Discovery content leaves Top Up TV

Content from Discovery and Discovery Real Time is no longer available on Top Up TV Anytime. Downloads from the broadcaster ceased on June 30, and the channel logos were finally removed from the EPG today. To compensate lovers of factual programmes, content from National Geographic will temporarily be doubled to 12 hours a week.

Create & Craft launches on Freeview

Shopping channel Create & Craft has appeared on Freeview channel 36. Officially launching on Monday 6 June, it is being carried in a brand new slot (the eighth) on multiplex D, and will broadcast between 08:00 and 13:00. The new slot will also be used by The Soviet Propaganda Channel Russia Today to broadcast between 18:00 and 22:00. There is no indication so far as to what other channels or services will make use of the spare capacity.

34. ESPN
35. Virgin 1+1
36. Create & Craft

89.6% of UK homes have digital

Ofcom's quarterly Digital Television Update has revealed that 89.6% of UK households now have access to digital television on at least one set, and 61% have it on second or third sets, too. 3.4 million DTT receivers were sold in the first three months of the year, of which 2.5 million were integrated digital sets. In total, 9.8 million homes now use Freeview as their main source of digital telly.

Create & Craft to join Freeview

Tat-peddling shopping channel Ideal World is to start broadcasting a new live service on Freeview. From July 1, Create & Craft will be available on channel 36, broadcasting five hours of live programming every weekday between 08:00 and 13:00. As yet, its unclear where the capacity for this new channel will come from, and what other channels (if any) will be sharing the slot.

Freeview HD launch date set

The BBC has announced that the first high definition broadcasts on Freeview will begin on December 2. Initially only available from the Winter Hill transmitter (serving Manchester and Liverpool), HD services will then be rolled out across the country as the necessary transmission equipment is upgraded. Viewers will need to purchase brand-new receivers to watch HD-DTT channels, which will be using new, more efficient transmission standards.

ESPN begins broadcasting on DTT

ESPN America has started broadcasting on DTT channel 34, in place of star-crossed sports channel Setanta, which closed all British operations yesterday after being put into administration. The channel is currently only available to view to "current" Setanta and Top Up TV subscribers. According to Top Up TV, you can also start a new "subscription" to the channel, initially free of charge, provided you have the necessary equipment.

Setanta ceases broadcasting

Setanta Sports has been put into administration. Following the appointment of administrators this afternoon, all Setanta-branded channels in Great Britain, including Setanta Sports 1 (channel 34) ceased broadcasting at 18:00 today. Subscribers watching on DTT are advised, via an on-screen message, to visit setantainfo.com, a website operated by Top Up TV; here, they are asked to register their details in order to receive information about any future "replacement sports service".

Some sort of switchover report published

Consumer Focus, who are presumably a consumer rights group or some such, have published a report into the digital switchover programme in the Border region. In general, it went quite well: there were reception issues in the sticks, and a lot of householders who can only receive the public service broadcasters' channels were a little bit peeved at not being able to receive the full Freeview service.

Setanta on the brink

Setanta has lost all its English Premier League football matches to ESPN, and looks set to lose the rights to the Scottish Premier League to Sky, effectively signalling the end of the beleaguered sports broadcaster (and possibly the presence of premium sport content on DTT). Although ESPN have hinted at making their coverage available on as many platforms as possible, there's virtually no chance of Sky doing the same.

Update: ESPN plans to launch a new premium channel to carry its content; a carriage deal has already been struck with Sky, and the broadcaster is in negotiations with Virgin Media and BT Vision. A selection of games will also be broadcast in high definition.

Setanta stripped of Premier League rights

Financially-troubled broadcaster Setanta Sports has been stripped of the rights to broadcast premiership football next season by the Premier League. The channel's owners were unable to make a £30million payment for next season's games today, thus defaulting on their deal. The rights have been put up for sale to other broadcasters with immediate effect. Sky is not allowed to bid for all 46 games, due to competition laws, but could grab half of them. ESPN is widely-tipped to pick up the remainder.

The news comes just hours after the possibility of a merger with Top Up TV was reported. It is as yet unclear if this deal has fallen through or remains on the table.