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Press Releases
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD launches on Freesat
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From today, viewers have a new way of getting ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD – the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s
high definition channel – as it launches on Freesat, the new
subscription-free satellite service.
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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD showcases some of the best of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s drama,
entertainment, sport, performance and factual programmes from
across all other ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ channels.
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The channel broadcasts for four
hours a day on weekdays and six hours a night on weekends, with
flexibility to extend hours during key live events.
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Seetha Kumar, Head of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD, says: "Today marks an exciting and
significant development for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD. Freesat offers viewers a new
way of watching the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s HD output, complementing the existing
services on Sky and Virgin Media.
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"2008 represents our most
ambitious year yet with the channel being extended throughout the
summer to cover the Beijing Olympics, Euro 2008 finals,
Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Proms, so we're really pleased
that viewers have even more choice to watch these events in
fantastic high definition."
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Other upcoming programmes on the channel include Wild China, Who
Do You Think You Are?, Strictly Come Dancing, Torchwood, Heroes,
Little Dorrit, and the BAFTA-winning Gavin And Stacey.
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The Freesat announcement comes as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ confirmed it will
extend ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD's hours to five hours daily in September and
eventually to nine hours, as the number of programmes made in HD
increases.
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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has already announced an aspiration towards
moving as many programmes as possible to HD over the next decade,
having already doubled the total number of hours of HD
programming from 583 in 2006 to more than 1,000 in 2008/9.
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Notes to Editors
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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD can be found at the following EPGs –
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Sky: 143
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Virgin: 108
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Freesat: 108.
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More information, including how to get ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ HD and schedules for
the channel, can be found at bbc.co.uk/bbchd.
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MO2
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