Freely, the upcoming new TV service backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, has set out how it’ll allocate channel numbers in its programme guide.
The service is the broadcasters’ attempt to ease the move away from traditional reception over aerial and satellite dishes to broadband delivered channels.
If a Freely TV is connected only to an aerial or satellite dish the viewer will see the same channel line-up they’d receive on Freeview or Freesat, but when the TV is connected to broadband they’ll also see internet-delivered channels.
Streaming channels offers some advantages over traditional broadcast methods, including a lower risk of adverse weather affecting reception and the avoidance of capacity limits such as those on the Freeview platform which limit the availability of High Definition channels.
Pay TV firms including BT and Sky already offer products which stream channels while devices such as Amazon’s Fire TV sticks offer a selection of channels, including those from ITV and Channel 5, via a traditional electronic programme guide (EPG) alongside catch-up and subscription apps.
In addition, several Smart TV makers, including Samsung and Hisense, offer internet delivered channels in addition to those delivered over satellite and aerial.
Freely’s goal is to create a commonly branded EPG which displays all channels in a given genre or category side by side, regardless of how they’re delivered. At launch it will support aerial and broadband channels, with support for satellite delivered channels coming “at a later stage”.
Development of the service is being handled by Everyone TV, a company jointly owned by the four broadcasters. A policy document published this week sets out how channels will be allocated numbers in the Freely EPG.
Public Service Broadcast channels such as BBC One and ITV will continue to have priority, in accordance with Ofcom’s rules on prominence, with other channels allocated slots based on their popularity on the existing Freeview platform. Channels which don’t participate in BARB’s audience measurements will be allocated slots behind those which do.
To qualify for a slot on the EPG, channels must broadcast a minimum of 6 hours of content each day and need to sign a content partner agreement accepting Freely’s policies, including its right to re-order the EPG and potentially change channel numbers every 3-5 years.
TV makers will be able to include their own internet-delivered channels but these will be segregated from the Freely channel line-up.
The service is expected to go live later this year and will initially be available on TVs built by Hisense.