Arrogant Sky really weren't using their brains when they were being sh*tty re: not wanting to carry ITV3 (are they still refusing to carry it?).
As a lot of the content on Plus is vintage ITV programmes, ITVplc were always clearly in a position to be sh*tty in return - by pulling out of Plus, and therefore stop supplying Plus with vintage ITV programmes.
They are now clearly doing exactly this, which will leave Plus with what? American imports only or something? that'll make the channel so un-unique that it might as well close.
ITVplc are having the final insult. Serves Sky right!
The definition of Gold for UKTV is ridiculous. Personally, I rename UKTV G2 as UKTV One and use that for recent programming (although that's more what I'd expect from BBC3!)
As for UKTV - I've read recently ITV may buy out the BBC share in the service. (Can't think where - it could even have been MediaGuardian or even a message from the ever so reliable paul2001!)
I read (though I can't remember for the life of me where) that Plus would turn into Crime Plus. (Like the strand it already runs)
M&M is now a pointless channel, lost in the thousands of others that show late night smut. Before, it was either this or Bravo for light night girlies. But there are now several hundred doing it.
Arrogant Sky really weren't using their brains when they were being sh*tty re: not wanting to carry ITV3 (are they still refusing to carry it?).
They aren't refusing to carry ITV3, it just wasn't possible because they didn't have a launch date by the time which Sky were forced to close the gates on new entries to the EPG. I have no doubt at all that ITV3 will go on Sky during 2005.
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As a lot of the content on Plus is vintage ITV programmes, ITVplc were always clearly in a position to be sh*tty in return - by pulling out of Plus, and therefore stop supplying Plus with vintage ITV programmes.
They are not pulling out of Plus, they are pulling out of Granada Sky Broadcasting since the partnership is no longer something they need (nor would I have thought it to be of mutual benefit to the two companies anymore either). GSkyB has been on borrowed time since Carlton and Granada merged. It does come as a surprise to me that Plus may face closure/scaling down (I personally thought it a more obvious solution to retool it into ITV3, rather than making ITV3 a wholely new channel), but the GSkyB operation itself was always going to end, and if Plus has to go as part of that, it's unfortunate, but is not a product of 'ITV being sh**ty in response to Sky being sh**ty' - neither party is being sh**ty.
But if you want to talk about provocation between the two, what about Carlton and Granada using their majority to forcibly withhold the entire ITV network (and ITV2/UTV2/S2) from Sky for 3 years in a futile attempt to make On Digital look more attractive? And launching a sports channel with the specific aim of stopping people from subscribing to Sky Sports with Sky (even if it was never going to happen)? ITV plc (in their previous guise as Carlton and Granada) did a hell of a lot to antagonise Sky. Sky have much more of a case to 'be sh**ty' with them than ITV plc does to 'be sh**ty' with Sky.
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They are now clearly doing exactly this, which will leave Plus with what? American imports only or something? that'll make the channel so un-unique that it might as well close.
If the channel manages to survive beyond the dissolution of GSkyB, that does not necessarily mean that it will loose any of it's programming - rights deals are rights deals, they don't suddenly cease to exist because of a change of owner.
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ITVplc are having the final insult. Serves Sky right!
Considering that ITV plc are doing all of this cost cutting in a desperate attempt to try and make their business more profitable so it's more attractive to a foreign buyer, I don't believe they are in any position to be making 'the final insult'. Regardless of turnover, BSkyB is a much more secure company than ITV plc is - Sky certainly doesn't need to be worried about this.
I still believe that they should, as others have pointed out try and do a swap so that Sky have full ownership of M&M and ITV end up with full ownership of Plus.
A rebrand to ITV Plus, or to keep within the numbers idea - ITV4, gold be good for them. Perhaps having a Golden logo!
I can understand ITV's point of view as they want to use some programmes within ITV3, but for me, ITV3 should be about dramas, documentaries and aiming for an older audience, and repeat dramas along with premiering them. And commissioning new material.
Where as ITV Plus/4 would be there to offer all Gold material, all old dramas, and comedies mainly. Which would be mainly ITV dominant, but would also include imports that Plus already have.
It just seems a waste to close down Plus when they've already got it running, they could simply rebrand it, add another channel to their package and also move all of their channels up the EPG on Sky to 118, 119 and 120.
I still believe that they should, as others have pointed out try and do a swap so that Sky have full ownership of M&M and ITV end up with full ownership of Plus.
A rebrand to ITV Plus, or to keep within the numbers idea - ITV4, gold be good for them. Perhaps having a Golden logo!
I can understand ITV's point of view as they want to use some programmes within ITV3, but for me, ITV3 should be about dramas, documentaries and aiming for an older audience, and repeat dramas along with premiering them. And commissioning new material.
Where as ITV Plus/4 would be there to offer all Gold material, all old dramas, and comedies mainly. Which would be mainly ITV dominant, but would also include imports that Plus already have.
It just seems a waste to close down Plus when they've already got it running, they could simply rebrand it, add another channel to their package and also move all of their channels up the EPG on Sky to 118, 119 and 120.
I like the idea, but wouldnt ITV just end up with all of their channels showing repeats. Its bad enough with the repeats on ITV1, they will run out sooner or later of things to repeat!
Arrogant Sky really weren't using their brains when they were being sh*tty re: not wanting to carry ITV3 (are they still refusing to carry it?).
They aren't refusing to carry ITV3, it just wasn't possible because they didn't have a launch date by the time which Sky were forced to close the gates on new entries to the EPG. I have no doubt at all that ITV3 will go on Sky during 2005.
Oh come on!!!!!!!! We do not know the exact facts of why Sky are preventing ITV3 from their platform on Nov 1st.
But it appears that Sky have obviously released a press release concerning the EPG and people are taking that as a fact! (dont 100% believe ALL press releases you read!!)
We know there isn't any love lost between these two companies but you would have thought for such a high profile station, as ITV3, Sky could easily adapt the EPG or make some other channel 'wait' for the EPG software to be upgraded!
ITV3 will surely bring more viewers to the Sky platform rather than another glut of shopping, quiz and minority channels and surely its in SKY's best interest to get ITV3 on board asap - rather than let even more viewers take up the Freeview option!
Infact Plus are already planning their Christmas schedules and schedules for early 2005.
As for Plus turning into CRIME PLUS, well the crime shows are very popular which is why Plus show so many, but Plus is still going to continue to show Drama, Soaps and Comedy as well.
Oh come on!!!!!!!! We do not know the exact facts of why Sky are preventing ITV3 from their platform on Nov 1st.
But it appears that Sky have obviously released a press release concerning the EPG and people are taking that as a fact! (dont 100% believe ALL press releases you read!!)
It's an acknowledged problem with their EPG software! They said this in April, when ITV3 was still very much an 'if, not when' venture.
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We know there isn't any love lost between these two companies but you would have thought for such a high profile station, as ITV3, Sky could easily adapt the EPG or make some other channel 'wait' for the EPG software to be upgraded!
How can you make another channel 'wait' after they have a signed contract which says their carriage will commence this year?
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ITV3 will surely bring more viewers to the Sky platform rather than another glut of shopping, quiz and minority channels and surely its in SKY's best interest to get ITV3 on board asap - rather than let even more viewers take up the Freeview option!
I really don't think it's a consideration at all for Sky actually. ITV2's presence on Sky is barely acknowledge, yet they still have 7 million subscribers. As it is, Sky are a maturing business now (however much they don't want to admit it), there subscriber base won't get much bigger - and it also is unlikely to get smaller. Unless ITV3 would trigger an explosion of new subscribers (something which is EXTREMELY unlikely), I doubt very much that they give a toss about whether it's there or not.
And looking to the past, Sky Digital was going for 3 years before ITV had any presence at all on the platform, but it made no difference at all to the explosion in subscribers which happened then. ITV channels might be a big deal on DTT, but I really don't see that they are on Sky. From where I'm standing, ITV3 needs Sky more than Sky needs ITV3.