³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

I'm not sure what the fuss is, the whole idea seems to make perfect sense to me.

I personally think its a great idea - if only we could a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ sport channel full time, to compete with Sky Sports, and complement the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News Channel.

Seems like a perfectly good idea. It's just bandwidth after all, and it's somewhat wasted when there's no parliament in session.

I don't really watch much sport, but I'll probably see the odd bit of the Olympics, so having more choice on Freeview is great.

Seems like a sensible plan - it's summer after all, Parliament isn't sitting, as you yourselves admit, you'd only be showing looped 'repeats'. Anyone who tries to claim that sport is winning over is probably not looking at the detail.

Can we have ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Paliament for half the day and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport the rest of the time? Then minority sports might get some airtime rather than just football and snooker. Could we have some cricket back, too.

It's not entirely an original idea. In the USA, the NBC-owned cable networks have cut their own programs out to air the Olympics.
I still think it's a good idea though.

"If Parliament were recalled in the event of a national crisis, of course the channel would be back on air on Freeview, straight away."

Can we have a binding guarantee of this please?

just run the re-runs anything is more interesting than the olympics

isuport the idea on allowing bbc using parliament channel for the olympics!

"channel has been averaging a monthly reach of 1.3 million so far this year"

A little generous.. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament has NEVER managed a viewing share of 0.1% in the whole time it has been on air, according to BARB.

Yes, the Guardian missed the point that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament stream will close on Freeview, with the bandwidth going to a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳i stream.

I have to say that I agree that ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳i Sport should be promoted to a proper '³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport' channel, simply supplemented by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News sports service when no live sport is being aired.

The channel could then be off-aired when the bandwidth is needed (on Freeview) for live music or other interactive services.

Personally looking forward to HD Olympics on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD on Freesat!

If there is any HD coverage of the Olympics it will only be available to Sky customers. That's all I know.

"If there is any HD coverage of the Olympics it will only be available to Sky customers. That's all I know."

Maimonides - that isn't true. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ HD Channel (which will include HD Olympics) is also available on Freesat - the new free to air satellite service from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and ITV.

You just need to get a Freesat box and plug it in to your dish.

If there's going to be a dedicated Olympics channel, does that mean the other channels won't be showing sport so that those people who have no interest in the Olympics can still get their licence fee's worth?

I did wonder how long it would take before the petty "I don't like Sport" arguments would start. It's a channel providing extra coverage, in addition to the coverage on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳1/2.

Jonathan (#13), you do realise that there are a lot of us who pay our license fee to watch sport and have "no interest" in vast swathes of the other ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ programming, which we have to 'put up with'. Don't see us complaining though!

In a earlier dispatch, i forgot to mention, that...

Thanks ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for covering the up-coming conventions...

Now which games will be more exciting and for which will the outcome matter to the world more, the games in Beijing or the games in Denver? The games in Westminster never matter and are never exciting. Nothing of importance ever happens in Westminster. zzzzzzzzzz

MarcusAureliusII (No.16) I've watched Westminster games a few times, and they can be quite interesting. The trick is, to not care about the subject matter of debate (that is, the UK), but to score points to MPs for repetition of argument, ignoring anyone else, wilful ignorance, complete lack of awareness of a world outside Westminster and anything else you can think of. Occasionally you get some spoil sport who actually cares about the UK, and may even think! I tend to feel sorry for them and hope that they'll get out of parliament and start doing something useful instead. Be that as it may, they're quickly put down by the better players, so they don't spoil the sport for that long.

Showing the Olympics on the Parliament Channel seems like a great, and sensible, idea.

On another note, presumably by Whit Week you mean Spring Bank Holiday half term week? Whit Week, being the week which follows Whitsunday, is already long gone, as Easter was early this year.

Here, here, badgercourage-- I think it's perfectly sensible for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ to cover the Olympics when Parliament is in recess, but let's see a real commitment to sport by showing all of the major four, including cricket. It's the fourth most popular sport nationwide, yet the only ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV coverage was highlights of the World Cup- no test matches! At least bid for the rights this time!

BrightonStevie
I watched the Westminster Kennel Club dog show a few times. Do they show that on the Parliament Channel too? Last week I wached "Gordo" as I now call him deliver his speech on the Government's Legislative Program and considering how disruptive and disrespectful the MPs were to the point where the Speaker had to stop the proceedings several times to ask them to be quiet, I must say that IMO on the whole the dogs were much better behaved.

@Jordan D: evidently you failed to detect the irony in my previous comment. No-one in their right mind would believe the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ would free up their standard channels for non-Olympic programming.

Many people have no interest in sport, and others won't be watching the Olympics this year as we disapprove of the Chinese regime having an opportunity to spread their propaganda, 1936-style. Fortunately, it being the summer, we'll have much better things to be doing than sitting in front of the TV. It's a pity you don't.

Revised my earlier comments:

I support the idea of allowing ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament channel for the olympics....Since, in that time of year, the Parliament is in Summer Holidays and for, the Conventions because they are news worthy events....

~Dennis Junior~