FREESAT TV CHANNELS WEBSITE.

FREESAT TV CHANNELS WEBSITE.

We would like to inform all of our BBC Freesat HDTV Blogspot readers and visitors that we have just made an updated website of our Freesat Channels website.

We have made it much easier to get the information that our readers have asked for and we think we have delivered this!

We are one of the very few Freesat TV Web Publishers who build our Freesat TV Information web pages to W3C.org Validation standards of both XHTML, CSS Level 2.1 and passes US Federal Standard 508 for the benefit of all Internet users including the partially sighted and blind peoples of the world.

We hope everybody enjoys our newly updated Freesat Channels Website!

Kind regards,

Domain Holdings.

HOW YOUR TV LICENCE FEE IS DISTRIBUTED.

HOW YOUR TV LICENCE FEE IS DISTRIBUTED.

The licence fee

How much does it cost?

A colour TV licence costs £142.50 and a black and white licence costs £48.00. Licences have to be renewed each year.

• See ways to pay for a TV licence

Who sets the licence fee?

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport sets the amount of the licence fee and decides who needs one and for what equipment.

What does the licence fee cover?

The licence fee pays for the BBC's UK public services. These include 8 interactive TV channels, 10 radio networks, more than 50 local TV and radio services, and bbc.co.uk.

In 2006/2007 each household's colour TV licence cost £10.96 every month.

On average this was how the BBC used your money:

• Television (eight network channels plus regional programming) (£7.54)
• Forty local radio stations (75p)
• BBC Radio 1,2,3,4 and Five Live (ten analogue and digital stations) (£1.17)
• Transmission and collection costs (£1.01)
• Over 240 websites (49p)

How is the BBC World Service funded?

BBC World Service is funded by government grant in aid, not from your TV licence.

Where do the profits from the BBC's commercial operations go?

Profits from separate BBC commercial services, such as magazine publishing, are returned to licence fee payers in the form of additional investment in the BBC's UK public services.

Does digital switchover affect the licence fee?

No, if you need a TV licence today, you will still need one after digital switchover.

Is TV Licensing run by the BBC?

As a result of The Broadcast Act 1990, the BBC was made responsible for licence administration. TV Licensing is a trading name used by entities contracted by the Licensing Authority (the BBC) to administer the collection of television licence fees and enforcement of the television licensing system. The majority of the administration of TV Licensing is contracted to Capita Business Services Ltd, with the administration of cash easy-payment schemes contracted to Revenue Management Services Ltd, and marketing and public relations activities contracted to the AMV Consortium.

What happens if people don't pay?

Using a TV or any other device to receive or record TV programmes (for example, using a VCR, set-top box, DVD recorder or computer with a broadcast card) without a valid TV licence is against the law and could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Full reports;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/index.html

BBC PUSHES THE RED BUTTON.

BBC PUSHES THE RED BUTTON.


BBC pushes the red button more and more as the weeks go on.
It seems the idea behind the red button use will make us all so familiar about using it, it will force us all to develop an even bigger push button culture.
The interactive service will be "no problem", by the time the service is in full swing as by that time we will all be experts at pressing the red interactive button.
Well, that is the general idea, so what do we see as the problem - we think, that the media or TV guides etc... should list the red button programmes and
programme highlights as another free channel or two, as strictly speaking that's exactly what they are.
A good example was the Olympics for freesat viewers, we could watch what others missed and we with the red button channels could watch at times where the
mainstream viewers who had no freesat missed out.
It's a bad idea that viewers have to scour the internet to find out the future red button plans - we should be able to see what's on in newspapers and magazines.
Upcoming red button plans which seem to be fluid are;
June 4th English council elections - June 5th on red button
June 4th European Parliament elections - June 7th results on red button
From yesterday up until the 8th June - cricket on red button
June 7th Epsom races which includes the Derby - June 7th/8th on red button

Please take note that some of these may not be covered on freesat but only on terrestrial TV.

WHAT FOOTBALL HD CHANNELS ARE ON FREESAT TV?

WHAT FOOTBALL HD CHANNELS ARE ON FREESAT TV?


TWO BIG FINALS, ONE BIG WEEK OF HD FOOTBALL ACTION EXCLUSIVELY ON FREESAT

EXPERIENCE THE FA CUP AND UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALS IN BRILLIANT HD on ITV HD



Catch the two biggest matches of the season in pin-sharp HD, completely subscription free, as Freesat brings you a week of the best footballing action in high definition. Both the UEFA Champions League Final (Manchester United vs. FC Barcelona) and the FA Cup Final (Everton vs. Chelsea) will be shown on ITV HD, exclusive to Freesat, on Wednesday 27th and Saturday 30th May 2009.



HD offers a picture that is five times the quality of normal digital TV, perfect for making every detail of high paced action on the pitch sharper; meaning every kick, tackle and goal is vividly lifelike. It’s the ultimate way to watch next week.



And if that wasn’t enough, all of this plus over 140 other channels including the BBC HD channel are available for a one-off set-up cost with no contract and no monthly bills. Current HD highlights on Freesat include and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Reggie Perrin and Later With Jools Holland on the BBC HD Channel, as well as a great choice of sport, movies and drama from ITV HD.



There is a range of different ways to get Freesat:



* A standard-definition digital box, currently priced from £39.99, providing over 140 digital TV channels and services
* A high-definition (HD) digital box, currently priced from £89.99, providing 140 channels, plus the BBC HD channel and the ITV HD channel
* A Freesat+ digital television recorder, currently priced from £259.95, allowing viewers to pause, rewind and record up to 200 hours of Freesat digital TV
* An integrated digital TV (IDTV), currently priced from £599.99, a flat screen television with HD Freesat built in



In order to receive Freesat, a satellite dish is required. If you’ve got a satellite dish already, you’re halfway there. If not, it’s simple to arrange installation for around £80.



Freesat is available from Argos, Currys, Comet, John Lewis, Maplin and many independent retailers.



Further information on Freesat can be found at www.freesat.co.uk

About Freesat

Freesat is a satellite TV service providing subscription-free digital television to everyone in the UK. Freesat is a not-for-profit organisation and is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV.

This is an official press release.

BEST OF BROADCAST, RETAIL AND TECHNOLOGY HONOURED AT INAUGURAL FREESAT AWARDS.

BEST OF BROADCAST, RETAIL AND TECHNOLOGY HONOURED AT INAUGURAL FREESAT AWARDS.

BBC FOUR | PopGirl/ Wedding TV | Al Jazeera English | Planet Rock John Lewis | Hickmans Ltd | BBC HD | TSG | Humax

OFFICIAL FREESAT PRESS RELEASE.

The cream of broadcast, retail and consumer electronics were honoured last night at the inaugural Freesat Awards, with BBC HD securing the public vote as it picked up the Freesat Viewers’ Choice award for Channel of the Year.

The above graphics looking from top to bottom show;

Emma Scott freesat md.

BBC HD Presentation of the viewer award.

Andy Melville presentation of the freesat Product of the Year Award.

Winners were recognised across nine categories during a ceremony hosted by stand-up comedian and TV personality, Sean Lock (8 out of 10 Cats, QI, Have I Got News for You), at London’s Pigalle Club. These included:

Freesat Awards Winners

§ Viewers’ Choice for Channel of the Year: BBC HD

§ Product of the Year: Humax Freesat+

§ Multiple Retailer of the Year: John Lewis

§ Independent Retailer of the Year: Hickmans Ltd

§ Best Daytime Digital Channel: PopGirl/ Wedding TV

§ Best Digital News Channel: Al Jazeera English

§ Best Evening Digital Channel: BBC FOUR

§ Best Digital Radio Station: Planet Rock

§ Freesat Installer of the Year: TSG

This year’s winners were chosen by a panel of industry experts including the editor of guardian.co.uk Janine Gibson, DTG Chairman and Broadcast columnist David Docherty, Media Commentator Mark Borkowski, Radio Times TV Editor Alison Graham and Freesat MD Emma Scott. The panel was chaired by Mike Chandler, MD of Astra – also the event’s main sponsor.

Separately, leading consumer technology magazine What Hi Fi Sound & Vision selected the Product of the Year, the Confederation of Aerial Installers chose the Freesat Installer of the Year and there was also a special public vote for the Viewers’ Choice Freesat Channel of the Year Award.

Emma Scott, Freesat’s MD commented at the awards “Tonight has been a wonderful celebration of a brilliant first year for Freesat. I’d like to congratulate the winners and thank all Freesat’s partners who have contributed to our success so far. Having already reached 400K sales and with on demand IPTV services, such as BBC iPlayer, on the way this year, we’re looking forward to building on this success through 2009 and beyond.”

Viewers’ Choice (public vote): BBC HD Channel

The BBC HD channel was a clear winner with Freesat’s viewers. The ever-growing variety of quality drama, comedy, sport and natural history programming in brilliant High Definition is building this new channel a well-earned reputation with audiences. BBC HD took the largest share of votes in the Freesat viewers’ poll, surpassing all others to become the Freesat Channel of the Year 2009.

Freesat Product of the Year (judged by What Hi Fi): Humax Freesat+

The What Hi-Fi judging panel deliberated long and hard, finally choosing the Humax Freesat+ high definition digital TV recorder as their Product of the Year. Brilliant picture and sound quality, unique Freesat+ functionality and user-friendly touches such as the option to record in either SD or HD massively impressed the What Hi-Fi panel.

Freesat Multiple Retailer of the Year: John Lewis

John Lewis’s commitment to training has certainly paid off, with their incredibly knowledgeable staff going that extra mile for Freesat customers. Strong sales in store and John Lewis’s unfailing commitment to Freesat promotion were key factors recognised by our judging panel.

Freesat Independent Retailer of the Year: Hickmans Ltd

Hickmans prides itself on being ‘the only place for Freesat’, expertly talking customers through the options and identifying the right Freesat products to meet their needs. A consistently strong sales record alongside excellent customer feedback, helped the judges choose Hickmans as Freesat Independent Retailer of the Year.

Best Freesat Digital News Channel: Al Jazeera English

A news organisation brave enough to follow its own agenda, judges felt that Al Jazeera English frequently had cause to lead others rather than follow. Equally impressive for the judges was the channel’s ‘as the world turns’ approach, providing viewers with ever-changing world perspectives on the challenging issues of the day.

Best Freesat Daytime Digital Channel: PopGirl and Wedding TV

The judges were unable to choose between these two very impressive but very different channels and eventually decided that recognising them as joint winners was the only fair decision.

PopGirl offers quality programming for “girls that sparkle”. The judges agreed that PopGirl serves its young audience extremely well, offering programming loved by parents and kids alike. Taking the brand into the online space, it has successfully built a strong PopGirl community. Girl Power lives on.

Wedding TV marries a real audience understanding with an impressive ability to offer unique, home-grown programming week after week. With nothing else quite like it, the judges were quickly drawn to the channel’s infectious personality and its sense of originality. A breath of fresh air.

Best Freesat Evening Digital Channel: BBC FOUR

Described as ‘an oasis of good manners,’ by the judges, BBC FOUR impressed greatly with wonderful original dramas, documentaries and music programmes – all delivered with a canny sense of the channel’s audience and identity. BBC FOUR’s ‘curated’ feel means there is always something engaging and enlightening to discover.

Best Digital Radio Station: Planet Rock

Rock is back in a big way, and Planet Rock’s devoted audience is clearly captivated by the clever mix of programming from across this massive genre. The judges were also rocked by the station’s strong sense of community and events like ‘Childline Rocks’. With a distinctive mix of famous voices, Planet Rock is rich in content and strong on listener growth. All this convinced the judges to ‘crank it up to 11.’

Freesat Installer of the Year: TSG

A hard-fought category, judges from the Confederation of Aerial Installers rated TSG above all others, recognising its long-standing achievements in the industry. A focus on training has undoubtedly paid dividends, creating a team of incredibly professional installers, always focused on doing a great job for Freesat customers.

The Freesat Awards was supported by The Eve Appeal www.eveappeal.org.uk

To find out more about the awards and to see images from the night, visit www.freesat.co.uk/awards

FREESAT, FREEVIEW, BROADBAND, RADIO AND HD SERVICES ALL IN ONE.

FREESAT, FREEVIEW, BROADBAND, RADIO AND HD SERVICES ALL IN ONE.

Freesat combined with Freeview, broadband, radio and HD mix will be served up by Project Canvas via a new set top box.
This story started to unfold yesterday (19th May 2009), and we were not surprised as the once well known Project Kangaroo got scuppered.
The set top box (expected next year) will also have the ability to provide on demand programming from the banks of the main five terrestrial channels
provided via the internet. No prizes for guessing who the manufacturers could be as unlike other electrical equipment this one is no secret.
This will be when Project Canvas starts to do their homework as buyers of freesat and Freeview equipment start to count the costs of
their already purchased FREE to view systems. Preoject Canvas will have to find that fine line between on-demand and internet or high street
rental of new films before they can build that customer bank of regular on-demand paying viewers.
Advertising may well be a problem initially as BBC licence holders will expect fair return on their annual fee which at this time is just short
of £150 per receiving equipment.
The advertising steamroller will play a major part in all of our lives as more and more advertisers recognise the selling power of the media.
Check out this website which will explain how advertising is in the process of expanding and how it will affect you;
http://www.doubleclick.com/privacy/faq.aspx
We found the Opt-out cookie section enlightening.

SPEACH BY SIR MICHAEL LYONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE BBC TRUST.

SPEACH BY SIR MICHAEL LYONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE BBC TRUST.

The BBC has already signed an agreement with ITV proposing sharing facilities for regional news in England and Wales. The potential is there for ITV to cut its costs significantly – and, more to the point as far as audiences are concerned, the proposals could keep ITV's endangered regional news services on the air. This sharing of facilities could in principle extend to other providers, including independently funded regional news consortia.

The BBC is also developing new partnerships with commercial radio; exploring the possibility of sharing BBC content with the newspaper industry; and there's an archive partnership under way with the British Film Institute.

That's in addition to the BBC proposals to share with other broadcasters its digital production expertise; to open up the iPlayer to other broadcasters; and ongoing work with BT and the major UK ISPs on Project Canvas – a simple way of bringing the internet to domestic television sets, so that audiences can access the iPlayer and all the other riches of the web on their main TV set and not just through their laptop or PC.

But it's important to underline that the distinguishing factor here is that these initiatives enhance value for audiences and enjoy public support.

So, looking beyond the BBC, and doing what we can to help secure the wider PSB ecology and to help maintain public service choice for licence fee payers is our fourth commitment.

Full story can be read; Here!

TALKSPORT TO LAUNCH ON TO FREESAT.

Freesat, the free-to-air digital satellite TV service, today announced the launch of the commercial sports and speech radio station talkSPORT onto the platform from Tuesday 19 May.

talkSPORT is the UK’s largest commercial radio station, broadcasting sports phone-ins and discussions, live sports commentary, and lively phone-in discussions. talkSPORT is the UK’s only national commericial speech radio station and is home to talent that includes former international footballers Ian Wright, Andy Townsend, Stan Collymore and Alan Brazil, TV talk show host Jeremy Kyle and politician George Galloway.

Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat commented, “talkSPORT is a respected name in sports broadcasting and its launch onto Freesat is a big plus for our radio portfolio. With the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals on ITV HD this month, and Wimbledon coverage on BBC HD next month, the addition of talkSPORT builds on Freesat’s first class and free sports coverage.”

Piers Collins, talkSPORT, business development manager added, "The launch of talkSPORT on Freesat is a fantastic opportunity to grow talkSPORT reach new audiences."

All channels will automatically be added via viewers’ Freesat digital boxes or integrated TVs, so viewers will not need to take any action to access the services.

This is an official press release.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREESAT.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREESAT!

HIP HIP HOORAY, FREESAT IS ONE TODAY!

Freesat nears the 400,000 sales mark after its first year

The subscription-free digital satellite TV service celebrates its first birthday today a year on from its hugely successful launch last May.

Freesat has gone from strength to strength in its first 12 months:

· On track for 400,000 Freesat sales

· Up to 70 hours of peak time HD programming is shown on Freesat every week, subscription free

· 3,000 hours of BBC HD and ITV HD programming has been shown on Freesat since launch

· 4,000,000 people have visited www.freesat.co.uk website to date

· Over 140 channels are now available to Freesat customers with no subscription and no contract

· 9 out of 10 Freesat customers would recommend the service to a friend

Freesat’s first year highlights:

· May 2008 –Freesat launches with SD and HD digital boxes from Humax, Goodmans, Grundig and Bush

· June 2008 - Freesat-integrated televisions are first introduced by Panasonic

· August 2008 - Freesat shows over 300 hours of the Beijing Olympics coverage in pin-sharp high definition on the BBC HD channel

· September 2008 – Freesat exclusively premieres Peter Jackson’s blockbuster King Kong on ITV HD

· September 2008 – Freesat wins the Pace / DTG award for ‘Best Contribution to Digital TV in the UK’

· November 2008 - Freesat+ launches

· December 2008 – Freesat doubles sales in final quarter of 2008

· February 2008 – Freesat adds another 100k sales in Q1 2009

· March 2009 – International news network CNN joins Freesat

· April 2009 - First ever Freesat TV advertising campaign

· April 2009 – Panasonic unveil their first integrated Freesat+ Blu-ray recorder

· May 2009 – LG’s range of Freesat-integrated TVs launch

· May 2009 - Freesat will stage the first Freesat Awards on 20^th May; rewarding the outstanding contribution its channel, retail and manufacturing partners have made to the success of the past year

Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat comments: “We are thrilled with the progress we’ve made in the last twelve months. Reaching 400,000 sales as well as launching Freesat+ and a whole range of new Freesat products and services is a fantastic achievement in this competitive market. It shows that there is a real consumer appetite out there for high quality digital TV without monthly bills. With more Freesat channels and products to come and IPTV services such as BBC iPlayer due in the Autumn, we’re looking forward to a successful second year.”

In order to receive Freesat, a satellite dish is required, or a dish can be installed for around £80. Freesat is available from Argos, Currys, Comet, John Lewis, Maplin and many independent retailers.

This is an offical press release.