Ofcom clears the way for pay TV on Freeview

Media regulator Ofcom has cleared the way for pay TV channels to be carried on the digital terrestrial TV service, Freeview, overturning access restrictions that until now have allowed only subscription-free channels to be carried on the platform.

The move means that subscription-based channels such as Sky One, MTV, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel can now bid for carriage on the 30-channel platform, which is now in almost six million homes. Ofcom said the decision to lift the restriction was influenced by the rapid development of digital terrestrial TV, which is now in more than one in three digital homes.