Freesat Error: Seven Channel 4 Channels Are Missing

An error on Freesat’s Electronic Programmes Guide (EPG) is causing some of the listings for Channel 4’s group of channels to disappear.

Besides not being able to see future programming information, without a properly updated EPG, viewers can’t set any future recordings and have to manually set timings if they want to record anything on the affected channels (see the complete list below).

According to Freesat’s announcement, the missing guide information “starts” on February 25, 2023 – so users can see listings up until that date – and no info from that date and onwards.

Normally, Freesat’s channel listings are available for 7 days into the future, allowing people to set recordings (or watch reminders) in advance.

The issue exists both on Freesat’s set-top boxes, and on its online TV guide, where currently there are no listings for the affected channel from February 25.

Freesat has been around since 2007, offering more than 200 free-to-air TV channels and radio stations, all transmitted via digital satellite. 

In 2021, a big shakeup was announced, when Freesat and Freeview came under the roof of a single company, Digital UK, which is owned jointly by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. 

Digital UK has since changed its name to Everyone.TV.

To watch Freesat, you need a dish outside your house and a Freesat receiver (see our recommended Freesat boxes here).

Until 2020, Humax dominated the Freesat set-top world – until they stopped making Freesat boxes. At that point, Freesat launched a new set of 4K boxes from Commscope (formerly Arris) – both regular and recording boxes.

A few months ago, Freesat users suffered from a similar error, when Channel 5’s listings disappeared from the EPG.

Channel 4 Missing From The EPG

This week, the future listings for several Channel 4-owned channels disappeared from Freesat’s EPG – those dated from February 25 and onwards.

The affected channels are:

• More4
• More4 +1
• E4
• E4 +1
• E4 Extra
• Film4
• Film4 +1

As well as Channel 4’s regional versions:

• Channel 4 HD (London)
• Channel 4 HD (South)
• Channel 4 HD (Midlands)
• Channel 4 HD (Ulster)
• Channel 4 HD (Scotland)
• Channel 4 HD (North)
• Channel 4 (Ulster)
• Channel 4 (London)
• Channel 4 (South)
• Channel 4 (Midlands)
• Channel 4 (North)
• Channel 4 (Scotland)
• Channel 4 +1 (London)
• Channel 4 +1 (South)
• Channel 4 +1 (North)
• Channel 4 +1 (Scotland)

With the same EPG used on every official Freesat device, this issue will affect both the older Humax boxes, the newer 4K boxes, and Smart TVs that have Freesat built-in.

Freesat say they’re aware of the issue, and are “currently working to get a fix in place for this”.

The channels themselves should be accessible, by keying their numbers directly on the remote – it’s just the EPG information that is currently missing.

But with the EPG listings missing, users can’t set automatic recordings on the affected channels. Furthermore, previously set recordings will fail (unless the problem gets fixed before the February 25 ‘deadline’).

One possible workaround, on recording devices that allow this, is to set the recordings manually by setting up the channel and the exact timings you want to record. 

This, of course, would require exact knowledge of when the programme you want to record is going to air.

Another option for any programmes you might miss due to this error, is to stream them from Channel 4’s streaming app – All4.

However, while a large portion of Channel 4’s content is available for catch-up on the app – some programmes don’t end up on All4.