List of channels on BFBS TV (Americas)

From ViewersVault
Current BFBS logo

More info: BFBS on Wikipedia

The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides radio and television programmes for Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. Editorial control is independent of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces themselves. It was established by the British War Office (now the Ministry of Defence) in 1943. In 1944, it was managed by Gale Pedrick.

Originally known as the Forces Broadcasting Service (FBS), it was initially under the control of the British Army Welfare Service, with its first effort, the Middle East Broadcasting Unit, with its headquarters in Cairo. Before and after end of the Second World War, various radio stations were set up, some using the FBS name, others using the name British Forces Network (BFN), but by the early 1960s, these had all adopted the BFBS name.

From 1982 until 2020, BFBS formed part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), a registered charity, which is also responsible for the British Defence Film Library, SSVC Cinemas (now BFBS Cinemas), and Combined Services Entertainment (CSE; now BFBS Live Events), providing entertainment for HM Forces around the world. In March 2020, most of the properties under the SSVC umbrella were rebranded under the new BFBS and Forces brandings. On 23 July 2020, SSVC was renamed BFBS. BFBS does not carry commercial advertising.

BFBS Television

BFBS Television started in Celle, near Hanover in the then West Germany, on 18 September 1975 from Trenchard Barracks. This used taped broadcasts from the BBC and ITV, flown to Germany from London, which were then rebroadcast using low-power UHF transmitters. Live broadcasts of news and sport began in 1982, using a microwave link between the UK and West Germany, extending as far east as West Berlin.

The BFBS TV service used the 625-line PAL system, used in the UK as well as West Germany. By 1982, it was available at 50 sites throughout northern and central regions of West Germany.

It was known as SSVC Television (Services Sound and Vision Corporation) between 1985 and 1997, when it reverted to the BFBS name. Today it now broadcasts live via satellite. DVDs are still sent to forces serving in more remote areas. There was also a service known as Navy TV, which broadcasts time-shifted versions of the channel to Royal Navy vessels around the world via military satellite.

All channels below are free-to-air to military personnel and their families. A specific set-top box or viewing card may be required for copyright reasons.

Key

Abbreviation Description
Falkland Is Falkland Islands
Available via cable on said channel number.
Available via satellite on said channel number.
1 Channel is broadcast in HD
1
On this channel instead of channel listed under EPG column. HD channel.
1
On this channel instead of channel listed under EPG column. SD channel.

Channels

All time GMT/BST

EPG Canada Falkland Is - Military Falkland Is - Civilian Channel Logo Owner/Parent company Content from Broadcasting hours
1
BBC One HD BBC BBC One HD 24 hours
2
BBC Two HD
(BFBS version)
BBC CBeebies HD - 04:00-12:00*
CBBC HD - 12:00*-18:00
BBC Two HD - 18:00-04:00

(* Dependent on schedule,
varies between 11:30-12:30)
24 hours
3
ITV1 HD ITV Digital Channels Ltd
(ITV plc)
ITV1 HD
(London)
24 hours
4
BFBS Extra BFBS Sky Showcase,
Sky Witness,
Sky Atlantic,
Sky Max,
Sky Comedy,
Sky Documentaries,
Sky Crime,
Sky History
Sky History2,
Sky Nature,
Sky Arts,
Sky Replay,
E4,
More4,
4seven,
ITV2,
ITV3,
ITV4,
ITVBe,
Comedy Central,
Comedy Central Extra,
National Geographic,
Nat Geo Wild

Also shows independent programming.
24 hours
5
Sky Sports HD
(BFBS version)
Sky plc Sky Sports Main Event HD,
Sky Sports Premier League HD,
Sky Sports Football HD,
Sky Sports Cricket HD,
Sky Sports Golf HD,
Sky Sports F1 HD,
Sky Sports Action HD,
Sky Sports Arena HD,
Sky Sports Racing HD,
Sky Sports News HD,
Sky Sports Mix HD
24 hours


6
TNT Sports HD
(BFBS version)
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe TNT Sports 1 HD,
TNT Sports 2 HD,
TNT Sports 3 HD,
TNT Sports 4 HD
24 hours
7
BFBS Sport HD BBC / Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe / Sky plc BBC Two HD - (BBC Bitesize Daily)1 ,
BBC Two HD - (Sports programmes)2,
Sky Sports Main Event HD,
Sky Sports Premier League HD,
Sky Sports Football HD,
Sky Sports Cricket HD,
Sky Sports Golf HD,
Sky Sports F1 HD,
Sky Sports Action HD,
Sky Sports Arena HD,
Sky Sports Racing HD,
Sky Sports News HD,
Sky Sports Mix HD
TNT Sports 1 HD,
TNT Sports 2 HD,
TNT Sports 3 HD,
TNT Sports 4 HD
24 hours
8
5
Sky News HD Sky plc Sky News HD 24 hours
9
10
11
1
BBC One HD - Delayed BBC BBC One HD delayed to local time 24 hours
12
2
BBC Two HD - Delayed BBC BBC Two HD on channel 2 but delayed to local time 24 hours
13
3
ITV1 HD - Delayed ITV Digital Channels Ltd
(ITV plc)
ITV1 HD delayed to local time 24 hours
14
4
BFBS Extra - Delayed BFBS BFBS Extra - Delayed to local time 24 hours
15
16
17
18 Nepal TV Nepal Television Nepal TV 23:15-05:15
11:15-17:15 (repeat)

Footnotes:

  • 1 - Broadcasts BBC Bitesize Daily for Primary, BBC Bitesize Daily for Secondary and BBC Bitesize Daily from BBC Two HD (Network version in UK) during COVID-19 lockdowns.
(Broadcast between 11:00-16:00, but times and number of episodes vary. Some episodes are simulcasted from BBC Two HD (Network version in UK) dependent of schedule.)
  • 2 - Simulcasts BBC Two HD (Network version in UK) for when sports programmes are on from 04:00-18:00.

External links