing opportunity: Under proposal 2, QVC+1HD will get LCN 75 reserved for them.
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Comments
I assume this consultation has been requested by QVC themselves, probably whinging about how IT'S SO UNFAIR that our EXCITING NEW CHANNEL which is PROPELLING FORWARD the support of HD on the Freeview platform will not get the PROMINENT POSITION IT RIGHTFULLY DESERVES if the HD channels get merged back into the appropriate content groups WAAAAAH. Shut up already and sod off to the appropriate Shopping genre which should have been created back in 2002.
(incidentally, this does mean that LCN 72 appears to have been allocated for another channel already)
Good to see DigitalUK recommending what I said a while back
I do think it's silly that the BBC as the UK's 1st PSB doesn't get first dibs on LCN 7!
My way would be:
BBC 4 on LCN 7
All local TV on LCN 8
BBC Alba/Channel 4 in Wales on LCN 9
I will laugh if after this consultation the BBC in their current right decided on the last day of BBC 3 to swap BBC 3 and BBC 4 on Freeview, then LCN 9 would be empty and LCN 7 would be fixed as BBC 4 and DigitalUK wouldn't be able to do anything about it!
I would imagine if the BBC did do that DigitalUK would just make LCN 9 the new home of local TV in Wales and Scotland.
107 should have been CH4+1, and 108 4Seven HD imo, with BBC News and Al Jazeera HD tagged onto the end of the News genre.
A shopping genre would bring Freeview into line with other platforms, and this is all something that should have been done years before, instead of being allowed to develop into the mess that Freeview is today.
I don't think BBC (or anybody) can move LCN allocations without authorisation ?
I believe they are allowed to move channels within their own allocated LCNs, although there is potentially a restriction on how many times in a year they can.
Which is why Im saying if the BBC swapped BBC 3 and BBC 4 on the last day of BBC 3's broadcast any consultations on LCN 7 would then be null and void.
Part 7.6 of the LCN Policy says a swap can only happen if NEITHER of the channels are PSB.
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/86814/Digital_UK_LCN_Policy_Version_5.3_040714.pdf
OK so the BBC are not allowed to swap those LCNs because they are PSB? Thats very restrictive as they arent the main 5 PSBs!
So the consultation is to allow the Local group to have their say, and I can't see them wanting to waste any of their marketing budget for a change which gives them no benefit in England and NI. Local TV in Scotland and Wales have no choice but LCN8.
In the end DigitalUK can choose Proposal 2 as the fairest option.
N.B. TG4, RTE1 and RTE2 are not classed as UK PSB so are not involved.
I do agree out of the two proposals the 2nd is the better one and would involve only Wales and Scotland as opposed to the entire UK.
I would think the restriction exists to stop a PSB channel riding up the EPG, and then being swapped with a PSB somewhere at the bottom. So, without the restriction ITV could swap ITV and ITV4+1. ITV would then languish at 62 for a bit, but be propelled up quite fast as they'd get first dibs on any gaps (ITV get first dibs on most of them anyway, due to how they've seeded a load of pointless +1s throughout the EPG). Once they reach a high enough position, they could swap with ITVBe+1 and hang around on Ch 58 before performing the same trick again. Eventually all of ITV's channels are right near the top, and they just need to swap back into LCN 3.
I doubt anybody would do this, but DUK probably need to mention it as moving PSB channels into less prominent positions would likely be against the Ofcom EPG Code.
Where both the channels are PSB, there could be a case for allowing swapping, but then potentially STV could say "We want STV Glasgow on LCN3 and STV down on 23", so it's safer just to disallow it completely.
I understand that as far as channels 1-5 are concerned, but the BBC's lesser channels like BBC 3, BBC 4, CBBC, Cbeebies. BBC News and BBC Parliament shouldn't be subject to the same rule as the main 5 PSBs unless Digital UK are willing to put them up as high as they can go too, eg BBC 3 at LCN 6 and BBC 4 at LCN 7. I know in the Kids and News they have this already, but thats likely only as they were in those sections first.
Obviously I dont mean that say BBC News could swap with BBC 3 or 4 say channels should stay in their own genre, but BBC 3 and 4 should be entitled to swap with each other or BBC Alba, CBBC and Cbeebies should be allowed to swap with each other and BBC News and BBC Parliament should be allowed to swap with each other.
But they are subject to the same rule under section 310 of comms act 2003 which defines what a PSB is.....
It is then up to each EPG provider to publish (and then consult for changes) its policies subject to the ofcom code and Which give the PSB channels the due Prominence ..
fortunetly there has not been a judicial review over the HD channels .... Which were are not PSB unless they are BBC ....
It us not up to the BBC or any broadcaster to swap its lcn without compliance to the EPG providers published policies
They are. The only reason BBC3 isn't on 6 is because ITV2 launched first. As ITV controlled the platform in those days, they put ITV2 on 6 and it has been there ever since.
It's a shame it can't be moved down to be the first non-PSB channel, but I don't see how DUK can do that without going against their published FRND policies.
BBC 3's predecessor was BBC Choice, which launched a week before Sky Digital on Sept 23rd 1998, and was there when OnDigital launched on Nov 15th 98. I'm sure that
was EPG 7 from the start, and when BBC 3 replaced Choice it took the allocation.
ITV 2 launched on Dec 7th 98, on EPG 6
My mistake, I hadn't realised Choice launched that early. In that case ITV must have reserved LCN 6 for themselves from the start, ignoring the fact BBC Choice should have prominence under the ITC's EPG code (not to mention C4inWales).
The only reason Choice opened a week before any domestic customer could have had a Sky Digital box, was in order to promote the channel at the 'Live 98' consumer electronics show at Earl's Court. I can remember both Sky's stand and OnDigital's at the show showing some indoor live tennis from Telford courtesy of BBC Choice !
It's interesting though why Choice didn't end up on Ch 6 back then, ITV must have had a barker running on Ch 6 as a placeholder. C5 didn't appear on DTT until December either, certainly wasn't there from OnD's day 1
That was very naughty of ITV! They should have known that PSBs get prominence and ITV2 has never been PSB! ITV2 should have got LCN 9!
I really do think Ofcom should do something about such things on all platforms, then it would be fair. EG OFCOM could force the first 20 slots to always be reserved for PSBs, if they arent used tough commercialised channels would have to start at 21 (or 121 on Sky, virgin and freesat) upwards. Commercial channels would get to keep the current order though just on slightly different numbers.
Sky and Virgin could implement a PSB section and a None PSB section to compensate for the loss of no having certain channels on their 6th to 20th slots.
LCN 1 BBC One
LCN 2 BBC Two
LCN 3 ITV/STV/UTV
LCN 4 Channel 4
LCN 5 Channel 5
LCN 6 Local TV
LCN 7 S4C/BBC Alba
LCN 8 BBC Four
LCN 9 ITV2
LCN 10 ITV3
Channel 4 on LCN 4 nationwide, with S4C moving to LCN 7. Non PSB channel ITV2 being relocated to LCN 9.
LCN 7 S4C/BBC Alba
LCN 8 Local TV
would make more sense to me, but it's all pretty cosmetic.
This would be be fairest in my opinion.
LCN 6 - Pick TV (as a Freeview stakeholder)
LCN 7 - S4C/Ch4/BBC ALBA
LCN 8 - Local TV across ALL of UK
LCN 9 - BBC Four
LCN 10 - ITV2
LCN 11 - ITV3
LCN 12 - ITV4
LCN 13 - E4
LCN 14 - More4
LCN 15 - 4Seven
LCN 16 - 5*
LCN 17 - 5USA
Hoping people see the logic regardless.
Regards.
It wants getting rid of and more focus and investment going on getting more channels onto Freeview (even in the new compression format), just to try and aid the upgrade of kit and take up.
Surly if anything channels like Vintage TV should be in a music collection and not have all IP channels at the end out the wy. That way people may see them and try and use it, only to realise they need to upgrade their kit.
Or the other focus could be to try and get vintage TV on com7/8