MTV's brand new interactive channel, MTV Flux, has launched on Sky Digital. The service, which has replaced VH2 on channel 346, is a personalised channel that broadcasts content submitted by viewers. In conjunction with the MTV Flux website, viewers can upload their content online and hope it gets enough views. The more views it gets, the more chance it has of making it onto TV. [Sep 7]
ITV2 wins rights to broadcast the US Office
ITV2 has acquired the UK free terrestrial TV rights to the next two seasons of the US version of BBC sitcom The Office. The first season of the NBC Universal property aired on BBC3. ITV2 is to premiere season two on September 24, and ITV director of acquisitions Jay Kandola said the pick-up was evidence of ITV2's "push towards comedy". [ Sep 10]
Channel Five's new channels launch in October
Channel Five's upcoiming free-to-air digital channels are set to go on air during October. Five Life, offering female-oriented programming, will launch on 15th October and broadcast between 6am and 11pm. Five US, offering US-imported programming, will launch the following day and broadcast between 4pm and 1am. Five’s Chief Executive, Jane Lighting, said: "We believe these two new channels will play to our programming strengths, highlighting genres in which we have an acknowledged track record." [Sep 4]
Disney to launch new European channels
Walt Disney Television plans to launch two digital terrestrial versions of entertainment channel ABC1 across Europe within the next year, Rich Ross, president of Disney Channel Worldwide, has confirmed. The channel, which airs such shows as Home Improvement and Eight Simple Rules has been in the UK since 2004. Ross said: "We'll probably see a launch in two European territories in calendar 2007." [Sep 10]
More of this week's digital TV news in brief
Al-Jazeera is aiming to launch its long-awaited new English language news service in November after months of delays... ITV1 Central will soon add a fourth sub-region to its line-up on Sky Digital... Islamic religious channel Unity Muslim (Itihad) has launched on Sky channel 825... Bengali channel NTV has launched on Sky channel 826... The UKTV Food website has overtaken the BBC Food site in popularity on the back of publicity regarding UKTV's new show Local Hero 2006, presented by Gary Rhodes... CNN is to replay its coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on its broadband TV service, CNN Pipeline... German channel Vox hit an all-time audience high in August with a 7.5% share among target 14- to 49-years-olds, thanks to US crime series and UK programmes... The Verdict, a major cross-platform event that will see 12 carefully selected celebrities sit in judgement on a complete trial, has been commissioned for BBC TWO and BBC THREE.
BBC to distribute four channels worldwide
The BBC is to launch four new global television channels, which will include BBC Entertainment and a dual-language CBeebies, as well as mobile and online content downloads. Along with BBC Entertainment and CBeebies, BBC Worldwide will launch BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle. They will be available as online, mobile and as traditional channel products. The new channels will replace BBC Prime in some Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Thailand, with a high-definition version of BBC Worldwide planned for the future. [Sep 8]
Sky Travel and Sky Travel Extra part company
Sky Travel and Sky Travel Extra are to split their programming in a bid to give each channel a distinct identity. The two channels, which have previously shared programming, will separate along themed lines; Sky Travel will focus on factual entertainment such as Airline and Filth Files, while Sky Travel Extra will showcase factual entertainment series including Floyd on Italy and Britain’s Best Homes. [Sep 5]
Two new channels join the Sky line-up
Channel Punjab and Real Madrid TV are the latest addittions to the Sky line-up. Channel Punjab has launched on channel 828 and Real Madrid TV is on channel 446. [Sep 6]
Sky and Odeon to launch Filmworks venture
Sky has teamed up with leading European cinema chain Odeon Cinemas to launch a cinema and video distribution business. Under the terms of the deal the partnership - dubbed Filmworks - will distribute six midsize films per year selected direct from filmmakers or sales houses and will share the revenues from the theatrical, DVD and subsequent windows. The Filmworks deal was negotiated by Sky Networks deputy managing director Sophie Turner Laing and Odeon chief executive Rupert Gavin. [Sep 9]