Reduced programs on Sky?

[David]

I saw this on digital spy today.  Does this suggest that the Sky satellite "Free to Air" programs are going to be reduced?  See below - my bold.

If so, which channels may be lost to viewers in France?

 

Quote

Discovery Networks UK has signed up to provide a factual channel on Sky's pay digital terrestrial TV service Picnic.

The Discovery Channel would be available to Picnic customers between 6am and 6pm daily if the service is approved by Ofcom. A public consultation on the proposals from Sky to remove its free TV channels from Freeview in favour of launching its own pay TV offering closed on December 14, and the regulator is expected to announce its decision early next year.

"We’re delighted to welcome the Discovery Channel to the Picnic TV line-up," said Picnic managing director Jeff Hughes. "The addition of the channel to the service demonstrates our commitment to give families the opportunity to receive a better choice of TV through their aerial. With access to leading content brands such as Discovery, we are confident consumers will respond to the quality, value and increased choice the service offers."

Keith Underwood, head of business development and content distribution at Discovery, added: "Discovery is committed to utilising new platform opportunities to ensure our outstanding content is available to as many audiences as possible. Securing distribution on Picnic, an exciting platform which could greatly enhance choice for consumers, is entirely consistent with this strategy."

Unquote

David

[Anton Redman]

Nothing to worry about in France . Freeview = Digital Terrestrial TV = equivalent of TNT in France.  Moving Discovery Plus( 252) 0n Sky to PPV  was always likely once the honeymoon period of trying to get anybody to move to Freeview was over and the analogue switch off moved closer in the UK.

Sky had fairly cynically used the early days of Freeview in the UK as a taster for its channels 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/oct/02/1

[Martin963]

I don't think there will be any move to PPV (rather than subscitption) on satellite for that channel (or PPV Freeview UHF either) Anton.  As you correctly surmise, this concerns (AFAIK) only terrestrial UHF where Sky would suddenly like to make people pay for things,  including a "factual" channel,  as part of a subscription "mini bouquet".

Fuller technical details (although older) can be found at the link below:

http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051310