Everyone TV

BBC Ends Radio 4 Long Wave Broadcasts

The BBC has confirmed that Radio 4 broadcasts on long wave will end on June 27, 2026, with the full closure of the long wave platform on June 30, 2026. No programming will be removed; Radio 4 will continue to be available on FM, DAB digital radio, the BBC Sounds app and website, smart speakers, Freeview and satellite services. The service historically used 198 kHz from the Droitwich transmitting station with support from Burghead and Westerglen; long wave broadcasting dates back to the 1920s and Radio 4 assumed the allocation in 1978. The BBC says aging third-party-owned infrastructure has reached end of life and replacement would require disproportionate capital, and it has run an extended transition program — including on-air notices, help pages and targeted support for vulnerable listeners. The Shipping Forecast will continue on standard Radio 4 platforms; maritime safety communications remain the responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Freely launches Spotlight Channels with Hisense VIDAA

Freely, the UK free‑to‑air streaming joint venture tied to BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, announced a feature called Spotlight Channels that lets CTV operating-system partners embed up to 11 FAST channels directly inside Freely’s live TV guide. V (formerly VIDAA), the OS inside Hisense TVs, is the launch partner. The move is framed as a platform architecture decision: rather than simply expanding content, Freely aims to turn its guide layer into a buildable surface that delivers distribution reach and advertising inventory while letting OS partners retain underlying FAST businesses. The article compares the model to aggregator plays in the U.S. (Roku, Amazon), where the aggregator exposes a navigation layer, captures ad revenue and audience signals, and uses distribution to deepen platform lock‑in. Publication date: 2026-04-21.

Freely Launches Spotlight Channels for CTV OS FAST Apps

Freely, the UK streaming service run by Everyone TV that aggregates BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 content, has launched 'Spotlight Channels'. The initiative lets CTV operating system partners embed up to eleven of their own FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels into Freely’s live TV Guide interface. Channel slots 31 and 90–99 are reserved for Spotlight Channels. V (formerly VIDAA) is a launch partner and will add several channels to Freely on Hisense (VIDAA-powered) TVs later in 2026. Everyone TV says the feature gives CTV OS partners extra advertising monetization and a way to promote FAST channels. The move aims to foster closer distribution ties between Freely and CTV OS owners amid ongoing platform availability gaps (notably Samsung and LG) and regulatory attention from Ofcom.