List of channels on BFBS TV (Far East)

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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
Diego Garcia	Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
	Available via cable on said channel number.
	Available via satellite on said channel number.
1	Channel is broadcast in HD

Channels

All time GMT/BST

EPG	Diego Garcia	Nepal	Channel	Logo	Owner/Parent company	Content from	Broadcasting hours
1			Sky News HD		Sky plc	Sky News HD	24 hours
2			BBC One HD - Delayed		BBC	BBC One HD - Delayed to local time	24 hours
3			BBC Two HD - Delayed (BFBS version)		BBC	(BBC Two - Delayed to local time. (Times GMT/BST)) 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
4			ITV1 HD - Delayed		ITV Digital Channels Ltd (ITV plc)	ITV1 HD (London)	24 hours
5			BFBS Extra - Delayed		BFBS	BFBS Extra - Delayed to local time Sky One, Sky Witness, Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Arts, Sky History Sky History2, Sky Nature, Sky Replay, E4, More4, 4seven, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITVBe, Comedy Central, Comedy Central Extra, Fox, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild Also shows independent programming.	24 hours

External links

• BFBS - Get TV
• BFBS - TV listings