A number of major channel number changes are to take place in August, with viewers using Freeview, YouView (BT TV, TalkTalk TV, Plusnet TV), EE TV and the Now TV Smart Box affected by the changes.
Subject to any appeals from channel operators, Wednesday 2nd August 2017 has been earmarked by Digital UK, the company responsible for managing channel numbers on terrestrially broadcast services, for the changes. The changes have been announced following a recent consultation with channel and multiplex operators.
Viewers will need to retune on this day to ensure they have the most up-to-date channel list, although some devices, such as YouView and Freeview Play receivers will be able to process most of the changes automatically.
Entertainment and shopping channels will be given more space to expand, with the channel range extending from channel 1-99 and 140-199. Should the current entertainment section need expanding before August, channels will spill over into the children's section with a number allocated in the high 90s.
Children's channels, currently reserved slots between channels 120-129 and 95-99 will move to a new joint range from 200-229.
News channels, currently allocated channel numbers between 130-149 will move up to 230-249.
Text services, currently broadcast from channel 200, move to channel 250-259.
Streamed channels, currently reserved slots between 225 and 299 will be shuffled up and start on channel 260.
Services for BT, TalkTalk, Plusnet TV and EE TV users in the 300-599 range remain unchanged.
Channels 670-699 will be reserved for adult services, with additional markers at the top end to increase the number of clicks a BBC Radio 1 listeners would need to jump from channel 700 to a live adult channel.
For future developments, channels 610 to 669 will be reserved for standard definition TV simulcasts, should in the future HD channels be given more prominent channel numbers. In the meantime, HD channels will continue to be broadcast on their existing channel numbers, with Freeview continuing to offer all main five channels in HD from channel 101 to 105 - the only digital TV provider to offer this.
As has happened on previous occasions, individual channel operators may choose the channel change day to implement further changes and reshuffles among their families of channels, but such information will usually be confirmed closer to the day, or on the day itself.