Message Boards

We have just converted to Digital TV and were really enjoying your programmes in the evening, when suddenly they had gone. No announcement or warning was given and we thought it was thoughtless of the channel management to treat their viewers in this way. It seems to us that with viewers still converting, the judgement to reduce the hours to daytime only
was premature and should be reviewed urgently.
We want a return to the status quo NOW.

If you want to yell and holler at UKTV, don't really use the messageboard, go onto the entire site part, and send them a message on contact us...I'll send one for you annoyed one's what no longer have the channel.

Tx Les2 for that info. Though as you say - how long might we end up waiting? Ah well, back to the books....!

Les2, I had a response via e/mail from the chaps at UKTV History, twice in fact but the same answer each time, they say that Dave channel is for a wider spectrum of customer and they know we are disappionted and understand our upset and are making every effort to restore history channel at peak times, lets hope they try very hard and click the switch, thanks guys do not wait to long otherwise we will be History.

One other thing. Does anyone with clout at UKTV History read these messageboards? It would be helpful - and effective customer service - if someone with clout did respond to this concern, and thus show potential viewers they are actually keeping up with their viewing audience and their immediate opinions and concerns. COME ON THAT "SOMEONE WITH CLOUT" - GIVE US A RESPONSE!

I agree with all of the above. I was very distressed when evening schedule disappeared completely as it's often the only time I can watch many of the programmes available. If it was due to low ratings in the evenings - as suggested above by Alex W - then I agree with his comments on short-sighted policy given ever-increasing options now available to TV viewers. PLEASE BRING BACK FULL SCHEDULE - there are fewer and fewer informative programmes available now amongst the flood of dumbed down programmes. COME BACK UKTV HISTORY - WE NEED & WANT YOU.

I have read that the decision to pull UKTV History from Freeview's evening schedule was made because of poor ratings. I would make two comments. Firstly, in the multi-channel world there are bound to be some channels operating on very low audience figures: in that sense the argument qua ratings no longer obtains; after all, with a stable such as UKTV's, there are other channels to fall back on. They (and Freeview) can presumably still turn a profit, even if only one man and his dog are watching UKTV History.

The second, and major, problem with the ratings argument is that it is based on a self-fulfilling prophecy: every time a channel changes, so do people's perceptions of what other people watch; show less quality material, and the public will demand less quality material. Hence we end up with a dumber Britain. The public good ought to drive programming, not ratings.

Alex

I am still not sure why this channel was taken from Freeview in the evenings. Has anyone found out why or can the powers that be let us know. I for one would love to see its return in the evenings as I work all day.

It would be nice to see the return of the UKTV History channel to 12 or 19, because I like many others are at work in the daytime, is there a good reason this was removed from airtime. If anyone wishes to watch the Dave channel fine, but please give us back History programme in the evenings.