HD versions of BBC One's English regions still due in 2022

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 7h

The BBC denies that HD versions of the BBC One English regions will be launching next month.

The BBC has denied speculation that HD versions of the BBC One English regions could launch as early as next month.

Earlier this year the corporation outlined plans to replace its generic HD version of BBC One in England with localised HD versions in the 12 regions and three sub-regions by the end of 2022.

A recent update to the BBC Schedules website, which carries comprehensive listings for all of the BBC's national TV, local TV and radio channels, suggested that the move could be coming much sooner than planned.

The site had provisional listing placeholders for the 15 new regional stations alongside the message: "Broadcast schedule begins on Thursday 21 October 2021."

A BBC spokesperson has now denied that the channel launches are imminent, however, telling Media Mole: that the schedules had appeared as a result of a "technical error" online.

The corporation remains on track to launch the regions in HD by the end of next year as planned.

BBC One viewers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already had access to HD versions of their national station for some time, while viewers in England are shown a national HD variant which switches to a holding message during regional opt-outs.