BBC UK regional TV on satellite

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The BBC broadcasts all of the BBC One and BBC Two regional variations on digital satellite television from the SES Astra satellites at 28.2° east;[1] providing local news programmes and other regional programming with local continuity and presentation for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The BBC refers to the whole UK regional network as "BBC Nations and Regions".[2]

The local version of BBC One is normally on channel 101, with BBC Two on channel 102. On Freesat equipment, users enter a postcode during initial set up—this determines the correct local version. On Sky equipment, the address to which the viewing card was issued determines the correct local version—without any viewing card the London versions are shown by default. [3] All other national and regional versions are shown in the EPG.

Contents

[edit] History

From the launch of digital satellite on 1 October 1998 until 31 March 2001, there were four variants (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) of both BBC One and BBC Choice carried on all digital platforms. Only one version of BBC Two was available digitally, and this was shown throughout the UK. The BBC English regions gradually became available via Digital Terrestrial Television (Freeview) over the next few years, as did the national versions of BBC Two.

On digital satellite television, regional news programmes on BBC One were replaced by UK Today until 28 January 2002 when additional transponder space was allocated the English regions. Initially programmes were available as an interactve service via the red button and only for the five largest English regions; London, North West, South, West Midlands and Yorkshire[4] On 30 May 2003 the BBC stopped encrypting its TV channels on digital satellite and made all regions available as standard, full-time channels.[1]

[edit] BBC regional services and channel numbers

BBC Nations and Regions map, showing the approximate terrestrial coverage for each region. The numbers refer to the channel numbers used on the Sky EPG.

[edit] BBC One

Regional news inserts are broadcast in BBC Breakfast and after national news bulletins, with the main 30-minute programme on weekday evenings at 6.30pm.

In England—other than regional news programmes—regional opt-outs include the documentary strand Inside Out, Late Kick Off, a regional segment of The Politics Show and in the northern regions (those based in Hull, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle) The Super League Show.

Elsewhere, additional local programming is broadcast; (notable examples include Give My Head Peace and Spotlight in Northern Ireland, River City and Sportscene in Scotland and Belonging and Crash in Wales) with network programmes rescheduled to accommodate them.

BBC One HD started broadcasting on 3 November 2010. [5]

BBC One Nation/Region News programme Freesat[6] Sky [3] Map code
London London News 950 974 LDN
South West (Channel Islands) Channel Islands 951 988 Not shown
East Midlands East Midlands Today 952 980 NO
East (Norwich) Look East 953 981 NC
East (Cambridge) Look East 954 982 CB
North West North West Tonight 955 978 MR
North East and Cumbria Look North (Newcastle) 956 975 NT
Northern Ireland Newsline 957 973 NI
South (Oxford) Oxford News 958 985 OX
South East South East Today 959 983 TW
Scotland Reporting Scotland 960 971 Scotland
South (Southampton) South Today 961 984 SO
South West (Plymouth) Spotlight 962 987 PY
West Midlands Midlands Today 963 979 BM
Wales Wales Today 964 972 Wales
West Points West 965 986 BS
Yorkshire Look North (Leeds) 966 976 LS
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Look North (Hull) 967 977 HL

[edit] BBC Two

Scotland has regional programming such as Newsnight Scotland and Gaelic-language programmes. Northern Ireland and Wales also have regional programming, but on digital TV there is only a single BBC Two service for England.

BBC Two Nation Freesat[6] Sky[3]
England 968 989
Northern Ireland 969 992
Scotland 970 990
Wales 971 991

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "BBC goes in the clear on digital satellite" (Press release). BBC. 12 March 2003. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/03_march/12/digital_sat.shtml. Retrieved 23 March 2010. "The BBC today (Wednesday 12 March 2003) announced that from 30 May it will, for the first time, broadcast its eight TV channels unencrypted on digital satellite. The BBC national services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus, for the first time, all 15 regional variations of BBC ONE in England will all be available on DSAT. It also means that the BBC will save an estimated £85 million over the next five years because it will no longer be using BSkyB's Conditional Access system." 
  2. ^ "Key Facts, BBC Nations and Regions". BBC Press Office. BBC. August 2004. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/nationsregions.shtml. Retrieved 29 August 2007. 
  3. ^ a b c "BBC channel numbers on Sky". Help Receiving BBC TV and Radio. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/info/channels_sky.shtml. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
  4. ^ "English Regions launch first phase of digital satellite news service" (Press release). BBC. 10 January 2002. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/01_january/10/satellitenews.shtml. Retrieved 22 March 2010. 
  5. ^ "BBC - Help receiving TV and radio - Satellite frequencies of BBC channels". http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/info/sat_frequencies.shtml. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  6. ^ a b "BBC channel numbers on Freesat". Help Receiving BBC TV and Radio. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/info/channels_freesat.shtml. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
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