Covid-19: Freeview postpones frequency changes

Viewers will now not need to retune their Freeview TVs and boxes in the North West (Granada) TV region on 22nd April, as previously planned. There will also be no changes in North East Wales on the same date, nor any changes a week later on the Isle of Man or the Lake District.

Viewers who were affected by February's initial stage of the frequency change in North West England will continue to find BBC channels from channel 751 upwards, where they will continue broadcasting on their old frequency until further notice, for the benefit of homes where the aerial or communal system hasn't been upgraded. Had the changes in the North West taken place, all of the main public service channels would have transitioned to new frequencies, forcing every household to retune, leaving those unable to retune their TV or needing a new aerial to receive the new frequencies without a service at a time when record numbers of viewers are depending on public service broadcasters to stay informed.

Frequency clearance changes have already completed across the rest of the UK, as part of a region-by-region retune over the past three years, leaving the affected areas as the last parts of the UK where TV services continue to use the full 700MHz frequency band.

New dates will only be set when it is "operationally viable" to do so, according to Freeview.

Source: RXTV Log