Today, 14th of May 2009 – Launch day for the new free-to-view documentary channel from Discovery… “Quest”.
Or so we were assuming.
Adverts had been released, Freeview’s website was carrying the news of the launch, user’s Freeview boxes had the channel placeholder on channel 47, TV listings were in the Radio Times, and the on-screen programme guide was showing the first week’s worth of upcoming shows.
This morning, before the 10am launch, promos for the new channel were running, and all was good.
Until launch time.
No launch – just a static “Coming soon” slide.
Quest’s website now carries the following message:
“Regrettably we have made the decision to postpone the launch of Quest. Due to a number of commercial factors we have had to make this difficult decision. We did not make this decision lightly and we are working towards launching Quest in the near future. We would like to apologise wholeheartedly to any of you that have been looking forward to this launch.”
We’re not aware of a TV channel EVER abandoning a launch within minutes of a launch, and this is clearly very embarrasing for someone, somewhere.
Question is… will we EVER see Quest TV now?
More on this story in our mid-May podcast – link below.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Why am I not surprised at this another ill conceived idea by a European/British carrier.. great planning guys.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I was astounded,when Quest did not launch,after all the hype’But I was very angry at the way we viewers were treated.I thought it was very discertious of the channel not to give the viewer an explanation as to what had happened.
May 16th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
It was pretty obvious that the programme content Quest were offering was not going to attract either viewers or advertising. I wonder why they couldn’t see that.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I think it is disgusting that there is no explanation on the channel to say whats happened. But I saw the trailers and thought it wasnt any where near as good as the hype..more rehashed stuff.. more stuff for the lads!!! Fishing? no thanks
When are we going to see something decent on freeview anyway?? No wonder its free its hardly worth paying for!!
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
A few days after Quest should have launched I received an email invite from Toluna asking me to take part in a TV station survey. One of the stations included was Quest and I was asked pages of questions about how often I watch and whether I would recommend the channel to friends etc.
Seems they really did pull the plug at the last minute.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:58 am
What a lot of jokers – leave it to rest in peace
May 28th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
BGN sez
‘..Wot?.. no Simon Dee Show?..’
May 29th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
no excuse
typical of freeview
nothing worth watching
May 29th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
no excuse
typical of freeview
nothing worth watching
had to search on google to find out
could have put message on tv
may as well remove quest channel
June 1st, 2009 at 1:37 am
Freeview……total rubbish……just repeats repeats and more repeats!
June 5th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
i was so looking forward to watching quest now if does start up again i wont be watching it ever
June 13th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
just bloody typical promise you everything and give you nowt been sitting in front of the goggle box for yonks all you get is a bum page coming soon ho ho f—–g ho
June 17th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
why are we paying so much for tv licences?? we get repeat after repeat and nothing else!!!
June 26th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Rubbish-that just about sums up freeview.Waste of space-that sums up Quest.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Is this channel launching in the near future or after i die????,I live in devon and we go Digital tommrow-(1,7,09),come on Freeview thats a big change,launch it please,stop messing about!
July 8th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Wot a lot of whingers. “Nothing on Freeview” – “licence fee too high”. For £3 a day you get Terrestrial TV and Radio and then Freeview too – Drama – Films (I manage to watch new (ie unseen by me before)films virtually every day).
Stop whinging and be grateful that you are in good health (or at worst still breathing) in front of your tv !
July 17th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Once more the good old British public getting screwed by this utter crap Government. this government idea was for the country to go digital why on earth? When free view is crap full of repeats all the time nothing new at all. Why force people to take it. Mine you in saying that some government mp will be cashing in on our money once more after all they never see the really world or take a blind bit of notice what the common people want. I will never vote Labour again for sure.
Lets look Dave. QI loads more repeat crap
Lets look at Sky 3 Loads of cops chasing dumb retards repeats
UK History stops at 6pm unless you have sky (pi*ss take)
Channel 4 Big Brother more of watching hopeless wannabes sleeping during the night. Should wake them up and make them dance
Nothing but force to go digital or be cut off. I like to be cut off never much worth watching might as well save my money and TV licence.
One thing free view can do is go and f&ck itself.
July 17th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Del you might be watching something new may be have not got free view that long. Anyway I bet you did not know that what I get on free view my parents down the road get totally different to me. Free view is still crap no wonder its free nothing on apart from 0800 numbers, quiz calls, roulette and girls who pretend to be talking on chat phones. Becoming a porn now. As for health wise DEL I am ill and not in good health so I still wish I never got this shitty free view
July 21st, 2009 at 4:34 pm
quest has lost the edge if and its a big if it relaunches no one gonna watch it it probably be repeat after repeat..more 0898 nos bimbos trying to look sexy etc etc…
July 27th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
iwas looking foward to the new quest channel.
i hope the channel will start soon
September 29th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
After all the hype, the first programme on Quest is – wait for it – T J Hooker! Cheer up. Later on you can watch Ironside and Mission Impossible – and even more T J Hooker.
It seems like some TV Executive has been let loose in the video vault labelled “Unwanted TV crap”.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Have just seen about 15 minuets worth of a Car is born 6-30PM 02/11/2009, fronted by a completely inept unbelievable boring presenter, also any one who picks up a Haynes Manuel and happily states, it will tell you all you will need to know about a car(as he did)is also mentally suspect. The two main adverts during the brake were for incontinence pants, and toilet paper, so in keeping with the show I thought. What a complete wast of space this awful channel is. Even itv3 would not rerun TJ Hooker. Quest more like car crash tv
September 12th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Please check the show you are suppose to put on as on the menu bar to say whats on is totally different to what is actually on it says that Mythbusters is on and the programme actually visable on the telly is Ice Pilots. You should double check what you are putting on before putting it on the menu bar.
Hope to hear from you with a decent response of some sort.
From Christine Dickinson.