just in: SKY CLOSE [.tv]

BSkyB has taken the axe to its technology channel, [.tv] in a move that could result in the loss of 17 jobs.
The closure, scheduled for September 2, will also be bad news for the two production companies, Prospect Pictures and Illumina, the new media arm of Illuminations TV, which between them produced the 600 hours of annual programming for the channel.

Staff were told of the decision at lunchtime today, although many are said to have known that either a shake-up or closure had been on the cards for months.

The problem was twofold. The channel was no longer pulling in a strong enough audience against which to sell advertising, and Sky Ventures, the channels arm of BSkyB, had been unable to find a partner to share costs.

Another big problem was that Sky had been unable to secure distribution on cable, leaving [.tv] only accessible by Sky subscribers. This would make the channel not worth while!

--------------------SKY STATEMENT------------------------
'The rationale for closing [.tv] was because the multichannel market has become incredibly tough and competitive and to survive you have to bring in partners to share costs, ensure broader carriage and have a very strong proposition.'

Ha ha, nice change there instead of 'Breaking News' it's now 'Just in'.

They can't do that!

In Turkey [.tv] is also available on DigiTurk (Turkish Digital Satellite Provider), they've got a contract with BSkyB to distrubute the channel in Turkey until mid-2002! They were even planning a Turkish version of the channel, ironically for September! I wonder how DigiTurk would take it (like anyone cares )?

It would not suprise me if they were simply rebranding it as Sky Technology.
I haven't seen any press release (other than that thing in SkyNews' post) about this, nor that there were any plans to axe the service.

I hope they dont close [.tv]

I watch it at least twice every day, I .love the Buyers Guide and Materclass
And what will happen to Will Hanrahan!

I've read it in the Guardian http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,511235,00.html

Amy Vickers
Friday June 22, 2001

BSkyB has taken the axe to its technology channel, [.tv] (read: dot TV), in a move that could result in the loss of 17 jobs.

The closure, scheduled for September 2, will also be bad news for the two production companies, Prospect Pictures and Illumina, the new media arm of Illuminations TV, which between them produced the 600 hours of annual programming for the channel.

Staff were told of the decision at lunchtime today, although many are said to have known that either a shake-up or closure had been on the cards for months.

The problem was twofold. The channel was no longer pulling in a strong enough audience against which to sell advertising, and Sky Ventures, the channels arm of BSkyB, had been unable to find a partner to share costs.

Another big problem was that Sky had been unable to secure distribution on cable, leaving [.tv] only accessible by Sky subscribers.

A spokesman for BSkyB also pointed out that the target demographic of the channel, technology-interested ABC1s, had grown much less than originally anticipated.

'The rationale for closing [.tv] was because the multichannel market has become incredibly tough and competitive and to survive you have to bring in partners to share costs, ensure broader carriage and have a very strong proposition.'

The channel was launched in September 1996 as the Computer Channel and was rebranded in March 1998 as [.tv]. It is screened 12 hours a day, between 12pm and 12am.

The website, tvchannel.co.uk, will also be shut down in September.




(Edited by PZG at 10:35 pm on June 22, 2001)

He's always got his Claims Direct ad to fall back on.

Closing [.tv] down??? I like to watch 'Masterclass' and 'Chips With Everything'!

Not too much of a delayed reaction! Only 18 days

I think this shows that multichannel TV with hundreds of channels is unsustainable in this country. [.tv] had carved itself out a niche market, and is one of the more successful minor channels. A lot has been made of Sky Digital's 'choice', but all this amounts to is hundreds of channels that either get ignored, or are watched for one or two programmes a week.

I think we are going to see a lot more closures like this.