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Foxtel channel moves

SKY News channels are on the move, prompting a suite refresh and the arrival of SKY News UK.

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Foxtel has realigned many of its channels in order to move SKY News channels.

Foxtel indicates the change is in part due to the increasing popularity of news channels as well as making it easier for customers to find SKY News among general entertainment channels. SKY News Live will also be broadcast on both channels 103 and 600 (alongside other SKY News channels).

A-PAC (Australia’s Public Affairs Channel) is now rebranded as SKY News Extra at channel 604, and continues to cover Federal Parliament.

Interactive services shift online. SKY News Extra 1, SKY News Extra 2 and SKY News Extra 3 will be available as digital content for“members-only” on skynews.com.au.

SKY News UK also launches at channel 605.

Foxtel also recently moved the Favourites on the menu grid.

New Channel Number
13th STREET 117
Action Movies 409
Animal Planet 621
Arena 112
BBC First 116
BBC Knowledge 614
Binge 119
BoxSets 118
CNN 607
Comedy Movies 412
Crime + Investigation 609
Discovery Channel 612
Discovery Science 616
Discovery Turbo 620
Disney Movies 400
Family Movies 402
FOX News 606
FOX SPORTS NEWS 602 & 500
HISTORY 608
Masterpiece Movies 407
More Movies 404
Movie Greats 408
National Geographic 613
Nat Geo WILD 622
Premiere Movies 405
Romance Movies 414
showcase 115
Sky News Live 600 & 103
Sky News Business 601
Sky News Extra 604
Sky News UK 605
Thriller Movies 415
UKTV 105
Universal Channel 114
7mate 138

Digital +2 Channels
Action Movies +2 411
Discovery Channel +2 635
Discovery Turbo +2 640
Disney Movies +2 401
Family Movies +2 403
Premiere Movies +2 406

10 Responses

  1. Sky News UK as a full-screen channel has been a long time in coming. 14 years since Sky News Active launched. Good to see it’s in crystal-clear HD — and the content is 99% native HD too, including the worldwide footage. Channel 605 is the only place on Australian broadcasting to get lots of English-language international coverage in HD — the Hawaiian lava footage is incredible.

  2. Would it kill them to put 13th Street on 113?

    The prioritisation of Disney movies is a story worth pursuing.

    I still really miss UKTV HD, which has been gone since BBC First started. A lot of prime-time UK content, popular stuff like scripted comedies, went missing as well. UKTV in fuzzy SD is stripped of the content I used to adore.

    The new Sky News Australia app on Apple TV is quite comprehensive: It has a ton of snippet stories on demand, really quite fast and easy to find a video story on the topic you’re after. Easier than the web. And unlike their new website I could watch the Extra 1,2,3 channels without a login.

    1. Agree. It was on 113, some years ago. I also see no reason to shift BBC first to 116, after getting used to it on 117, and moving 113 first to 118 and now to BBC First’s old slot. What in the name of pointless? It is so irritating. I have missed recording my favourite shows as I program in the old channel number for, eg, Showcase and end up with some Universal dosh. I mean, why? It’s like when Colesworth rearranges the aisles. But this is making me ‘shop’/view less.

  3. The annoying thing is that Foxtel have reallocated A-PACs HD feed to newly launched Sky News UK. I tweeted Foxtel’s help line yesterday for clarification as to why but only got irrelevant automated responses of replacing outdated technology, no changes to programming, and no reimbursements. I know lots of people don’t care about seeing politicians, let alone in glorious 1080p, but with all the channel closures in recent years they more than had the bandwidth for both channels to have HD feeds. But alas it is cost cutting Foxtel we are talking about…

    1. They have added the Sky News LIve channel at 103 and Fox Sports News on 602 which are both HD. I can kind of see why they’d want the extra Sky News one, but not so sure about Fox Sports News being on two channels.

      Was all of the content on APAC native HD? Anyway, I’m sure Optus screws them on satellite bandwidth costs, so any cost cutting wouldn’t be a surprise – not that I’ve seen any evidence that the dropped channels had anything to do with cost vs other reasons.

      1. Foxtel making channels available on additional LCNs doesn’t change the amount of bandwidth used (i.e. Sky News on 103 and 600 is only one signal). The only change in bandwidth is the addition of Sky News UK as a linear channel, which I’m not sure how it compares to what Sky Active used. In terms of A-PAC’s HD content, it definitely appeared HD produced but can’t say for sure. In terms of my argument for offering both Sky News Extra & UK in HD, Foxtel wouldn’t have had to pay for more bandwidth as they have cleared plenty in recent years (i.e. Optus wouldn’t have been making any more than before). Seriously wonder how Foxtel can stay in the dark ages and not expand their HD offerings.

  4. It seems that the American CBS and ABC evening news that A-pac used to screen around 10am to 11.30am ish when not broadcasting Parliament have both been dropped completely right? Unless they’ve been ‘hidden’ somewhere else?? Curious if anyone else has found them.

    1. Think of it as a badge of honour that BBC News is not crowded in with the dross that are the Sky/Fox Murdoch fake news channels. Just more rearranging of the deckchairs on a sinking ship.

    2. Yeah, do find it strange to have the news channels split either side of the doco channels (also why A&E + 2 is in with the doco channels instead of the other entertainment + 2 ones).

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