Cable Forum - View Single Post - More Freeview broadcast capacity 2012

**Chris** · 25-08-2011, 23:03

The problem with Freesat right now is that it is being undermined by one of its owners (ITV). They set the cause of free-to-air satellite in the UK almost back to square one when they signed an encryption deal with Sky for their HD 2/3/4 channels.

Mind you, Freeview has had problems of its own, as OFCOM has been insisting for years that it was going to flog off the analogue spectrum to the highest bidder, effectively rendering the platform futureless thanks to there being no capacity for the inevitable day when all the channels need to standardise on HD.

I wonder whether the dog's breakfast ITV has now made of Freesat is what finally convinced OFCOM that the UK is going to have to stick with terrestrial broadcasts in the long term, rather than moving to the far more sensible solution of standardising on free-to-air satellite.

25-08-2011, 23:03	#5
Chris Trollsplatter Cable Forum Team Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North of Watford Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests Posts: 36,995	Re: More Freeview broadcast capacity 2012 - 2016 The problem with Freesat right now is that it is being undermined by one of its owners (ITV). They set the cause of free-to-air satellite in the UK almost back to square one when they signed an encryption deal with Sky for their HD 2/3/4 channels. Mind you, Freeview has had problems of its own, as OFCOM has been insisting for years that it was going to flog off the analogue spectrum to the highest bidder, effectively rendering the platform futureless thanks to there being no capacity for the inevitable day when all the channels need to standardise on HD. I wonder whether the dog's breakfast ITV has now made of Freesat is what finally convinced OFCOM that the UK is going to have to stick with terrestrial broadcasts in the long term, rather than moving to the far more sensible solution of standardising on free-to-air satellite.