It's one of the most common calls we get across Stockport and South Manchester: BBC One is fine, ITV comes in clean, but a handful of other Freeview channels either say "no signal", pixelate, or have vanished from the guide altogether. If you've retuned the TV and nothing has changed, the fault is almost never with the television itself.
This guide walks through what's actually happening when only some Freeview channels work — and the practical checks you can do before deciding whether to call an aerial engineer.
How Freeview is grouped — the reason channels drop in clusters
Freeview doesn't send every channel down a single pipe. Channels are bundled into groups called multiplexes — six of them in the UK. Each multiplex is broadcast on its own frequency from the transmitter. If one multiplex is weak, distorted or completely missing at your address, you lose every channel on that multiplex at the same time — but the others carry on working. That's exactly why you can watch BBC One but lose ITV3, or have Channel 4 fine but no Film4.
So the pattern of what's missing is a genuine diagnostic clue. If you can jot down which channels are broken, an engineer can usually narrow the cause before even opening the toolbox.
The most common causes
1. Weak signal on one or two multiplexes
Some multiplexes broadcast at lower power than others — the HD and commercial multiplexes are often first to drop out when the aerial system is marginal. If a single storm has nudged your aerial off Winter Hill, or a nearby tree has grown into the line of sight, the weakest multiplexes are the first casualties.
2. Old or degraded aerial
Aerials don't last forever. UK weather corrodes the rods, cracks the plastic dipole housing and lets water into the balun. A tired aerial often still pulls in the strong multiplexes but can't cope with the weaker ones. If your aerial is 15+ years old, that's a very common cause. If you're weighing a repair against a fresh install, our guide on whether to repair or replace a TV aerial goes through the honest trade-offs.
3. Damp cable or corroded connector
Water tracks down coax cable and rots the connector inside the wall plate or the back of the TV. Signal loss from a poor connector is often frequency-dependent — meaning some channels survive, others don't.
4. A retune that lost the channel list
Modern TVs sometimes drop channels during an auto-retune if the signal on a particular multiplex is even briefly poor. See our Winter Hill transmitter guide for how retunes go wrong when your TV picks up a distant transmitter by accident.
5. A faulty amplifier or splitter
If you have a distribution amplifier or splitter in the loft feeding multiple rooms, a partial failure can drop specific frequency bands. Every TV in the house will show the same missing channels — that's the giveaway.
Safe checks you can do first
- Note which channels are affected. Take a photo of the "no signal" screen and jot down the working ones. It's the fastest way to narrow the fault.
- Try a full retune. On most TVs: Menu → Setup → Tuning → Auto-tune. Don't do a manual tune unless you know the frequencies.
- Check the aerial cable at the back of the TV. Finger-tight, not loose, not corroded green.
- Look at the aerial from the ground. If it's clearly leaning, rotated, or one of the rods is missing, that's your answer.
- Don't climb on the roof. This isn't worth an injury — we go up ladders for a living so you don't have to.
If the picture is breaking up rather than fully missing, our guide on why TV signal pixelates covers the diagnosis order in more detail.
When to call an engineer
Call an engineer if a retune hasn't fixed it, the aerial looks damaged, the same channels are missing on multiple TVs, or the fault comes and goes with the weather. A proper signal-strength and quality test at the wall plate is the only reliable way to prove where the loss is happening — guessing wastes money on parts that don't fix it.
How we approach it
Evolution Data & Digital is a local, engineer-led aerial business covering Stockport, South Manchester, Tameside and East Cheshire. Because the same engineer surveys, quotes and fits the work, there's no call-centre handover. We measure signal on each multiplex, show you the readings, and only recommend a new aerial when the numbers say so. See our TV aerial installation page for what a full replacement includes.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I get BBC channels but not ITV or Channel 4?
BBC channels sit on one Freeview multiplex, ITV and Channel 4 on others. If one multiplex is weak at your address — usually due to a marginal aerial or partial obstruction — you lose every channel grouped on it while the stronger multiplexes carry on.
Will a signal booster fix missing Freeview channels?
Only sometimes, and only when the underlying signal is genuinely weak but clean. If the aerial is damaged, corroded or mispointed, a booster will amplify a bad signal and often makes pixelation worse. A signal test tells you which case you're in.
Do I need a new aerial or just a retune?
A retune is always worth trying first — it's free and takes two minutes. If the channels don't come back, the aerial system itself is almost always the cause and needs a proper test before anyone commits to new parts.
Need help with TV signal problems in Stockport, South Manchester, Tameside or East Cheshire? Evolution Data & Digital is a local, engineer-led business — not a call centre or franchise. We test the system properly, explain the fault and agree the price before any repair or installation work begins. Call 0161 399 1757 or contact us online.
Free survey & quote, no callout charge. Most jobs same or next day.