Media UK

Freeview

(1) Freeview (http://www.freeview.co.uk) is a trademark owned by DTV Services Ltd. A consortium made up of National Grid Wireless (Crown Castle UK), BSkyB and the BBC.

Established in October 2002, the company promotes digital terrestrial television, data and radio services that are free to view. Freeview does not actually broadcast any services, it just markets them. Freeview (the trademark) is not the same as Newincco 166 Ltd, which bid for a digital terrestrial multiplex license following the closure of ITV Digital.

(2) A freeview is a term given to television channels that are normally encrypted, but for a short period of time broadcasts to viewers that do not pay for the service. For example a porn channel may broadcast a ten minute 'freeview' to try and attract potential subscribers. There is no length of time that a freeview need be, only that it is a window in which a channel is normally free. For example, when FilmFour was a subscription channel, they were known to have entire freeview weekends.