700MHz Clearance events 2019 - Loss of channels & aerial upgrades

Sarah

Over the next few months, Digital UK will be carrying out several 700MHz clearance events which may cause you to lose channels on certain multiplexes:

• COM7 & COM8 multiplexes will close on certain transmitters and therefore no longer be available for the areas served by that transmitter. 
• If the BBCA multiplex (all BBC SD and radio) channels are no longer in their usual position in the guide, this means that your aerial needs to be updated and you will need to contact the Freeview advice line. These channels will be simulcast from channel 751 for approx 9 weeks and then the simulcast channels are being removed and BBC channels will no longer be available unless you have upgraded your aerial. During this time, viewers will have less functionality for these channels and content from them may not contain enhanced metadata. 

Past and upcoming 700MHz clearance events 
The next stage of this process will take place on the 29th September 2019 and impacts: 

• Angus (Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Angus)
  

Previous 700MHz clearances:

• 10th April: The Caradon Hill & Plympton main transmitters (Plymouth, Central & South Devon or East Cornwall regions) - Support Site article here. 
• 3rd April: The Mendip main transmitter (Somerset, England) - Support Site article here.
• 27th March: The Beacon Hill, Caradon Hill, Hemel Hempstead, Huntshaw Cross & Stockland Hill main transmitters and relays - Freeview article here.
• 1st May: The Redruth main transmitter (West Cornwall & Isles of Scilly) - Support Site article here.
• 15th May: Wenvoe and Kilvey Hill (Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and south east Wales) - Support site article here. 
• 5th June: Bristol Illchester Crescent, Bristol Kings Weston & Mendip (Bristol, Somerset, Devon, Wiltshire & Gloucestershire). Support site article here. 
• 19th June: Bristol Kings Weston, Caradon Hill (Plymouth & the south), Huntshaw Cross (North Devon), Kilvey Hill (Swansea), Mendip (Bristol & Somerset), Redruth (Falmouth & South West) & Wenvoe (South East Wales). Please note: Some Freeview channels will no longer be broadcast from the Caradon Hill transmitter. Further information can be found on the Freeview website here. 
• 17th July: Carmel & Kilvey hill. Support Site article here. 
• 24th July: Bluebell Hill & Crystal Palace relays. Support site article here. 
• 31st July: Caldbeck (this includes removal of COM7/COM8 from this transmitter). Support site article here. 
• 14th August: Selkirk & Black Hill. Support site article here.
  
• 22nd August: Dover (this includes a simulcast of BBC SD channels on 751+). Support site article here.
  
• 4th September: Scotland & Northern Ireland (Brougher Mountain, Caldbeck Scotland, Darvel, Divis & Limavady). Support site article here.
  
• 12th September: Pontop Pike (this includes a simulcast of BBC SD channels on 751+). Support site article here. 

Why is this happening?
In November 2014 Ofcom announced its decision to reallocate some of the airwaves used by Freeview to be used for mobile services. This spectrum change will be made to meet the predicted increase in demand for mobile data.

This change will mean that some Freeview channels will need to move to new frequencies, this process is known as 700MHz clearance.


What to do if your area is affected
If you receive your TV signal directly from the above main transmitters, we advise you to do a quick retune of your YouView box to ensure you receive all of your Freeview channels (including BBC standard definition (SD), ITV, Channel 4 and 5) after this date. If you are not sure what transmitter you are using you can check using the coverage checker on the Digital UK website (click on ‘Detailed View’ before searching to see your specific transmitter!)

If you can’t see your Freeview channels after doing a retune, please get in touch with the Freeview Advice Line on 0808 100 0288 for help (you can also visit freeview.co.uk/tvchanges for support information).

We will update this thread with further information when the next 700MHz events are upcoming with any further notes of other changes which run along with it. 

Thanks,
Sarah
(edited 23/09/19)

Roy

Hi @Sarah

Good information above, and I am trying to use it to help someone on the NowTV Community.

But the phone number for the Freeview Advice line in the first link to that above is not the same as the phone number you give lower down for that same Advice line.

Which is correct, please, or are they interchangeable?

Sarah

Roy said:

Hi @Sarah

Good information above, and I am trying to use it to help someone on the NowTV Community.

But the phone number for the Freeview Advice line in the first link to that above is not the same as the phone number you give lower down for that same Advice line.

Which is correct, please, or are they interchangeable?

Hi Roy,
Apologies for the late reply. 
I've just updated the details we have to use the 0808 number instead as this is the freephone number so we would suggest that you advise them to use that number rather than the 0345 one. 
Thanks,
Sarah

zulu17

Is the intention to continue to maintain/update the thread with further updates as the thread was last updated in July . with details upto 14 August,
I believe Dover (22 August) and there are  five main transmitters due today (4 Sept).
On the plus sifde the new look help app does prominately list the changes occuring.

Louise Murdoch

Thank you @zulu17

We've updated the thread accordingly. 

zulu17

Observation  I believe
*A previously scheduled retune for the Angus transmitter group in September 2019 has been replanned.

i suspect next events are 16 October with Angus being  c 27 November

Chris A.

Hi, I get my signal from Winter Hill. Today I have rescanned all my devices. All three of my TV's have managed to get the usual 45 channels, and one of my youview boxes also gets 45 channels. However, my other Youview box, will only get to 20. (I've scanned it a few times). It is minus the BBC channels. It is on an amplifier, but the TV on the same amp does get the BBC channels?? Any advice?

Sarah

Hi @Chris A.
Can you please let us know the YouView box models you have and which ones are working and which ones are not? It may be worth doing a retune without the aerial plugged in and then plugging it back into the box and doing another retune as this may help. 
Let us know how you get on  
Thanks,
Sarah

Chris A.

Hi Sarah, they are both BT2100 boxes. One ok, the other one isn't getting the BBC channels.  I have just tried what you said. Rescanned it without the ariel (result = no channels) then rescanned again with the ariel (result = 20 channels, and no BBC).

Sarah

Hi @Chris A.
Thanks for this information. 
If possible, can you try swapping the two boxes around and doing a retune on both to see if the same issue occurs on the problem box in the same place the other working box?
Thanks,
Sarah