Freesat loses Channel 4 HD and All4 over carriage fee dispute

By
published

Freesat will no longer be able to show either channel - Channel 4 SD, E4, More 4, 4seven and Film 4 aren't affected.

From Thursday 22nd February, Channel 4 HD will be absent from Freesat's channel listings and its catch up service. The reason? The broadcaster says that Freesat has levied "a very significant" fee increase at them, according to Seenit.

However, not every Channel 4 channel will be absent. Channel 4 SD, E4, More 4, 4seven and Film 4 won't be affected, and can still be watched via the usual TV guide.

This puts Freesat, which is jointly owned by the BBC and ITV, at a disadvantage in comparison to Freeview and YouView (both of which Channel 4 invests in).

A Channel 4 spokesperson reportedly said, “we’re disappointed Freesat is changing its charging structure, leading to a very significant cost increase for Channel 4, which ultimately takes funding away from our content investment budget.

“To reduce the overall burden of our Freesat costs and make internal savings we have regrettably given notice to withdraw All 4 and C4 HD while we consider our long term relationship with Freesat.”

MORE:

Bristol Sound & Vision Show 2018: everything you need to know

What Hi-Fi? deals of the week

LG 2018 TVs: 4K, OLED, LCD - everything you need to know

Sony 2018 TVs: 4K, HD, LCD, OLED - everything you need to know

Blue Planet II – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review

Is Spotify making its own speaker?

Adam Smith

Adam was a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?, reviewing consumer gadgets for online and print publication, as well as researching and producing features and advice pieces on new technology in the hi-fi industry. He has since worked for PC Mag as a contributing editor and is now a science and technology reporter for The Independent.