In November 2014 Ofcom announced its decision to reallocate some of the airwaves used by Freeview to be used for mobile services. This spectrum change will be made to meet the predicted increase in demand for mobile data.

This change will mean that some Freeview channels will need to move to new frequencies, this process is known as 700MHz clearance.

The next stage of this process will take place on the 5th February 2020 and impact:
 

• The Emley Moor, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Belmont & Tacolneston transmitters

If you receive your TV signal directly from either of these main transmitters we advise you to do a quick retune of your YouView box to ensure you receive all of your Freeview channels (including BBC standard definition (SD), ITV, Channel 4 and 5) after this date. If you are not sure what transmitter you are using you can check using the coverage checker on the Digital UK website (click on ‘Detailed View’ before searching to see your specific transmitter!).

The changes to the Emley Moor, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Belmont & Tacolneston transmitters will change the transmission of a number of Freeview channels. You will need to retune on the 5th February 2020, you may receive a YVM302 error code on screen when trying to view these channels.

Find out more about the changes happening.

If you can’t see your Freeview channels after doing a retune please get in touch with the Freeview Advice Line on 0808 100 0288 for help (you can also visit freeview.co.uk/tvchanges for support information).

If you live in Sheffield you may have noticed the loss of some HD and +1 channels. This is due to the planned closure of the COM7 and COM8 multiplexes at the Sheffield main transmitter. Viewers who receive their signal from this transmitter will no longer receive any of the channels broadcast on COM7 and COM8.

Many of the services closing are +1 or HD variants, and the main versions (SD) will still be available in addition to catch-up services (including in HD on BBC iPlayer).