Robbie Williams on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
On Friday 6th November Robbie Williams will be
reacquainting himself with the famous Friday Night with Jonathan Ross sofa
as he gives an exclusive interview ahead of the release of his new album.
In a first for the show the 15-time Brit award winner will be performing
two tracks with a further three made available for digital viewers on BBC
Red Button immediately after the programme.
6th November, following Friday Night until 4am
Repeated 7th November, 8pm - 4am (Sky & Virgin), 1.50am - 4am (Freeview)
(not available on Freesat)
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Earlier this week, our comments login system changed to use the new BBC iD. Hopefully you've managed to update your details.
Next week BBC iD will be rolled out on the rest of the BBC's blogs, and over on the BBC Internet Blog, Ian Hunter, explains more about the changes and why they are being made:
BBC iD is the new sign in system for BBC Online. It's currently being rolled out across all services that require a user to register or sign in.
On Monday November 2nd we'll be switching all of the BBC's blogs to BBC iD from the previous BBC membership system. And in the New Year our message boards and other communities will be heading down the same route.
Read more and comment at the BBC Internet Blog
If you comment on this blog then you may notice some changes. This is because the login system used for the comments is changing to a new BBC sign in system called BBC iD.
BBC iD is already in use on some other services, including the BBC iPlayer message board. All the BBC's blogs will be upgrading next week, and a small number of blogs, including Press Red, are upgrading this week to allow the technical team to ensure everything works smoothly.
If you've not registered with BBC iD before, you will be prompted to do so when you sign in. The process is relatively simple - just follow the instructions on screen.
Once you've upgraded your account, you will be able to comment on this blog as normal. Your old login will also continue to work as normal for other BBC services that have not yet been migrated.
There will be more information on BBC iD on the BBC Internet Blog later this week. In the meantime do leave your feedback in the comments below.
Ben Gallop writes
Next week the BBC will be making some changes to the Freeview service which will have an impact on our sports coverage.
My colleague Rahul Chakkara, who runs the red button platform for the BBC, has explained on his blog that High Definition is being launched on Freeview.
We know from the feedback we get that HD is increasingly popular with sports fans and this development will mean that even more viewers get to watch BBC Sport's big events in the best possible quality. Next year promises to be a big year for sport - the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Open golf will all now be broadcast in HD on Freeview.
Read more and comment on the Sport Editors' Blog
It's been a few days now since I posted the news that on Tuesday 27th October we'll be closing two of the interactive streams on the BBC Red Button on Freeview to make way for free-to-air HD coming to the platform. Lots of you have commented with a wide range of opinions and I wanted to get back to you on a few of the main topics.
Firstly I can absolutely understand why some of you disagree with these changes. It affects the content you love to watch, and I want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can in conjunction with our colleagues in Sport to schedule events to ensure that we try and accommodate all the major sporting events on Freeview; that we continue to provide schedule information online and this is made available to TV listings magazines to help you know when which sport is on and to remind you that BBC Sport video available via the Red Button is also available on BBC Online/Sport.
During major events we will also look to free up bandwidth available to the BBC across Freeview as we did during the Summer Olympics in 2008.
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Pete Clifton writes...
As you may have read elsewhere, the BBC and other broadcasters are currently working to provide HD channels on Freeview.
Nothing comes for free though, and inevitably, this means that the BBC's existing Freeview service has had to change to help accommodate HD.
It's been a busy time for Freeview users, with them recently being asked to re-tune their TVs or set-top boxes as part of a country-wide rearrangement of broadcast transmissions. Now at the end of October, the BBC will have less room to broadcast interactive TV on Freeview. More details on this are provided here.
For BBC News, this means that we're no longer going to be able to provide one of our services.
The News Multiscreen, which we've been broadcasting on Freeview for a number of years now, will close on Tuesday 27 October 2009.
Read more and comment on The Editors Blog
As Controller of the BBC Red Button service, I have to look at what's available for viewers on the service and balance it with the BBC's full digital aspirations. This sometimes means I have to make hard decisions about what we do and what we can offer to our audience.
From October 27th, Freeview viewers will see some changes to the BBC Red Button service that is part of a government backed UK strategy to bring HD broadcast channels to a wider audience, first announced by Ofcom back in 2008.
In order to make space for HD broadcasts in the future we need to now switch off two of the three interactive streams we use to deliver BBC content on Freeview. This means that Freeview viewers will no longer be able to see the BBC News Multiscreen and the interactive stream (known as 302) will also cease to be used for Red Button content.
So what does that mean for you watching on Freeview? Well, we will still bring you coverage of sport, music and entertainment events like Wimbledon, Winter Olympics and Glastonbury.
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Here's our fortnightly look at what's coming up under the red button...
BBC Electric Proms 09
BBC Electric Proms returns for a fourth year
on October 20th, with a new format based around the BBC's four popular music
networks. Radio 1, Radio 2, 1xtra and 6 Music will each host days at the
festival, with the programming based around each station's musical playlists
and featuring headline acts: Robbie Williams, Dizzee Rascal with a live
band and orchestra, Doves with the London Bulgarian Choir, as well as Dame
Shirley Bassey and Smokey Robinson both with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Digital viewers can watch these festival headline performances unfold on
BBC Red Button between 21st and 31st October.
In addition, Sky & Virgin Media viewers will also be able to see Florence
and the Machine performing as part of the New Music Shorts initiative. Seminal
Manchester band Magazine will be gracing the Main Space with Doves, while
the finest UK Hip Hop, RnB, Garage, Dancehall and Drum & Bass will be
represented at 1xtra's After Party.
A profile of the headline artists and the New Music Shorts initiative can
also be seen on BBC Red Button from 7.30pm on 18th October, until the evening
of Tuesday 20th October.
Previews: Saturday 17th - Monday 19th October
Multiscreen & Highlights: Tuesday 20th - Saturday 31st October
Sky, Virgin & Freeview*
(not available on Freesat)
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Since our Red Button blog appeared you have been great at feeding back to us about what you like and don't like; what works well and what doesn't and we've enjoyed the fact that you want the best out of the Red Button service as much as we do!
Now you have the chance to tell others how you feel and to influence what we do in 2010 and beyond!
The BBC Trust, the BBC's governing body, is holding a public consultation about BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Red Button. Go to BBC Trust website to have your say.
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Here's our fortnightly look at what's coming up under the red button...
Numberjacks Quiz
The Numberjacks are CBeebies own animated superheroes
and they like nothing better than solving mathematical problems!
Now for the first time they're dropping in to BBC Red Button to help younger
viewers develop their maths skills, knowledge and understanding.
Children are invited to grab their remote controls and watch clips from
the CBeebies show. A question follows each of the ten clips which viewers
can answer by pressing either red or blue button.
How well will you do?
There's only one way to find out... press your red button!
The Numberjacks quiz will be available every day from 6am to 7pm. Freeview
and Sky viewers will soon be able to visit the Numberjacks from within the
new CBeebies Red Button service meaning all your favourite CBeebies games
and features will be available in one place.
Sunday 11th - Friday 16th October, 6am - 7pm
Sky, Virgin & Freeview
(not available on Freesat)
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