Closed TV Stations

Hmm - there have been significant number of non-Sky satellite viewers in the UK since even before Sky launched (and certainly after) - especially viewers of Italian, French and German TV. ISTR that RAI (Italian TV) was on the same satellite as Super Channel - therefore quite a large number of satellite viewers in the UK could have tuned in (and it certainly wasn't difficult to tune in - especially if your system had been installed correctly) Motorised satellite systems were certainly becoming affordable by the 1990 time - and were popular amongst European ex-pats based in the UK. I was watching in late 1990.

It was certainly envisaged initially (mid-late 80s?) as a UK service (showing BBC and ITV stuff - including an ITN news bulletin), but was then taken over by a European (Italian I think) management (early 90s) - and steered to a more pan-European outlook, before being taken over by NBC.

I have always thought of it more as a European satellite channel than a cable channel - I'm sure I wasn't the only satellite viewer of it in Europe!

Yep, Super was originally owned by several ITV companies. IIRC Thames was one of very few not involved. It showed classic ITV (and yes, some BBC) programmes. Its main opposition was the mainly US fare on Sky Channel.

It went through a number of incarnations... some strange US stuff was on the channel in the late 1980s/early 1990s (I remember some of the kids programmes - GI Joe (Action Force), Ghostbusters (the other one that wasn't based on the movie), and a quasar-type programme I think).

It did change to mainly pan-European programming in the early 1990s, and then there was the takeover by NBC. In pres terms the peacock was added immediately to the existing (the second package) idents (a simple re-edit), while later (around 1996 I think) a new ident was produced featuring the NBC chimes and "NBC" being added to the channel name. The prime time schedule then mostly consisted of NBC stalwards such as Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Dateline, NBC Nightly News etc. Today was actually rebroadcast for a while (it was previously shown on Sky News , albiet in half hour bit pieces). The daytime schedule relayed CNBC Europe (the original, pre "A Service of NBC and Dow Jones" version). At weekends there was much golf.

It closed in 1998, and was replaced on my cable system at least by CNBC Europe and National Geographic channel sharing. A related German langauge service, Giga TV / NBC Europe continues, but is mostly a computer channel I think.

One of the companies related to Super Channel seems to now be ITV2 Limited, I'm not sure if Independent Television Superchannel Limited was ever more than a shelf or at most a holding company. The operating company Super Channel Limited, now NBC (Europe) Limited still exists.

As was said, Sky Arts did eventually appear as a Marcopolo-only opt out from Sky News, to finish showing some of Now's programme library. It didn't last long.

But, it was originally intended as a 'proper' Sky channel, not just a short lived opt for ex-BSB viewers.

Also mentioned along with Sky Arts on that early 1989 trailer, is The Disney Channel. Whilst Disney did of course eventually come, IIRC it wasn't until 1995/96 that it finally appeared. I certainly don't remember it being there in the early 90's at all. Maybe a 'channels Sky announced but then took an unbelievably long period of time to launch' section is needed too

There used to be a news and weather channel no sure of the name on sky early morning until 12pm before trouble which was 12pm - 12 am and on the old sky (before digital) the box used to be on 6am - 9am and then granda plus was on for the rest of the day on the same channel

'twas "The Weather Channel"

Nope, he's talking about EBN, it used to transmit on Bravo from 6.00am-12.00pm until 1998, it was on cable 24 hours a day, but in 1998 it merged into CNBC Europe, so CNBC was on twice on satellite, on it's own channel and on Bravo in the morning, as CWC carried CNBC for a while but only on Bravo in the mornings, but when TCC closed there was a major shake up and Trouble got an extra five hours and CNBC from 6.00am-12.00pm got moved to Challenge TV, but due to the popularity of TV Travel Shop, the breakfast feed of CNBC had disappeared by July 1998.

In fact, when it launched, Super Channel was actually owned by all the ITV companies bar Thames, who opted instead to invest in SES, the company that made the Astra 1a satellite.

Although the Weather Channel deserves a mention. Didn't it used to be all recorded, at about 4am and then shown 5 times over and over again between 6am and 11am on Sky, or possibly maybe the 6am hour was live. I think i've got the schedule written down somewhere

I believe on cable the regional weather actually was regional wasn't it?

I have a promo for The Weather Channel on tape somewhere which promotes Regional Weather on the 8's, I can't remember how regional it was, CWC had it from 12am until 12pm, basically it was on during The Travel Channel's downtime, but I think some areas had it 24 hours, but I do remember that on Astra it was on from 6am until 11am on The Racing Channel and Sky Box Office 2. I have an old Cable Guide, but for TWC it just says what's on offer per hour, but they did a good job on a shoestring budget. But for them 6am-11am was prime time, as I don't think that many Cable companies had The Weather Channel 24 hours a day.

Don't forget BSB ! 'Now ( the Channel for Living)' , Power Station, Galaxy, The Sports Channel and The Movie Channel
technically a merger with Sky ....but in reality a total wipe out by the Dirty Digger who just wanted the Sports and Movie rights ....hands up who still has a squarial!

I did have a squarial years ago, but a few weeks ago surprisingly saw a BSB squarial on the side of a house.

Does anyone remember the Lifestyle channel? It had a butterfly logo I think. I just remember coming home from school and watching that channel, it was a long time ago though, about ten years or so.