What is the purpose of ITV3+1 & ITV4+1?

[Dave F.]

Hi
What is the purpose of ITV3+1 & ITV4+1?
Its usefulness has gradually diminished.
Used to have full +1 schedule, then went to having the occasional Midsomer Murder (which hadn't necessarily been broadcast on ITV3).
Now it's just 'Programmes start at 4am' & 'Shopping from home.'

Is the reason costs? If so why have it at all?

 

[prpr]

LCN squatting seems to be the primary function of these useless services.
It should be disallowed, but the hopeless regulator lets these outfits essentially do what they like.

 

[EEPhil]

Didn't itv3+1 timeshare with CITV originally? When it was available 6pm until midnight it was useful, although ITV had a habit of either scheduling long programmes that cut off before the end or they ran late with the same effect. When CITV ran until 9pm (why?) it was still occasionally useful. Now it's a waste of space.
I can't remember there ever being any real programming on ITV4+1.

LCN squatting seems to be the primary function of these useless services.
It should be disallowed, but the hopeless regulator lets these outfits essentially do what they like.

Couldn't agree more
If only the adult channels and some or all shopping channels vanished then maybe some of the squatters could be full +1 channels or, preferably, new channels.

 

[Rodders53]

The ITV N +1s seem to have a full schedule on Freesat according to my Foxsat-HDR therefore also on $ky, I expect... Possibly on Virgin cable, too. Albeit only SD format, but for how much longer ITV will keep them gong I have no idea.

Freeview it's a lack of capacity and selling that to higher bidders to some extent. A switch to -T2 and newer encoder technology could fix that if the broadcasters really wanted to keep such +1 channels?