Freeview chairman of the board Rick Friesen has today announced the appointment of Sam Irvine as the new general manager.

Mr Irvine has been the marketing manager for Freeview since December 2006.

“Sam has been an important part of Freeview’s successful development and his skills in the position made him the ideal candidate to take on the role of General Manager,” Mr Friesen says.

Freeview customers have been dealt another blow after Mediaworks announced its much-anticipated new channel, Plus 1, would merely be a one hour delayed broadcast of TV3.

Mediaworks is obliged to provide one new channel in March 2009 and another in 2010.

While customers were initially hoping for an original content channel, or at the very least a B-grade TV3, there was also some thought there may be other documentary, sports or children’s channels.