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It's Dave - not Bright Ideas and evening History

From Monday 15th October, UKTV will change the Freeview line-up with a new all-day cult comedy, quiz and entertainment channel called Dave.

From Monday 15th October, UKTV will change the Freeview line-up
Published on by on UK Free TV

Yes, on Monday October 15th you will need to www.ukfree.tv link icon retune your Freeview box once more, as UKTV change their Freeview line up.

Firstly, the UKTV History channel will move from the full-time multiplex C service to run from 7am-6pm on Freeview multiplex D.

Secondly, the www.ukfree.tv link icon unwatched UKTV Bright Ideas channel will disappear and be replaced with a new channel called Dave, which will also replace the UKTV G2 channel on satellite and cable.

"Dave", a comedy and factual entertainment channel aimed at ABC1 men under 35, this is new brand for the BBC/Virgin collaboration UKTV with their Julia Jordan saying In a cluttered multi-channel environment channel branding is crucial, and Dave offers us a new and innovative way to create audience connections and a commercially desirable channel to maintain our viewing share.

Theres a definite opportunity for a channel like Dave on Freeview. The younger male audience is of very high value commercially and this demographic is currently under-served in Freeview homes, added Julia.



With a brief to establish Dave as the home of witty banter and as a refuge from the everyday, the award-winning Red Bees innovative and original creative juxtaposes traditional weekend retreat imagery with contemporary talent from the channels key content in a humorous and irreverent way to represent the channels key brand values.

The channel will show contemporary entertainment, quiz shows and cult comedies, including QI, Top Gear, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Catherine Tate Show, and its own origination, Totally Viral.

www.ukfree.tv link icon UKTV G2 not coming to Freeview







Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom

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Briantist
Wednesday 17 October 2007 8:26AM
Ian: Aside from being broadcast on Freeview and having a different schedule, name and identity...
Steven
Wednesday 17 October 2007 7:44PM Duns
I'm still yet to be convinced that "Dave" will take off. I fall into their audience bracket and haven't yet seen anything which makes me want to watch it...!

Briantist
Wednesday 17 October 2007 7:53PM
Steven: Let's see shall we? UKTV G2 was the forerunner to Dave and it had a 0.3% share as a satellite subscription channel, and the Freeview slot was UKTV Bright Ideas which had a 0.1% share - if Dave gets a share greater than 0.3% it will be deemed a success. I have to say I've watched it quite a bit, I like QI and HIGNFY...
SIlvermachine
Wednesday 17 October 2007 9:32PM
So far so good. It suits me because it usually has something I don't mind watching when there is nothing elsewhere that appeals.
Briantist
Wednesday 17 October 2007 9:51PM
SIlvermachine: I'm waiting for someone at Microsoft to know about it so the listings appear on the EPG...
Ian
Wednesday 17 October 2007 10:26PM
QI, Top Gear, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Catherine Tate Show, bottom, have I got news for you, who's line is it anyway were all on UKG2. I'm glad its now available on freeview but its basicly just a name change.
Briantist
Wednesday 17 October 2007 10:54PM
Ian: It's not called UKTV G2, is it? All those programmes were on BBC TWO too...
Doodlefusakistiks
Thursday 18 October 2007 8:32PM
So Far i am quite impressed by this channel, tho im still not sure on the name!! just does not seem right for a TV station.
Briantist
Thursday 18 October 2007 8:54PM

Doodlefusakistiks: It's weird, I remember when UK Gold started, and it had this cartoon Golden Retriever as it design and a really minimalist blue "margarine" logo. It didn't seem like the name of a channel either...


Robert
Thursday 18 October 2007 10:29PM
One of the few things worth watching and the morons from UKTV have dumbed down the evening TV schedules. Dave sucks - I'd rather stick pins in me that watch this dross.
Doodlefusakistiks
Friday 19 October 2007 11:57AM
Briantist, guess your right there, when you think about does seem also quite a random name,esp with the retriever! i can't say i had ever seen that before today.
Briantist
Friday 19 October 2007 12:38PM

It was never a more popular channel than when it was the dog... but there were less than ten of them...



It's predecessor was the computer game company "US Gold"... www.beebgames.com link icon The BBC Games Archive - Welcome Sky called one of their movie channels Sky Movies Gold as a bit of a spoiler attempt at the time too.


Doodlefusakistiks
Friday 19 October 2007 1:44PM
well as i would have been aged 10 in 1992, that could be why i cant remember it. did lose a few viewers over the years.
Steven
Tuesday 23 October 2007 12:06PM Duns
One week on and the posts complaining about the Dave/UKTV History Freeview timeshift are still appearing on the UKTV History forum boards. I doubt though that the evening schedule on UKTVH on Freeview will be restored. UKTH have put out several standard replies on their boards over the last few days but otherwise have been conspicuous by their absence.

Give up, folks - it ain't going to return to Freeview at nights.
Briantist
Tuesday 23 October 2007 1:06PM
Steven: Yes, there is no chance whatsoever of the situation changing, they have made their decision. Sorry about that...
Steven
Tuesday 23 October 2007 2:21PM Duns
Will you tell them, Brian, or will I...?
Briantist
Tuesday 23 October 2007 2:30PM
Steven: I thought I did when I said about it moving multiplexes in the second paragraph...
dunedinhen
Tuesday 23 October 2007 7:11PM Darlington
yet again i've lost a channel that i watched......are they trying to get everyone to convert to sky or cable?
Briantist
Tuesday 23 October 2007 8:25PM
dunedinhen: There is only limited capacity on Freeview. You can either pay for Sky, or shift your Freeview up a gear to Freeview Playback. www.freeviewplayback.co.uk link icon Freeview Playback - Home
dunedinhen
Tuesday 23 October 2007 10:35PM Darlington
whats freeview playback? and is compatible with the trees!
Briantist
Tuesday 23 October 2007 11:01PM
dunedinhen: Please click on the link.
Briantist
Wednesday 24 October 2007 11:11AM
media.guardian.co.uk link icon Dave channel a hit, says UKTV | Broadcast | MediaGuardian.co.uk


"Dave channel a hit, says UKTV"


UKTV has hailed the launch of the Dave channel as a success, with ratings for the company's overall Freeview offering up 27% in the channel's first week.
Dave attracted a share of 2.2% in Freeview homes in its first full week after its debut on October 15, UKTV said.


Between them, Dave and UKTV's other Freeview channel, daytime strand UKTV History, accounted for a 3% share of Freeview viewing last week.


This was up from UKTV's total 2.43% showing the previous week, when UKTV History was a full-time channel and the now defunct UKTV Bright Ideas channel was running in UKTV's daytime slot.

Steven
Wednesday 24 October 2007 12:35PM
And here, from Digital Spy: www.digitalspy.co.uk link icon Broadcasting - News - UKTV pleased with Dave's performance - Digital Spy



UKTV pleased with Dave's performance


Tuesday, October 23 2007, 15:25 BST


By James Welsh, International Editor
UKTV is pleased with new channel Dave's performance relative to its predecessor UKTV G2, the broadcaster said today.


Of particular importance has been its performance on Freeview, where it replaced UKTV Bright Ideas entirely and UKTV History in primetime. According to UKTV, Dave has directly contributed to a 27% uptick in volume for the broadcaster in Freeview homes.


Two programmes - Top Gear and QI, which were both staples of UKTV G2, performed particularly strongly; the first averaged 335,000 adults, while the latter delivered an average of 289,000.


"It’s incredibly satisfying that the channel has performed so strongly in its first week," said Dave channel head Steve North. "Dave’s stellar programme line-up and its innovative marketing on and off air have paid dividends." (TD113EN)
Steven
Wednesday 24 October 2007 12:40PM Duns
I wonder how long it will be now before UKTV History disappears completely from Freeview.

Those posting on their message boards complaining at the cut in hours are wasting their time!

Briantist
Wednesday 24 October 2007 7:42PM
Steven: I can't see it going completely, but anything is possible.
Steven
Thursday 25 October 2007 6:53PM Duns
Anything is possible!!

I've been keeping eyes on the UKTV History forum boards and UKTVH are aware of the problem that the curtailed hours of History on Freeview are causing.

One of the posters to the forum has received an e-mail from UKTVH which says that they are currently making efforts to restore the evening History schedule to Freeview homes, and that they hope to be able to do this soon. They are also keeping a note of all the comments sent to the boards about the change.

This may be all just spin, of course, but if it is true, then full credit to UKTVH for recognising the problem AND doing something about it.
Briantist
Friday 26 October 2007 8:55AM
Steven: I don't quite know where the bandwidth could come from...
Mark Aberfan Aerials
Sunday 19 October 2008 4:12PM
"created by the BBC chosen by Dave" Ok, Anyone know why we a treated to this voice over everytime a bbc program is shown on dave ? is it a prelude to some changes on uktv channels ? Mark Aberfan Aerials
Briantist
Sunday 19 October 2008 4:50PM
Mark Aberfan Aerials: They should follow it with "Dave is half owned by the BBC".
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