Television channel

A television channel, or TV channel, is a

ATSC (8VSB

). Channels may be shared by many different television stations or cable-distributed channels depending on the location and service provider

Depending on the multinational

transmissions. ISDB, used in Japan and Brazil

, has a similar segmented mode.

Preventing interference between terrestrial channels in the same area is accomplished by skipping at least one channel between two analog stations'

location. For DTT, selectivity is inherently better, therefore channels adjacent (either to analog or digital stations) can be used even in the same area

.

Other meanings

Commonly, the term television channel is used to mean a

television network, which otherwise (in its technical use above) describes a group of geographically-distributed television stations that share affiliation/ownership

and some or all of their programming with one another. This terminology may be muddled somewhat in other jurisdictions, for instance Europe, where terrestrial channels are commonly mapped from physical channels to common numerical positions (i.e. BBC One does not broadcast on any particular channel 1 but is nonetheless mapped to the 1 input on most British television sets). On digital platforms, such (location) channels are usually arbitrary and changeable, due to virtual channels.

Television station

A television station is a type of terrestrial station that

broadcast translators to retransmit

to further areas.

Many television stations are now in the process of converting from analog terrestrial (

ISDB

).

Non-terrestrial television channels

Because some regions have had difficulty picking up terrestrial television signals (particularly in mountainous areas), alternative means of distribution such as direct-to-home satellite and cable television have been introduced. Television channels specifically built to run on cable or satellite blur the line between TV station and TV network. That fact led some early cable channels to call themselves superstations.

Satellite and cable have created changes.

syndicated to terrestrial stations. The cost of creating a nationwide channel has been reduced and there has been a huge increase in the number of such channels, with most catering to a small group. See also: significantly viewed

.

From the definitions above, use of the terms network or station in reference to nationwide cable or satellite channels is technically inaccurate. However, this is an arbitrary, inconsequential distinction, and varies from company to company. Indeed, the term

cable network has entered into common usage in the United States in reference to such channels, even with the existence of direct broadcast satellite. There is even some geographical separation among national pay television channels in the U.S., be it programming (e.g., the Bally Sports

group of regional sports channels, which share several programs), or simply regionalized advertising inserted by the local cable company.

Should a legal distinction be necessary between a (location) channel as defined above and a television channel in this sense, the terms programming service (e.g.[1]) or programming undertaking (for instance,^[2]) may be used instead of the latter definition.

References

^ Center, Arbitration and Mediation. "WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2001-1440". arbiter.wipo.int. Archived from the original on 2006-04-16.
^ "Application to renew a broadcasting licence for a specialty programming undertaking". Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2006-03-31.

External links

Media related to Television channels at Wikimedia Commons
What ever happened to Channel 1?

[1] Center, Arbitration and Mediation. "WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2001-1440". arbiter.wipo.int. Archived from the original on 2006-04-16.

[2] "Application to renew a broadcasting licence for a specialty programming undertaking". Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2006-03-31.

[2]