Editing Freeview (UK) (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Freeview UK}}
[[File:Freeview logo.svg|thumb|right|Logo used from 2006 to 2015]]
Freeview officially launched on 30 October 2002 at 5 am, when the BBC and Crown Castle (now [[Arqiva]]) officially took over the [[digital terrestrial television]] (DTT) licences to broadcast on the three [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexes]] from the defunct [[ITV Digital]]. The founding members of DTV Services, who trade as Freeview, were the [[BBC]], Crown Castle UK and [[British Sky Broadcasting]]. On 11 October 2006, [[ITV plc]] and [[Channel 4]] became equal shareholders. Since then, the Freeview model has been copied in [[Freeview (Australia)|Australia]] and [[Freeview (New Zealand)|New Zealand]].

Although all pay channels had been closed down on ITV Digital, many free-to-air channels continued broadcasting, including the five analogue channels and digital channels such as [[ITV2]], [[ITN News Channel]], [[S4C2]], [[TV Travel Shop]] and [[QVC (UK)|QVC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/dtt/dtt.cgi?reg=UK&hist=ftv |title=UK DTT Channel List (free-to-view including yr2002 dtt trials) |publisher=Unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk |access-date=25 February 2009}}</ref> With the launch of Freeview other channels were broadcast free-to-air, such as: [[Sky Travel]], [[Yesterday (TV channel)|UK History]], [[Sky News]], [[Sky Sports News]], The Hits (later renamed [[4Music]] in 2008, now defunct) and TMF (later renamed to [[Viva (UK & Ireland)|Viva]] in 2009, now defunct) were available from the start. [[BBC Four]] and [[BBC Red Button|the interactive BBC streams]] were moved to multiplex B.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/dtt/dtt.cgi?reg=UK&by=mux&type=VRDIPTSAG&mux=12ABCD&hist=freeview&data=&col=LoNMTC&disp=1&grp=&oair= |title=UK DTT Channel List (Freeview) |publisher=Unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk |access-date=25 February 2009}}</ref> Under the initial plans, the two multiplexes operated by [[Crown Castle]] would carry eight channels altogether. The seventh stream became shared by [[UK Bright Ideas]] and [[Ftn (TV channel)|Ftn]] which launched in February 2003. The eighth stream was left unused until April 2004 when the shopping channel [[Ideal World]] launched on Freeview. There are now 14 streams carried by two multiplexes, with Multiplex C carrying 6 streams, and Multiplex D carrying 8. It has recently{{when|date=January 2014}} been announced that more streams are now available on the multiplexes, and that bidding is under way.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

===2009 retune===
The Freeview service underwent a major upgrade on 30 September 2009, which required 18 million households to retune their Freeview receiving equipment.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8280067.stm|title= 18m Freeview homes in TV retune|work= BBC News|date= 30 September 2009|access-date= 30 September 2009}}</ref> The changes, meant to ensure proper reception of [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]], led to several thousand complaints from people who lost channels (notably [[ITV3]] and [[ITV4]]) as a result of retuning their equipment. The Freeview website crashed and the call centre was inundated as a result of the problems. The change involved an update to the NIT (Network Information Table), which some receivers could not accommodate. Many thousands of people could not receive some channels. This included 460,000 fed from relay stations who lost access to [[ITV3]] and [[ITV4]]. Updates were broadcast to enable [[firmware]] changes, but in some cases the receiver must be left on and receiving broadcasts to accept the updates; not everyone was aware of this.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8283452.stm|title= Complaints over Freeview retune|work= BBC News|date= 30 September 2009|access-date= 30 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://absolutegadget.com/200910012671/news/television/viewers-enraged-over-freeview-retune-debacle.html|title= Viewers enraged over Freeview retune debacle|publisher= Absolute Gadget|date= 1 October 2009|access-date= 1 October 2009}}</ref>

===2014 retune===
The Freeview service underwent a major upgrade on 3 September 2014 which required 18 million households to retune their Freeview receiving equipment.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-09|title=Freeview TV guide channel updates {{!}} Freeview|url=https://www.freeview.co.uk/service-updates/freeview-tv-guide-channel-updates.html|access-date=2021-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309054634/https://www.freeview.co.uk/service-updates/freeview-tv-guide-channel-updates.html|archive-date=9 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-09-24|title=Advance notice: Freeview TV guide update in September 2014 {{!}} Freeview|url=https://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/help/advance-notice-freeview-tv-guide-update-in-september-2014.html|access-date=2021-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924015504/https://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/help/advance-notice-freeview-tv-guide-update-in-september-2014.html|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.a516digital.com/2014/04/Freeview-Retune-Day-September-2014-News-Childrens-Channel-moves.html |title=A516digital : News and Children's channels to move on Freeview Retune Day |access-date=12 September 2014 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008135143/http://www.a516digital.com/2014/04/Freeview-Retune-Day-September-2014-News-Childrens-Channel-moves.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate/about-us|title=About us|website=www.freeview.co.uk|access-date=17 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/about-us/press-releases/update-expands-freeview-tv-guide.html |title=Update expands Freeview TV guide &#124; Freeview |access-date=12 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905005545/http://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/about-us/press-releases/update-expands-freeview-tv-guide.html |archive-date=5 September 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The changes included a reshuffle of the Children's, News, and Interactive genres.

A number of new HD channels launched in 2014,<ref>[http://www.a516digital.com/2013/08/could-these-channels-be-coming-soon-to.html a516digital, 4 August: ''Could these channels be coming soon to Freeview?''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813203440/http://www.a516digital.com/2013/08/could-these-channels-be-coming-soon-to.html |date=13 August 2013 }} Linked 10 August 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/news-and-features/blog-post/more-hd-channels-coming-to-freeview.html Freeview blog post, 16 July 2013: ''More HD channels coming to Freeview''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725022357/http://www.freeview.co.uk/articles/news-and-features/blog-post/more-hd-channels-coming-to-freeview.html |date=25 July 2013 }} Linked 10 August 2013</ref> from a new group of multiplexes awarded to Arqiva.<ref name="OfcomJuly2013">[http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/07/16/new-hd-channels-on-terrestrial-tv/ publisher Ofcom, 16 July 2013: ''New HD channels on terrestrial TV''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726234350/http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/07/16/new-hd-channels-on-terrestrial-tv/ |date=26 July 2013 }} Linked 10 August 2013</ref> The new HD channels were launched in selected areas on 10 December 2013 with a further roll-out during 2014.

=== Temporary multiplex removal <span class="anchor" id="Temporary Multiplex Removal (2020s)"></span> ===
The temporary multiplexes are Arqiva-owned multiplexes called COM7 and COM8, DVB-T2 multiplexes for Freeview HD capable devices carrying some channels including HD channels. COM7 is made up of mostly [[Timeshift channel|+1s]] and HDs such as More4+1 and [[BBC News]] HD. COM8 consisted of +1s, HDs and other channels such as [[Now 80s|NOW 80s]], [[PBS America|PBS America+1]]  and [[BBC Four|BBC Four HD]]. Over the decade these multiplexes are being shut off with COM8 closing on 6 June 2020, with many +1 and HD channels like 5Star+1 and 4seven HD closing and others (like Now 80s) moving to COM7.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

=== Technical problems <span class="anchor" id="Technical Problems 2021"></span> ===
On 10 August 2021, the {{convert|315|m|ft|adj=on}} [[Bilsdale transmitting station|Bilsdale transmitter]] caught fire leaving up to a million homes in the North East of England without a TV or radio signal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19503528.bilsdale-tv-mast-fire-north-york-moors/|title=Homes lose TV reception as smoke billows from Bilsdale signal station fire|work=The Northern Echo|accessdate=10 August 2021}}</ref>
Work is ongoing to restore services, but delays to the granting of [[planning permission]] for an {{convert|80|m|ft|adj=on}} temporary mast sited at Bilsdale, and the lack of safe access to the site, have left up to half a million homes without a service as of 8 September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19524366.bilsdale-tv-mast-latest-transmitter-power-increase-brings-coverage-250k/|title=Mast latest: Transmitter bosses say increased power brings coverage to 250,000 homes|website=The Northern Echo|accessdate=30 August 2021}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=January 2025}}

On the evening of 25 September 2021, transmissions of Freeview channels operated by the BBC, Channel 4 and ViacomCBS (Channel 5) were impacted by the activation of a fire suppressant system at the premises of [[Red Bee Media]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.televisual.com/news/red-bee-fire-alarm-triggers-tx-crash/|website=televisual.com|title=Red Bee fire alarm triggers TX crash|date=27 September 2021|accessdate=27 September 2021}}</ref> While the BBC moved its playout from White City to Salford and Channel 5 went into 'recovery mode' (with viewers seeing an additional black & white symbol at the top of the screen), Channel 4's channels went off air for a number of hours<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 September 2021|title=Channel 4 goes off-air after outage caused by technical problem|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/sep/25/channel-4-goes-off-air-after-outage-caused-by-technical-problem|access-date=26 September 2021|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref> with E4+1 and 4Music still off air on Monday 27 September (though 4Music's channel 30 slot was relaying the output of [[The Box (British TV channel)|The Box]], with its back-to-back music video format, on that date).