ITV and BBC join Forces and Create FREESAT

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 07:45

Just heard on Sky News that ITV and the BBC are joining forces to create a Free Digital Satellite service!

It was on the Business news section, but they didnt say anything else.

This could be great news for a direct rival to SKY!

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 08:02

dsatjf wrote:

Just heard on Sky News that ITV and the BBC are joining forces to create a Free Digital Satellite service!

It was on the Business news section, but they didnt say anything else.

This could be great news for a direct rival to SKY!

Interesting.

I can only find this on it so far: http://www.sharecast.com/cgi-bin/sharecast/story.cgi?story_id=534946

LONDON (SHARECAST) - ITV detailed a successful first half today as the broadcaster hiked profits and said it was now looking to increase its reach even further by launching a new joint free service with the BBC.

ITV and the BBC are developing a free digital satellite service – known as 'Freesat' - to complement the hugely popular Freeview service, enabling viewers to access subscription-free digital TV.

In addition the group is looking to launch new channels to clinch even more market share. “ITV2 and ITV3 are helping us to grow our overall share of commercial impacts in multichannel homes and the launch of ITV4 and an ITV children's channel will broaden our reach still further.”

The group reported a pre-tax profit of £154m for the six months to June against £45m a year earlier on revenues before joint ventures up 9% at £1.04bn.

“We remain firmly on track to achieve at least our target of £150m pa of multichannel revenue by the end of 2007. We are now looking at opportunities to invest in US acquired programming and other popular material for the channels to drive their viewing shares even harder,” said ITV.

Carl

Otis · 07/09/05 - 08:27

OFFICIAL Stock Exchange Press Release:

http://www.companyannouncements.net/cgi-bin/articles/200509070701219337Q.html

artnada · 07/09/05 - 08:28

It's here too from 04th September 05 - this'll give Sky a kick up the jacksy.

---

ITV is understood to have held advanced talks with the BBC about forming a partnership to launch a free satellite television service.

Although discussions have not been concluded, plans for a new service could be announced within two months.

A BBC-led satellite service has been mooted for some time, but the corporation believes it would need to have attractive channels to appeal to the public. One way of achieving this would be to sign a joint venture with ITV.

The service would be free once viewers had bought a satellite dish and a set-top box, and it would offer more channels than both traditional five-channel analogue television and Freeview, the hugely popular digital terrestrial service launched by the BBC and other broadcasters.

A joint venture between the BBC and ITV could pose a threat to British Sky Broadcasting's dominance of satellite services.

At the moment ITV channels are broadcast on Sky, but ITV pays about £17m a year to have its channels encrypted. In recent months, ITV has been negotiating a new deal with Sky and has been seeking to cut the cost

Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/09/04/cnsatl04.xml

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 08:30

The BBC warmly welcomed ITV's digital satellite announcement today

BBC Director-General Mark Thompson said: "We welcome ITV’s intention to take its all its channels into the clear on satellite, and also welcome them as partners in the project to develop a consumer friendly, subscription-free satellite proposition.

"This is great news for viewers. It paves the way to provide subscription-free digital television across the whole country.

"The huge success of Freeview, already in more than five million homes, demonstrates how highly free digital television is valued by many people.

"Our long-stated aim has been to bring about an open market in subscription-free satellite services so we can ensure free access to all the BBC's services across the country in the run-up to switchover and beyond."
.

Full Press release
HERE

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 08:50

Excellent News!

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 08:56

Is there any indication that the BBC are using the extra bandwidth through the satellite venture as a means to test HD broadcasting? The BBC has stated previously that they are intent on transmitting in HD as soon as is feasible. Or is this just wishful thinking on my part?

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:01

Well the BBC is already testing HDTV at 28.5, so could be.

GarethHarrison · 07/09/05 - 09:01

Also on Media Guardian...

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1564344,00.html

ITV and the BBC are to launch a free digital satellite service in a long-anticipated move to take on market-leading pay-TV company BSkyB.

The broadcasters said today they were working together to develop a Freesat service that would "complement" Freeview, the digital terrestrial service that has been sold to more than 5 million homes.

Freesat will be aimed at the 25% of UK households that cannot receive Freeview and is aiming to be operational in the first half of next year.

The new service will compete with Sky's own Freesat service, which launched in October offering 120 TV channels and 80 radio stations for a one-off installation charge of £150.

Sky is also the market leader in pay television, with 7.8 million subscribers to its Sky Digital satellite service that gives access to premium channels.

ITV - which announced a rise in revenues and profits as it unveiled first-half results today - also said it would start broadcasting all its channels "in the clear", following the BBC's lead in dispensing with Sky's encryption services.

The new Freesat service will showcase all of ITV's digital channels along with those of the BBC and other broadcasters.

Charles Allen, the ITV chief executive, said the company wanted its channels to be as widely available as possible.

"As we move from an analogue to a digital environment, Freesat - and Freeview - will enable every family in the UK to enjoy a wide range of quality channels for free," he said.

and BBC News Online...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4221722.stm

artnada · 07/09/05 - 09:09

"ITV announced plans for the service, to be called "Freesat", on Wednesday"

Oh dear. sky will not be happy about the use of the name Freesat. I know it belongs to the BBC, but Sky have been using it since they launched a freesat service

I see a satelitte war looming on the horizan.

Wonder if any of the other "Freeview" channels will go to thier service as well?

Should be very interesting. At last, a satelitte service that could start to slow down Sky.

"ITV - - also said it would start broadcasting all its channels "in the clear", following the BBC's lead in dispensing with Sky's encryption services"

Could this mean they will also go "in the clear" on the Sky digital platform soon?

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:12

Will Channel 4, More 4, E4, RTL- Channel 5 be included in this also.....

If this BBC/ITV venture goes ahead it will be the best thing going for the viewer.... Perhaps we will see more Receivers with both FREESAT & FREEVIEW built in....

I wonder how long C4 & C5 would remain encrypted if ITV goes FTA ...

All this seems BAD NEWS for SKY... Perhaps they should move to a SPORTS & MOVIES only service and leave the others to BBC/ITV

System · 07/09/05 - 09:14

FANTASTIC News. Took them both bloody long enough but what an excellent outcome.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:15

axious wrote:

Could this mean they will also go "in the clear" on the Sky digital platform soon?

Yes, ITV will go FTA via Astra meaning it will be FTA on Sky - just like the BBC did a few years ago.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:16

Yep, can anyone say if *all* the Frreview channels will move onto this Freesat platform? Also, will they start using a standards-based interactive software platform (as I beleive the EU has compelled all broadcasters to do) so that we can buy non-$ky boxes?

Dave

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:18

I'm surprised that Sky let it go this far. It would have made sense to allow ITV and the other terrestrial stations to use Sky encryption free of charge just to keep Sky more attractive. But then again, this may not be the last word. It could still be a bargaining ploy by ITV to get cheaper/free encryption from Sky.

artnada · 07/09/05 - 09:20

flobadob wrote:

I'm surprised that Sky let it go this far. It would have made sense to allow ITV and the other terrestrial stations to use Sky encryption free of charge just to keep Sky more attractive. But then again, this may not be the last word. It could still be a bargaining ploy by ITV to get cheaper/free encryption from Sky.

Just goes to show how greedy Sky got in the end.

I applaud ITV for joining up, with what is technically it's chief rival.

I think Skys shares will dip slightly today, and someone somewhere may get a little bit of a telling off

steveboswell · 07/09/05 - 09:23

dpeilow wrote:

Yep, can anyone say if *all* the Frreview channels will move onto this Freesat platform?

No, they will not. E4 and E4+1 are still under contract, as I believe are five and the UKTV channels. The music channels are presumably also under some sort of arrangement (as they are not available on Freesat from Sky)

Bozz

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:24

I see a satelitte war looming on the horizan.

Yes the BBC should order a good supply of tin hats, as Sky will be lobbing grenades anyday now.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:27

Watch out for Sky offering more free boxes very soon...

artnada · 07/09/05 - 09:28

Jay C wrote:

Yes the BBC should order a good supply of tin hats, as Sky will be lobbing grenades anyday now.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:34

Will the Freesat service be a totally new satellite at a different point in the Sky? The only reason I ask is that I can;t receive a sat signal in the summer as a tree blocks the signal when in leaf.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:37

Jim Rae wrote:

Watch out for Sky offering more free boxes very soon...

.............yes l think sky knew this could be on the horizon hence all the rumours of sky upgrading all their subs with standard digiboxes and all new subs with free sky+ equipment.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:44

Time for LIDL to get some more of their £40 boxes in I think...

System · 07/09/05 - 09:45

Jay C wrote:

Yes the BBC should order a good supply of tin hats, as Sky will be lobbing grenades anyday now.

A pound for the first DS poster to spot a Sky executive OR Murdoch news programme calling Freesat "a waste of taxpayers money".

[Deleted User] · 07/09/05 - 09:55

Surely the only reason for ITV's old requirement for encryption was regionalisation. Frankly that's an old dead game now. People are perfectly capable of choosing regions themselves if advertisers still think there is some benefit but I don't see the point.

System · 07/09/05 - 09:57

Good impartial article in The Times: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9071-1769159,00.html

Hey there!

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ITV and BBC join Forces and Create FREESAT

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