Sky Television Multi-Channel Package

I am not sure this is being discussed elsewhere. If so, my apologies.

The Sky Television Network turns 20 tomorrow [5th February 2009] and initially was a four channel network: Sky Movies, Sky News, Sky Channel/Sky One and Eurosport.
As someone who watched the first ever hour of Sky, it was an exciting prospect. A real change to what was on television at the time.

The original programmes were quite something:
Children's programming as diverse as The DJ Kat Show, Lamb Chop's Play-A-Long and Fun Factory "Now on Sky Channel, we join Andy Shelton, Snoot, Crocker and Mr Wally Blub for 5 hours of the Fun Factory.
Family programmes, mostly American imports: Family Ties, The Simpsons coming soon to Sky One and the World Wrestling Federation - I am not a fan of this but managed to catch it last month and it was not the same
And forgettable programmes such as the talk show Jameson Tonight hosted by former TV-am person Derek Jameson and Sky Star Search, a then-"modern day Opportunity Knocks" presented by Keith Chegwin. One of the judges was Ernie Wise - you can't imagine him on satellite television. But it happened.
From Sky News, the all-too-brief Frank Bough Interview and Sky World News Tonight with the then-husband and wife Alison Holloway and Scott Chisholm from 7 at night until midnight.
Also, ITN's current International Editor, Bill Neely, was a brief Sky newscaster but I think he was weekend. Or was he a relief newscaster? Anyway, he was briefly at Sky before joining ITN. And he was a good newscaster then too.
I PROMISE YOU THIS IS ALL FROM MEMORY.

And those brilliant advertisements: "SKY! We're The One" promoting themselves. It was very catchy and I still remember the tune and lyrics to this day: "We're are the one. Britain's Number One!".

I was a huge fan of Sky Television but when it dropped its analogue transmission for Sky Digital, the quality of the programming went significantly downhill. To me, all Sky were concerned about was money and advertising. That is not how to run any company, let alone a television company. And with even more needless channels all swapping programmes with each other, Sky Television is losing its appeal. For me. I would like it to scale back to a limit of 20 channels. But you can't have it all.

Overall, Sky Television made a stunning debut. But since it was allowed to have unlimited channels, it has lost its sparkle.

I would like to hear your views.

Actually, while Sky TV originally launched in February 1989, "Sky Multi Channel" didn't start until September 1993.

BSkyB Corporate Site - About Sky - Timeline

TV Ark - Sky Television - Promos

Sky only operate 26 channels (if you don't include the HD versions and all the SBOs).

The 5 best Sky ads and promos of the last 20 years:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/feb/04/rupertmurdoch-bskyb

I've always loved the Sky Digital one, and the Sean Bean promo is the stuff of legends.

EDIT: There's a whole lot more on this rather wonderful site:

http://20years.sky.com/

I think this is true of just about every commercial broadcaster in the 'digital age', certainly not just BSkyB.

They were never married!!!

The only husband/wife presenters at Sky I'm aware of were/are Chris Mann and Stefanie Callister, Michael Wilson and Heather Scott, Chris Roberts and Georgie Arnold.

I always thought that Scott Chisholm and Alison Holloway were once married.  I retract my statement of their marriage.

Yes, I do realise Sky have 26 channels for themselves. But I was trying to include all the non-Sky channels as well. There is too many.

I also acknowledge that Sky Multi-Channel debuted in September 1993 but I was trying, and failing, to describe the original four channels - - a proper title to no avail.

The Sky Television Network would probably have done the job.

Aah. I suspect it would have.

Alison Holloway was married to Jim Davidson

Can't believe Sky One, Sky News, Sky Movies and Eurosport have been on 20 years right now, it's enough to make you feel old. Although I don't remember it launching (I was only 2 when that happened), but remember vey few people had Sky, it was never well recieved by the middle classes, always deemed as tacky.

We're a Cable household and have been for 12 years now, and the only reason we got hooked was for Sky1 and The Simpsons. Although without looking through rose tinted spectacles I think Sky used to be better before Digital arrived, it was quite special to only have 3 Sports channels and 3 movie channels, and when Kids channels went off air at 7.00pm.

They certainately proved the revloution was real, although I don't think they've set a benchmark in original TV production, but they've really excelled themselves with Sky Sports and have set the standard for the BBC, ITV and Setanta. They should give themselves a pat on the back for that.

Although ISTR they made more of a fuss with their tenth anniversary, even Sky One dug old idents in 1999 to celebrate.

JT mentioned it on Sky News at 6.00pm, although nothing was said on Sky One. Sky Movies isn't the same service anymore and Eurosport is now owned by TF1 who saved it from collapse, so I doubt they'd give it a mention.

Sky One or Sky Channel as it was known as in 1989 is older than you think and goes back a few years prior to the 1989 Sky TV launch.

Not sure how your defining middle classes but it was certainly though in the higher classes or those with a lot of disposable income that had Sky in my area. I only had one friend that had a Sky dish during the early 90s, now all my friends have a dish.