Blow as five popular Channel 4 Freeview channels disappear overnight

Freeview and Freesat TV users have been hit hard this week as five Channel 4 channels disappeared overnight. Both Freeview, the UK's standard free-to-air digital TV service integrated into all TVs sold in the UK, and Freesat, the satellite service that can add more channels to your TV at no extra cost using a satellite dish, have seen their total channel numbers drop after five Channel 4 channels were abruptly removed this week.

An update to Freeview and Freesat TVs and boxes has resulted in Channel 4 removing The Box, Magic, Kerrang, 4Music and Kiss. This removal of the long-standing music TV channels has disappointed fans of the offerings, which included R'n'b favourite Kiss and rock and metal station Kerrang, reports the Express.

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Kerrang played its final ever track - Thanks For the Memories by Fall Out Boy - just before midnight on Monday, marking the permanent shutdown of the channels. These music stations have been broadcasting in some form since 1992.

A Channel 4 spokesperson stated: "As we announced earlier this year as part of Channel 4's digital-first Fast Forward strategy, we will be closing our Box network of channels from 1 July across all platforms - as they are no longer of sufficient scale to deliver meaningful return on investment."

"Our strategy reflects the generational shift in TV viewing and involves reducing costs particularly in linear activities - to allow us to invest in digital priorities and stay competitive in a world of global entertainment conglomerates and social media giants."

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