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Changes to BBC services for the Olympic Games

The BBC is making changes to their services over the period of the Olympic Games to allow viewers to get the most from the event. In particular BBC three will broadcast during the daytime for the first time, BBC Parliament will close on Freeview and CBBC in the unswitched regions (North East and Northern Ireland) will require a retune.

The BBC is making changes to their services over the period of
Published on by on UK Free TV

BBC three

BBC three will be used to cover the Olympic Games and will, during the event, broadcast during the day. To allow this to happen, the channel has moved transponders on satellite (to number 45), and on Freeview the BBC Parliament channel will close down, but run the usual summer service on cable and satellite.

BBC three will prove a useful addition as it can be found without knowledge of "red button" or "interactive" services.

Freeview HD - the fifth slot

On Freeview HD, a fifth slot (alongside BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV1 HD and C4/S4C HD) was to be allocated to Channel 5 HD, but will be used for the Olympic fortnight for "301 HD", a high definition version of the "first interactive screen" on channel 304. Before the games, the "slot" will be used to provide the access to the Olympic Arts project "The Space" on Freeview HD channel number 117.

Red Button 302

The long-since deleted second interactive stream on Freeview, channel 302, will make a return from 7pm each evening during the games, whilst CBBC is off air. As BBC three and CBBC normally share a "slot", whilst BBC Parliament is off-air, 302 will broadcast when CBBC closes down each evening.

CBBC in Northern Ireland and North East England

In the two areas which will not have done digital switchover before the start of the games, CBBC will be broadcast on Multplex B, and will appear as channel 73 on Freeview, with the usual channel 70 being off-air for the fortnight.

BBC Radio 5 live Olympics Extra

There will be an extra BBC DAB channel, BBC Radio 5 Live Olmpics Extra on DAB from July 23, in addition to 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra. You may need to retune to find the service.





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John Gleeson
Tuesday 15 May 2012 12:52PM
I know that I'm in the minority, but I have a non Sky, non Freesat satellite receiver where I need to input the exact frequencies to view any TV/Radio channels, the receiver will not automatically find these for me as those other receivers generally seem to. Is there any chance that you could do a listing of these frequencies on your web-site for the UK channels? I know from time to time that satellite frequencies do get altered. When this happens I can lose some of my channels & not be able to reinstate them until I’m able to find out through other sources what these new frequencies are. I’m particularly keen once available in knowing the frequencies the BBC will use for the various Olympic Games events coverage.
Mike Dimmick
Tuesday 15 May 2012 3:17PM
John Gleeson: I usually use the lyngsat.com link icon http://lyngsat.com/28east.html or en.kingofsat.net link icon Astra 1N / Astra 2A / Astra 2B / Astra 2D / Eutelsat 28A (28.2°E) - All transmissions - frequencies - KingOfSat websites. However, both of those are updated by user contributions only.

The satellite broadcasters concentrate on getting the information to the EPG providers (Sky and Freesat, in the UK) and generally don't publish manual tuning information anywhere. The BBC are rare in reporting what they use: see www.bbc.co.uk link icon BBC - Help receiving TV and radio - Satellite frequencies of BBC channels . They usually also write a post on the BBC Internet blog saying what they're doing, for example at www.bbc.co.uk link icon BBC - BBC Internet Blog: Changes to BBC services on satellite and cable this autumn .

The 24 Olympic streams are being provided by Sky on the BBC's behalf, though they will be free-to-air and available through Freesat. I don't know whether the BBC will make that information available.
Briantist
Tuesday 15 May 2012 4:45PM
TEST Message
peter
Wednesday 16 May 2012 11:53AM
Changes to BBC services for the Olympic Games:
So if you don't like sport and don't have any teenage kids then you may do absolutely nothing ?
Des Collier
Thursday 24 May 2012 8:33AM Brigg
Briantist:-thanks for the info,does everthing go back to normal after the olympics?
Briantist
Thursday 24 May 2012 9:32AM
Des Collier: Sort of normal.

The BBC budget cuts means that the extra pile of satellite streams for BBCi will reduce down to just one.
Samuel McCollum
Wednesday 30 May 2012 10:06AM
I have recently lost BBC1 & 2 & 4 and the news channel from my Freeview TV. Other Freeview Channels are still there. The lost channels were always the ones most susceptible to picture breaking up etc if the weather was bad. I am wondering if they have recently reduced the transmission signal? I tried tuning a set top box which picked the channels up fo rinstallation but then whey you try to watch it just says 'No Signal'
I live in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Dave Lindsay
Wednesday 30 May 2012 12:06PM
Samuel McCollum: See the page for Limavady. There is engineering works going on which I imagine is in preparation for switchover. Don't do anything such as retuning; you will have to sit it out.
sharealam
Wednesday 20 June 2012 2:20PM
new channel 304 hd called the oylmpic channel,retune required.
Des Collier
Monday 9 July 2012 5:53PM Brigg
sharealam:- thanks on that one,will check my tv & do the necessary.
Des Collier
Sunday 15 July 2012 5:03PM Brigg
304 HD now on belmont's epg.
j.ferguson
Wednesday 25 July 2012 4:57PM
what is the maxamim height of roof aerial
Donald
Saturday 28 July 2012 9:33PM
I have to admit to being a bit confused over the Olympic channels being broadcast by the BBC. I thought they were doing 20 or so channels, which I also therefore assumed was on terrestrial Freeview. Is this not the case (because I can't find them)? I also (fortunately) have a Humax Foxsat HD PVR (Freesat) which does indeed have the 20-odd channels, all in HD, which is great.

Afterwards, can we please have Film4 in HD?
Elaine
Monday 30 July 2012 6:37AM
We get all bbc channels, but after ten seconds our so this cuts to a black screen and says "due to technical difficulties the service you require it's unavailable" although if we leave the tv guide on we can view in the small box next to it,but thats not really ideal.
I have done a re instal of all channels, have found no other channels except for those already there, so I am at a loss as to how we can view bbc this has only just happened
Elaine
Monday 30 July 2012 6:39AM
Forgot to say we are based in east yorkshire
Dave Lindsay
Monday 30 July 2012 12:06PM
Elaine: I put the message (as you gave it within the quotes) into Google and it came up with a number of pages where people were commenting that it has something to do with the BBC interactive (Red Button) services. The fact that the BBC channels are viewable through the Guide suggests that they are there.


"BBC Red Button" should be on Logical Channel Number (LCN) 105; this normally gives a blank screen. You should also have two streams on LCNs 301 and 302, the latter being a temporary one for the Olympics. Check that they are there and not in the 800s, for example.

Failing that, maybe there is a way to disable the interactive services on your receiver. This will of course disable the Red Button.

These are some general thoughts and pointers as to what I'd try in your situation as I don't have an exact answer.


If you do find a solution, please let us know what you did as it might help others with the same query. Also, it might be useful to know the make and model number of the receiver you are using.
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