'A very angry little boy' parents shout as nine beloved free TV channels disappear
PARENTS are furious after a number of free children's channels mysteriously disappeared without warning this week.
A total of nine channels were removed from Freesat, including three that were loved by children.
“Why on earth did you delete your channels,” one mother ranted on Facebook.
“A very angry little boy who doesn't understand that we can't watch it on TV anymore!”
The channels that have disappeared from Freesat are:
- POP
- Little DOLL
- POPMax
- AWESOME! TV
- AWESOME! tv+1
- AWESOME! action
- AWESOME! movies
- AWESOME! romance
- AWESOME! romance+1
However, they are still available on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.
It's not clear why the nine disappeared, but Freesat tweeted back to confused viewers, saying: “These channels have been removed from the Freesat platform at the request of Great TV.”
Last week it was announced that the linear Tiny POP channel will close on all linear TV platforms and instead go digital-only via apps, but the announcement didn't include anything about Great TV's other channels.
The Great channels are known for showing classic favorites and films such as Murder, She Wrote, M*A*S*H and The Avengers.
Fans fear there will be “no more channels” after a wave of closures in recent months, including the E! entertainment channel CITV, as well as plans to close the CBBC and BBC Four channels, making them online-only by 2025.
“It looks like Freesat will be completely gone in the next few years,” wrote one concerned viewer.
“Great! TV has magically disappeared from Freesat? No Murder of Sue Thomas diagnosis today…” said another disappointed fan.
“#Freesat is now absolute nonsense!” a third smoked.
“There's more channel choice on Freeview.
“I bought a Freesat box last year because Freeview boxes were virtually impossible to buy.
“It looks like Freesat is being phased out quickly, even though it is a replacement. Freely (over broadband) hasn't even launched yet!”
Do you miss these channels? There is another way you can look
The nine Great TV channels have only disappeared from Freesat – so you'll still find them on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.
Fortunately, you still have access to the channels on other internet platforms.
If you own a Samsung Smart TV, there's a free app called Samsung TV Plus, with loads of channels, including Great TV.
LG and Netgem devices will have it too.
As for the kids channels, they can be watched via the POP Player app on Android and iOS.
Changing times
It comes as the makers of Freeview and Freesat recently announced plans for the next generation of TV delivered to homes over the internet.
Freely will launch sometime from April this year, built into new smart TVs.
Is Freely worth it? Expect many more channels
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Senior Technology and Science Reporter at The Sun
Some corners of the internet believe that a free streaming TV service like Freely has been a long time coming.
Sky paved the way in October 2021 with Sky Glass.
There are some pros and cons to this way of watching TV.
The biggest advantage is that you can have so many more channels than Freeview. Freeview has a limited amount of space, which is why you see some of these strange channels that only air for a few hours a day instead of 24 hours.
Another benefit is that you no longer have to worry about packing your antenna or satellite dish, meaning you don't have to pay for a new kit or someone to install it.
And areas that have long suffered from poor air signals finally have a solution.
However, there are some potential pitfalls: What if the internet goes down? Sky Glass has a backup antenna port if this happens and it looks like Freely wants to offer a similar “hybrid” option.
Internet-based TV services also don't give you the option to record things like you can on digital and satellite – Sky Glass stores programs in the cloud for you, which again presents a problem if the internet goes down.
And while internet speeds are getting faster and more reliable, some rural areas still suffer from poor broadband.