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Freeview is the operator of Free Digital Terrestrial Television In The United Kingdom , using the DVB-T standard. The Freeview brand name, owned by DTV Services,1 is used to promote the free digital terrestrial television service as a whole and those services operated by companies who rent capacity from Freeview Consortium shareholders.2 OVERVIEW Freeview was launched on 30 October 2002 at 6 am when it took over the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) licence to broadcast on three Multiplexes from the defunct ITV Digital (originally called ONdigital ). The founding members of DTV Services were the BBC , National Grid Wireless and British Sky Broadcasting . On 11 October 2005 , they were joined by ITV Plc and Channel 4 . The Freeview service broadcasts free-to-air television Channels , radio stations and interactive services from the BBC, Sky and other broadcasters. figures)]]As of the end of December 2006, 30.4% of first sets and 25.6% of all TV sets in the UK use Freeview. 7,703,000 of the 25.3 million UK homes are 'Freeview only', with 15.3 million Freeview enabled TVs (and integrated digital televisions) in 10.5 million homes.3 The Freeview model has been copied in a number of countries including France and Spain . Service costs Freeview offers no premium or Pay-per-view channels and no Subscription Channels , the name distinguishes the service from ITV Digital , Cable and Satellite digital TV services. To receive the Freeview services, a Set-top Box (typically available from £10) or a new television with an integrated digital tuner is required. DTT reception cards for computers are also available for a similar price. Some viewers also need an aerial upgrade which can cost around £80 to £180.4 In addition, the annual Television Licence must be purchased, as is required for all viewers of broadcast television in the UK irrespective of the method of reception.5 In addition to Freeview, a Subscription -based service, Top Up TV , launched in March 2004 using unused channel space on Multiplexes that were owned by parties, who at the time, were not members of the Freeview consortium. The Top Up TV service is not connected with the Freeview service; it simply runs alongside it on the DTT platform. It was possible to receive Top Up TV selected Freeview set-top boxes or televisions equipped with a card slot or CI slot, however, this was discontinued in 2006 in favour of "Top Up TV Anytime", a service which depends on a proprietary set top box. The Digital TV Group made up of all the multiplex owners, is responsible for co-ordination between Freeview and Top Up TV services. Coverage and reception Approximately 73% of households are in a location that can receive Freeview broadcasts.6 Maximum Freeview coverage of the UK whilst Analogue and Digital services are running in tandem has now been reached.7 The British government plans to switch off analogue transmitters region-by-region, starting in 2007,8 to allow for an increase in both Freeview coverage and transmitter power. The government estimates that the coverage level of the three public service broadcasting multiplexes will reach 98.5% of the population (the same as analogue television) and six-multiplex reception will cover 90% of the population once the Digital Switchover has been completed in 2012. Freeview Playback See Also: Freeview Playback Freeview Playback is a consumer brand created in the UK by the DTG Group to "raise consumer awareness and promote sales" of Freeview-capable Digital Video Recorder s. Players which meet specified quality and functionality criteria are permitted to carry the Freeview Playback logo, and benefit from joint marketing and consumer confidence. FREEVIEW CHANNELS A Full List Of Digital Terrestrial Television Channels In The UK is also available, which includes the additional Top Up TV and Setanta Sports services. TV channels
Radio stations
Text and interactive services Future channels Closing Down Former channels
British Sky Broadcasting channels It was announced on 8 February 2007 that Sky intended to withdraw Sky Three , Sky News and Sky Sports News from the platform in the summer of 2007. Sky executives have discussed various strategies with major media buying agencies, including leaving Sky Three, Sky News and Sky Sports News on Freeview in favour of launching a pay TV service on digital terrestrial. Estimates of the potential cost to Sky in terms of lost ad revenue for having its channels withdrawn from Virgin's cable TV service range from £45m to £60m for 2007.13 However, the Ofcom Consumer Panel complained that the plan was "generating serious consumer detriment"14 and the '''National Consumer Council''' call the BSkyB plan "bad news for consumers"15 which has caused Ofcom to launch an investigation into the "features of the pay TV market, including control over content, ownership of distribution platforms, retail subscriber bases and Vertical Integration ".16 SEE ALSO
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