Where's Talk TV gone?

[iabw12]

I know that Talk TV has gone digital, but it seems to have dissapeared from the EPG altogether.  The usual chanel listing just shows "waiting for TV schedule". I can find it on Freeview under a new chanel number but no sign of it on stream. Anyone have any idea's?

[SKY1992bf · Accepted solution]

@iabw12  As part of the switch to digital they have permanently closed the tv channel down hence why it's no longer on the epg 

Wednesday 1st

• Talk TV HD (Satellite 522 - Glass/Stream 508) closes permanently

[Padam_Padam]

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@iabw12 wrote:

I know that Talk TV has gone digital, but it seems to have dissapeared from the EPG altogether.  The usual chanel listing just shows "waiting for TV schedule". I can find it on Freeview under a new chanel number but no sign of it on stream. Anyone have any idea's?

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If you really want to tune in to such insufferable rubbish, Talk TV is available on the YouTube app on Sky Stream.

[iabw12]

ouch!

Hate the sin, not the sinner....

[MarkGoldsmith]

You could also listen to their radio stream via the various radio player apps on Sky Stream.

[TimmyBGood]

@iabw12 

Scott Taunton, Talk TV's president of broadcasting, said in a briefing to staff: "Two years ago, we would not have been brave enough to launch a channel without a linear presence.

"But audiences of all ages have moved fast and smartphones are now the primary device where news is consumed. We need to adapt to this as a priority."

He added: "We are therefore intending that Talk comes off linear television from early summer and our focus will be on streaming."

Taunton said clips would continue to be shared through social media, while the company hoped to grow the number of viewers who watched the service via live streaming on televisions.

He said there was "no doubt" over the channel's future, adding: "It just won't be distributed on linear."

"Talk TV: Rupert Murdoch network to be taken off air and moved online" BBC News 05/03/24 

[TimmyBGood]

@iabw12 

And note that 'streaming' in this context does not mean 'on Stream': for both technical and regulatory purposes the Sky Stream EPG is a linear television broadcast service despite being delivered entirely online.

[Pantzz]

Talk is now on Freeview channel 294, so why can this not be available on Sky?

[Padam_Padam]

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@Pantzz wrote:

Talk is now on Freeview channel 294, so why can this not be available on Sky?

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Because Sky & Freeview are completely different companies. 

[GD1]

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@Pantzz wrote:

Talk is now on Freeview channel 294, so why can this not be available on Sky?

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That is a question only Talk TV can answer, they took the decision to close the channel on Sky & Viirgin Media.  https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/talktv-now-pulled-from-cable-and-satellite-freeview-feed-survives-for-now/

[TimmyBGood]

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@Pantzz wrote:

Talk is now on Freeview channel 294, so why can this not be available on Sky?

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It's unclear if TTV intends to remain on Freeview, which would be contrary to their previous stated intentions.

Generally speaking, terrestrial television carriage is considerably cheaper than satellite, and it could also be that the channel has found a more commercially viable audience there.  We have no information on the relative cost of distribution on Glass/Stream: at the moment there are no channels on that platform which are not in the Sky satellite EPG (although many satellite channels are not on Glass/Stream)

The only people who know for sure would be the channel owners: they can choose to distribute their product in any way they see fit as long as they comply with relevant regulations and keep paying the bills.

[Idge]

It's garbage TV so you are better off not finding it 

[RobertS83]

It's still on Freeview and Freevee/Prime as a FAST channel 

[xenon81]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@Pantzz wrote:

Talk is now on Freeview channel 294, so why can this not be available on Sky?

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It's unclear if TTV intends to remain on Freeview, which would be contrary to their previous stated intentions.

Generally speaking, terrestrial television carriage is considerably cheaper than satellite, and it could also be that the channel has found a more commercially viable audience there.  We have no information on the relative cost of distribution on Glass/Stream: at the moment there are no channels on that platform which are not in the Sky satellite EPG (although many satellite channels are not on Glass/Stream)

The only people who know for sure would be the channel owners: they can choose to distribute their product in any way they see fit as long as they comply with relevant regulations and keep paying the bills.

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Terrestrial certainly isn't cheaper than satellite; with limited availability Freeview slots change hands for millions of pounds and the cost of running a national transmitter network means Arqiva charge a fortune for transmission (and the charges have become even higher in recent years due to high electricity costs).

As for TalkTV it has ceased as a "normal" linear Freeview channel (as in, it is no longer transmitted over the air) but is now a streaming channel available only on internet connected Freeview TVs.