With the launch of 7mate and GEM just over a week away, a new wave of FreeView ads hit our screens last night.
The ads have been updated to include the logos of the two new channels, while the FreeView website shows all of the current and coming channels for the capital city markets including Eleven from Ten which won’t be on air until next year.
As always, the FreeView ads promote free to air TV questioning the viewer as to why pay any month subscription when you can get 16 channels for free.
FreeView promises more entertainment, more reality TV, more of your favourite shows, more news, more for kids… more for everybody basically. It neglects to mention that most of this “more of” they are talking about is pretty well covered by the main channels.
The ads show scens from shows like Masterchef, The X Factor, The 7pm Project, Packed to the Rafters, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Farmer Wants a Wife amongst many others.
But – there is a 24 hour sports channel, a 24 hour news channel, a dedicated children’s channel, one for pre schoolers, and plenty of general entertainment channels.
Yes – now we will have 14 channels – not 16 – 14 – from September 25, there certainly is more to chose from, and the statement about the number of channels is not so misleading as it was two years ago when FreeView hits us with ads promising 15 channels. Two year on, we are one off – but they still count simulcast channels like ONE SD and SBS ONE HD as separate channels. Close enough, I suppose.
For the record, after September 25, there will be 14 channels + community TV in some areas. In 2011, there will be 15, and if there is an SBS THREE in the future, that’s 16. And I’d say that will be it until the second half of this decade when analogue is gone and new digital compression standards come on board allowing for either more separate channels or more channels to go HD.
FreeView web site: http://www.freeview.com.au/
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