The BBC’s digital terrestrial TV service Freeview, the replacement to the doomed ITV Digital, will officially launch on 30 Oct. The new service will offer up to 30 free channels, plus digital radio to any TV via a set top box retailing at about £100. There may be up to three music channels on the platform. EMAP announced they would be including a channel yesterday, and it now seems that MTV, who were the only music brand on ITV Digital, will have two channels on the new system.
Radio wise commercial stations Kerrang!, Smash Hits, Kiss, Oneword and Jazz FM will join the main BBC stations and its digital only services including black music station 1Xtra and the eclectic music station 6 Music.
"Freeview is a fresh start for digital terrestrial television," BBC marketing and communications director Andy Duncan told the Media Guardian. "It provides a simple way for people way to see all eight of the BBC's digital television channels, including the soon-to launch BBC Three, and to listen to BBC digital radio stations. It will also offer interactive services, linked to a wide range of BBC programmes from sport to children's and documentaries."