BBC UK regional TV on satellite

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Since 30 May 2003^[1] the BBC has provided all of the BBC One and BBC Two regional variations on the UK digital satellite service, providing local news inserts and (outside England) regional presentation. Because England and Scotland are countries in their own right, Wales is a principality and Northern Ireland is a province (see also Provinces of Ireland)^[2], technically only the English devision are regions, and UK wide programming is referred to as national or network^[3].

For Sky Digital subscribers, ex-subscribers or those with Freesat from Sky cards in their decoder the 'correct' local version will appear on channels 101 and 102. To watch other regional services the viewer chooses the channel numbers listed below.^[4]. Those using a Sky Digibox without any card are treated as being in London.^[3]

Non-Sky Digital satellite parameters for the Astra 2D system are also available.^[5]

1 BBC regional news and satellite channel numbers
- 1.1 BBC One
- 1.2 BBC Two
2 History
3 References
4 See also

[edit] BBC regional news and satellite channel numbers

[edit] BBC One

[edit] England

Local inserts weekdays at 6:28, 6:58, 7:28, 7:58, 8:28, 8:58, 13:30-13:40, 15:28, 18:30-19:00 and 22:25-22:35 and at the end of weekend network news programmes.^[6]

(BM) Midlands Today (West Midlands, Birmingham) 979
(MR) North West Tonight (Manchester) 978
(HL) Look North (East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire, Hull) 977
(LS) Look North (Yorkshire & North Midlands, Leeds) 976
(NO) East Midlands Today (Nottingham) 980
(NC) Look East (East, Norwich) 981
(CB) Look East (East (West), Cambridge) 982
(BS) Points West (Bristol) 986
(TW) South East Today (Tunbridge Wells) 983
(SO) South Today (Southampton) 984
(PY) Spotlight (Plymouth) 987
(NT) Look North (North East & Cumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne) 975
(OX) South Today (Oxford) 985
(LDN) BBC London (London) 974

[edit] Rest of UK

Times as England plus some additional localised programming and rescheduled network programs.

Scotland: BBC One Scotland, Reporting Scotland 971
Wales: Wales Today 972
Northern Ireland: BBC Newsline 973

[edit] Elsewhere

Opt-out from Plymouth: Channel Islands: Spotlight Channel Islands 988

Also note that North West Tonight from Manchester also covers the Isle of Man although there is no island-specific opt out.

[edit] BBC Two

Scotland has regional programming such as Newsnight Scotland (Monday-Thursday) 23:00-23:20. BBC 2W has its own schedule from 20:30-22:00. Northern Ireland also has regional programming.

England: 989
Scotland: 990
Wales: BBC 2W 991
Northern Ireland: BBC Two Northern Ireland 992

[edit] History

From the launch of digital satellite on 1 October 1998 until 31 March 2001, only a national BBC One service for England was carried on digital satellite, with a special UK Today programme being shown instead of regional news.

Announced by the BBC on 16 October 2001^[7] and operating from 28 January 2002 until 29 May 2003 the transponder space previously used for the BBC One England service, BBC Choice Scotland, BBC Choice Wales and BBC Choice Northern Ireland was reallocated to the five largest English regions: BBC London News, South Today, Midlands Today, North West Tonight and Look North (for Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), 'covering 70% of England’s population', ^[8] and were accessed 'using new interactive technology'.^[9]