PBS America is to make itself available in all TV homes after reaching a new capacity agreement with Arqiva.
From November 20, PBS will be continue to be available on Channel 91, but a shift of multiplex will allow it to broadcast across the UK.
Its previous home within the Com 7 and Com 8 DVB-T2/MPEG-4 multiplexes has only been able to reach about the half of Freeview homes.
The trade off is a reduction in hours to 13.00 to 23.00. PBS is available 24-hours a day on Sky 174, Virgin Media 273, Freesat 155, My5 and Amazon, all available 24 hours a day.
“This is a big moment for PBS America. For the first time since launch we will be available in all homes across the UK. The channel has been particularly strong on Freeview to date so we are optimistic about the expansion into almost 6 million new homes,” said PBS America General Manager, Richard Kingsbury, “Our PBS supply line means that we are bringing our audience fresh stories whilst PBS values mean that the programming has the kind of depth and tone that many Freeview viewers appreciate.”
The current capacity will be used to create a +1 channel, running 24 hours a day, though may not be permanent. The spectrum used by Com 7 and Com 8 has been earmarked for the launch of new 5G services.
Operator Arqiva is currently managing the migration to other multiplexes.
