Why are the hours on UK History TV as regards Freeview being reduced?

UKTV History has always had full advertising throughout the day, so PLEASE bring back all day broadcasting. Listen to us viewers! It is my favourite channel, and many of my friends and family - of all ages - enjoy your programmes. Please bring back all evening broadcasts, I work in the day and used to really enjoy UKTV History.

Forget it!! They're not going to listen to anyone. It's all about money and the all important profit. And as anyone will tell you profits are always more important than customers. Unfortunately for Freeview users we don't have the option to switch over to another education channel (except maybe BBC4, but they really cater for a slightly different audience) Unfortunately there is little we can do about it. To large companies, customers mean very little. To prove this, have you heard from Jane H since she came out with her bit. In fact have you actually heard from ANYONE from UKTV to explain the full situation. Nope!! And the Managing director is remaining quiet. So I think UKTV are doing what every other large company do when they make a bad decision - Shove it under the carpet and hope that everyone forgets about it and that it all blows over eventually.

Bob, I'm inclined to agree with you. The decision, as bad as it is, has been made by UKTV. Unfortunately, we Freeview viewers will have little choice at the end of the day but to accept it.

In the ideal world, I would like UKTV to admit that they have made a serious error here by scrapping the evening schedule on Freeview in favour of transmitting "Dave" all-day, but as this is the real world, I can't see it happening - nor the evening UKTVH schedule on Freeview being restored any time soon.

UKTV's reaction to our posts says it all. They are simply not interested in what the viewers think of the change. We've expressed our views, they won't take them on board. There is little more that we can do.

Really, REALLY disappointed to see UKTV History disappear from evening viewing schedules... I haven't had a chance yet to look for an explanation of why it's gone. If it's because the channel was genuinely making a loss, then I suppose I'll have to live with it. I accept that UKTV have to make a profit (with the caveat that I also expect them to be efficient at what they do). However, if it's an editorial-type decision, then it must be misguided. We have watched UKTV History often - but after work in the evenings! From discussions with family, friends and colleagues, they must watch it often too. The mix of fact and historical fiction was hugely engaging. (And although we watched some of it, I'm not sure that the all the natural history was a natural fit). I'm going to miss this more than losing all the sport from terrestrial TV to Sky!

This change might inspire me to buy a PVR to record UKTV history during the day.

Sorry Nev!! I think you misread me. I did not say we should accept it. That's exactly what they want you to do. Like I said UKTV is acting like any other large company when they make a bad decision. They'll sweep it under the carpet, keep quiet, hope that everyone eventually forgets and that it all blows over. What I'm saying is that we CANNOT let them forget. We must register our displeasure every day. It might take a while, but they should eventually realise that we are not going to go away like good little children. No matter what they do we will remain until they switch back to normal. The only thing that Dave is any good for is QI (which I quite like) but as for the rest I wouldn't give you 5p for the rest of the programs.

I am truely disgusted that UKTV History is only going to broadcast during the day! It was practically the only channel worth watching! What a load of short sighted plonkers!

Bob, since the evening UKTVH schedule on Freeview was dropped there hasn't been a single day this week without complaints by the barrowload. That says a lot about public feeling on this issue, plus the fact that many viewers wouldn't have known about the change in broadcasting hours on Freeview until they sat down to watch Monday night's programmes. Very very sneaky if you ask me!

Actually this time I'll have to leap to the defence of UKTV. They did actually give warnings about this a couple of weeks before it happened. It was usually between the programs with that "....days in history" bit. But I must agree that it was a rather confusing advert. I was wondering why they were claiming to extend the programming, when they were actually cutting it way back.

I actually got a response from Jim Tanner of UKTV, as follows .........

Hi,

Thanks for your e-mail.

UKTV History is changing its broadcasting hours on Freeview to 7am-6pm.

UKTV provides a range of high quality channels in the entertainment, factual and lifestyle genres. We are a commercial venture funded by subscription revenues from the Virgin Media and Sky pay TV platforms and by advertising.

In order to maximise our investment into our portfolio of channels we need to continually explore ways of increasing our income, of which
advertising constitutes the largest part. As the biggest and
fastest-growing platform, Freeview offers us the greatest opportunity to grow our audience share which in turn drives advertising revenue.
Whilst we have very many loyal UKTV History fans whom we value hugely, based on viewing behaviour to our various channels in pay homes, we believe that Dave will attract an even larger audience in Freeview.

Regards,

UKTV History

So, it looks as though 'Dave' is the way forward

I'm another who has registered simply in order to complain about the schedule changes. The management must be sure that Dave will bring in a large new audience, because they have apparently lost a large chunk of their previous audience. This was one of the best 'grown up' channels for evening viewing, together with the news channels. So now I will be spending more time at the keyboard, and less time watching tv.

We'll just have to see if there are more grown-ups than Daves out there!

I too am really unhappy about the changes to UKTVHistory. My son aged 9 is devastated. He loves history and has been watching for while after he has finished his homework and eaten most nights, as long as the programme is suitable. We have noticed that it tends to repeat programmes every few months. Perhaps you would have higher viewing figures for the channel if you found some new programmes. But it is presumably cheaper to show repeats of old comedy programmes from several years ago on Dave than do that. We will certainly boycot Dave and other UKTV channels. We understand that others may like it, if they are looking for this kind of entertainment but we will be switching off to read a book instead. Have a thought about those of us who like to feed our brains.

Could UKTV History viewers get any more patronising? The keep seeming to brag about how more intellectual and 'grown-up' they are (almost as though they feel insecure about it) compared to EVERYBODY ELSE who watches TV. Just because you watch a history channel over an entertainment channel it does not automatically mean that you are intelligent. No need to be so snobbish about it.

Who is this WORLD_RULER. World loser more like. Just because people are complaining about the loss of a brilliant informative tv station does not make them any more intellectual or snobbish than the next person. Every one has the right to complain if they are aggrieved. Are you sure you are not employed by UKTV? I think you should change your name to DAVE, thats rubbish as well.

If all Freeviewers boycott UKTV History and DAVE perhaps the advertisers will get the message and advise the programme producers to revise their decision.

I think that people will not have to boycot the Dave channel as it is that bad that no one will watch it. How can uktv get it so wrong It seems that most of if not all of the posts on this board are of the same feeling. I can not stand any of the shows that they are putting on dave. And since when has Top gear be a history program. COME ON UKTV GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. Oh and world ruler how dare you say things like that some of us may not be up to your intelect but as rich35 points out we all have the right to complain. I bet you have the full sky package. anyway i feel much better for my rant

Hi again.

What WILL it take to get the programing back in the evenings (only time I can watch) maybe a petition, flood their email address with complaints, make it sensible or it just goes in the bin folks.
Watch this space.
D. P. in Lincolnshire.