General International TV Channels Thread

[RegularCapital]

Vice pulls out of European linear TV

Vice has begun a gradual withdrawal of its television channels across Europe only four years after they were launched, as part of deep cost cuts.

www.broadbandtvnews.com

Vice pulls out of Europe

Not surprised, it had weak viewing ratings. Virgin dropped the channel on Monday morning along with the three MTV channels that bitten the dust, as well as Horse and Country. Enders Analysis was also the same company that analyzed the reasoning behind Disney Channel UK's impending closure. The article and Enders are right, there wasn't much fanfare with Vice's arrival.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Dreamworks is much less of a known brand than Disney, so no.

They better put emphasis on Animation.

You didn't need to quote my comment twice in your response. All I'm saying that I could see Sky rebranding Sky Cinema Disney as Sky Cinema Dreamworks by the time Disney decides not to renew their deal to continue showing content on that channel, given the fact that their owner Comcast also owns Dreamworks Animation and also due to the fact that Dreamworks has their own channel in South East Asia.

Also, Dreamworks isn't actually less of a known brand than Disney, given the fact that they actually dominated the box office during the Noughties and it prompted Disney to switch to CGI animation with their animated films.

Not surprised, it had weak viewing ratings. Virgin dropped the channel on Monday morning along with the three MTV channels that bitten the dust, as well as Horse and Country. Enders Analysis was also the same company that analyzed the reasoning behind Disney Channel UK's impending closure. The article and Enders are right, there wasn't much fanfare with Vice's arrival.

And the only ad promoting the channel's launch that I saw was from a phone booth. That being said, the imminent closure is also a blow for anime fans who aren't interested in subscribing to streaming services devoted to airing anime like Crunchyroll, given that they show anime in the late night slot almost every day on their schedule.

 

[RegularCapital]

And the only ad promoting the channel's launch that I saw was from a phone booth. That being said, the imminent closure is also a blow for anime fans who aren't interested in subscribing to streaming services devoted to airing anime like Crunchyroll, given that they show anime in the late night slot almost every day on their schedule.

Yeah, the loss of anime on linear TV is a shame, at least Crunchyroll has a free ad-supported option, although with a limited library and no "simulcasts" from Japan. Channel 4's All4 has a small collection of anime on their platform too. The only countries in the western world from what I see where anime on TV does well is the United States and France, both countries have had a long relationship with the Japanese anime industry.

In the case of the U.S., Toonami does get a loyal viewership and does make a little bit of money, but it's basically a hobby project by Adult Swim. Well, except for the originals they've recently been doing, they can get income from Crunchyroll and DVD sales for that, they cost money after all.

 

[CNCN2014]

Yeah, the loss of anime on linear TV is a shame, at least Crunchyroll has a free ad-supported option, although with a limited library and no "simulcasts" from Japan. Channel 4's All4 has a small collection of anime on their platform too. The only countries in the western world from what I see where anime on TV does well is the United States and France, both countries have had a long relationship with the Japanese anime industry.

In the case of the U.S., Toonami does get a loyal viewership and does make a little bit of money, but it's basically a hobby project by Adult Swim. Well, except for the originals they've recently been doing, they can get income from Crunchyroll and DVD sales for that, they cost money after all.

I do think it would be good if E4 decided to turn the late night hours into an Adult Swim block whilst also taking the anime they have on All4 and broadcasting them on E4, maybe not branded as "Toonami" but rather as apart of the Adult Swim block. But again, anime on linear TV was never treated well in the UK unfortunately. I think it was the success of Pokemon and other toy/video game based animes that networks didn't even need to try.

 

[RandomMe]

VH1 Europe/UK at its beginning:

This week we already witnessed the shutdown of three of MTV UK's secondary channels, now EifelDX has posted the above, featuring footage of a channel that shut down before. We probably got that feed (before it became its "export" feed) on cable when TV Cabo started. Either that or I'm mixing it up with CMT Europe, shut down in 1998.

 

[RegularCapital]

VH1 Europe/UK at its beginning:

This week we already witnessed the shutdown of three of MTV UK's secondary channels, now EifelDX has posted the above, featuring footage of a channel that shut down before. We probably got that feed (before it became its "export" feed) on cable when TV Cabo started. Either that or I'm mixing it up with CMT Europe, shut down in 1998.

That VH-1 video is a nice find, glad that someone recorded its early days.

TV Cabo did, in fact, carry CMT back then, also carried were VIVA and MCM. There's even the old Panda Club logo on their website. You must've been under their "TV Cabo Douro" regional division.

According to their news section, VH-1 replaced CMT (although, by them, it was refered to as "Country TV"):

Revista - Nº17 - 1997 - Pág. 14

Other info from back then:

TV Cabo - Canais

TV CABO - O mundo do cabo

After TV Cabo added VH-1:

TV Cabo on-line

TV Cabo on-line

I'm really surprised how well their website has been preserved, it's an interesting find.

 

[RandomMe]

I first went to TV Cabo's oldest sites back in the summer of 2012. From there we had the urban myth that Canal Panda started on December 5 just because of the Web Archive capture (this was debunked for me on April 1, 2011 when the channel itself announced its fifteenth anniversary).

CMT was available on the divisions that had the TV Cabo logo, all in the mainland. The only difference is that while the channels were the same, the order wasn't. And then we get to the discrepancies between the companies in Azores and Madeira, who didn't use any mainland branding until the late 2000s (under ZON).

TV Cabo started digital services on satellite in 1998 and on cable in 2000. Starting in 2000 they had a version of the Microsoft WebTV service that failed miserably and ended in 2004.

 

[SpongeBobFan2004]

I first went to TV Cabo's oldest sites back in the summer of 2012. From there we had the urban myth that Canal Panda started on December 5 just because of the Web Archive capture (this was debunked for me on April 1, 2011 when the channel itself announced its fifteenth anniversary).

CMT was available on the divisions that had the TV Cabo logo, all in the mainland. The only difference is that while the channels were the same, the order wasn't. And then we get to the discrepancies between the companies in Azores and Madeira, who didn't use any mainland branding until the late 2000s (under ZON).

TV Cabo started digital services on satellite in 1998 and on cable in 2000. Starting in 2000 they had a version of the Microsoft WebTV service that failed miserably and ended in 2004.

At that time in the 2000s digital cable started in Venezuela.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

TV Cabo did, in fact, carry CMT back then, also carried were VIVA and MCM.

Surprisingly enough, I do remember Viva when I was just a little kid before moving to the UK. It's not the only German channel that was available in Portugal that I remember watching on TV as I also recalled seeing DSF and RTL. At least, MCM is still available in Portugal, given that Viva stopped becoming available in Portugal during the early 2000s and just less than 18 years before they shut down.

 

[JedSwag]

NBA returns to Philippine TV on July 31 on Cignal and August 1 on TV5

 

[RegularCapital]

Britbox to expand its coverage to up to 25 countries. With ITV Choice's closure, it seems that Britbox is its replacement, internationally, the BBC brand is a lot stronger than ITV. That's not to say that ITV hasn't been influential on the broadcasting world stage.

Also, ITV is missing quite a bit of their archive from their regional franchising days, the TVS library is with Disney (allegedly, the paperwork was lost) and the Rediffusion/Thames library is with RTL.

BritBox announces international expansion in up to 25 countries - Digital TV Europe

Streaming service BritBox – the joint venture of ITV and BBC Studios – will further its footprint with expansion in up to 25 countries. The British content streamer initially launched in the US and Canada in 2017 before expanding to the UK last November. The company had already announced plans...

www.digitaltveurope.com

Vice hires a new global head of distribution, even though its channels will be pulled from the European market, they're probably going to focus on VOD from now on.

Bea Hegedus joins Vice Media

Vice Media Group (VMG) has appointed Bea Hegedus SVP, global head of distribution.

www.broadbandtvnews.com

 

[RegularCapital]

Now Confirmed: Sky Arts to be free-to-air from September, it's been rumoured that it will replace Challenge on Freeview: Sky Arts to become free-to-air channel

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Now Confirmed: Sky Arts to be free-to-air from September, it's been rumoured that it will replace Challenge on Freeview: Sky Arts to become free-to-air channel

At least Challenge will remain available on Freesat when that happens though I may be wrong on that.

 

[RegularCapital]

At least Challenge will remain available on Freesat when that happens though I may be wrong on that.

I would've thought so, Freesat uses the same satellites as the Sky platform after all, unless it's going to be removed from their EPG for whatever reason.

 

[J10]

Canal+ will be available on Eutelsat 7C for the Ethiopian market.

Eutelsat Communications and Canal+ have signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract for Ku capacity on Eutelsat 7C to support the launch by Canal+ of a premium DTH platform in Ethiopia at the beginning of 2021.

Leveraging Eutelsat 7C’s incremental capacity dedicated to Ethiopia, Canal+ will launch a comprehensive broadcast offer encompassing a DTH pay-TV offer of some 50 premium channels in a mix of standard and high definition, enriched by the addition of a selection of Ethiopian Free-to-air content.

Eutelsat 7C is a high-power broadcast satellite which entered into service in January 2020 and is co-positioned with Eutelsat 7B at the 7 degrees East position to form a two-satellite constellation with unparalleled flexibility and connectivity. Eutelsat is already the leading carrier of Ethiopian channels through its 7/8 degrees West video neighbourhood.

Commenting on the deal, Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, said: “We are honoured to accompany our long-standing partner Canal+ as it extends its services to the Ethiopian broadcast market which Eutelsat already knows well. This agreement highlights the appetite for high quality and varied programming in this dynamic country as well as throughout the broader African continent, which is fastest growing satellite broadcast market. It also confirms the relevance of our investments in selected incremental resources to tap growth pockets in emergent video markets”.

Jacques du Puy, chairman of Canal+ International, added: “We are delighted to launch our DTH pay-TV offer in Ethiopia relying on the experience of our trusted partner, Eutelsat, in this market. Our new platform, the first such offer in the Ethiopian market, will contribute to the already rich and diverse video landscape in this dynamic market and support our commitment to providing high quality, diverse programming in the African continent, where we are already present in 25 countries”.

 

[SpongeBobFan2004]

Also, ITV is missing quite a bit of their archive from their regional franchising days, the TVS library is with Disney (allegedly, the paperwork was lost) and the Rediffusion/Thames library is with RTL.

Excludes some programs produced by TVS which are owned by Henson such as The Storyteller and FRAGGLE ROCK. (the UK version) Henson retains these distribution rights to both of these shows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RegularCapital]

Excludes some programs produced by TVS which are owned by Henson such as The Storyteller and FRAGGLE ROCK. (the UK version) Henson retains these distribution rights to both of these shows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep, there are a few exceptions; the Jim Henson ones are one of the main exceptions, the other main exception was their news archive, which was given to their ITV franchise successors - Meridian Broadcasting. The only one show that Disney has distributed from the TVS archive I can think of was the TVS episodes of the Ruth Rendell Mysteries.

 

[RandomMe]

Besides, after TVS's assets were sold off to IFE and later Disney, when European Disney operations started making their own versions of Art Attack (Portugal included), they filmed everything in Maidstone.

Kinda reminds me of Spain for foreign versions of Mental Samurai - the pandemic ruined everything and now the Portuguese version - including other versions - will be filmed here instead.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Hungarian channel Kiwi TV will be rebranded as TV2 Kids next month.

Megújul a TV2 Csoport gyerekcsatornája

2020. augusztus 17-étól TV2 Kids néven találkozhatnak a nézők a TV2 Csoport gyerekcsatornájával, a csatorna logója és teljes on-air arculata is megváltozik.

dtvnews.hu

 

[RegularCapital]

Besides, after TVS's assets were sold off to IFE and later Disney, when European Disney operations started making their own versions of Art Attack (Portugal included), they filmed everything in Maidstone.

Kinda reminds me of Spain for foreign versions of Mental Samurai - the pandemic ruined everything and now the Portuguese version - including other versions - will be filmed here instead.

Art Attack got into Disney's hands through a different route, Neil Buchanan bought the rights from TVS as soon as they lost their franchise and then he set up his own company called The Media Merchants based at Maidstone Studios (and produced Art Attack in-association with Scottish Television), he then sold the company to Gullane, HIT bought Gullane out and then Disney purchased the rights from HIT. All roads lead to the juggernaut that is Disney. A lot of shows use shared resources if they require the exact the same set for their international versions, it's just cheaper and easier to do it that way, travel isn't much of an issue, as episodes are usually recorded in blocks at a time.

ITV is going to launch a new channel called Merit tonight on Freeview channel 34, it will only air between and 8pm and 11pm. There hasn't been much publicity about it, so it's somewhat of a mystery. The channel will air lifestyle programming, but the ITV brand won't be used.

Mysterious new ITV channel Merit to go live on Wednesday

ITV's new cookery and gardening channel Merit will go live this Wednesday with zero fanfare.

www.sportsmole.co.uk