BBC World News closing SD Astra 19east service

The BBC is closing down the standard definition feed of BBC World News on the Astra 1 satellite system.

This will affect viewers in those parts of Europe where the Astra 1 (19.2°E) satellites are used for TV reception, notably Austria, France, Germany and Spain, as well as in Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland where Astra 1 acts as a secondary satellite position.

Since 1st April 2015, an HD version of BBC World News has been distributed on Astra 1. In September, it will become the only way of receiving the station at 19.2°E, according to a note to distributors of the channel. The change will leave Sky News International as the only UK-based news channel broadcasting at 19.2°E in standard definition.

This change does not affect the BBC News Channel on the Astra 2 satellites, that is used by Sky and FReesat