Sky Multichannels
Sky Multichannels was a package of analogue television services offered by BSkyB on the Astra satellites at 19.2° east from 1 September 1993 to 27 September 2001, which started off with 15 channels before expanding to over 40.[1][2]
History
[edit]Overview
[edit]The service started on 1 September 1993,[3] based on the idea from chief executive officer Sam Chisholm and Rupert Murdoch of converting the company's business strategy to an entirely fee-based concept. The new package included four channels formerly available free-to-air on Astra's satellites, as well as introducing new channels.[2] Some of the channels had been broadcast either in the clear or soft encrypted (i.e. a VideoCrypt decoder was required, but without a subscription card) prior to their addition to the Multichannels package.[4]
Within two months of the launch, Sky gained 400,000 new subscribers with the majority taking at least one premium channel, which helped BSkyB reach 3.5 million households by mid-1994.[5] The service continued until the closure of BSkyB's analogue platform on 27 September 2001,[6] due to the expansion of Sky Digital after its launch three years earlier.[7]
Channels added later include QVC (1 October 1993) and VH1 (1 October 1994).[8] When VH1's German version started on 10 March 1995, VideoCrypt decoders would blank out the service to British viewers and prevent them from watching the channel for free.[9] Nick at Nite was originally going to be part of the Multichannels plan but ultimately the channel did not launch.[10]
Channels which joined the package were paid a fee of 15 pence per subscriber per month.[4] A European Multichannels package run by BSkyB – also using the VideoCrypt encryption system – was planned to be launched soon afterwards but did not come to fruition.[11][12] A package of channels called MultiChoice Kaleidoscope launched on 1 November 1993 using VideoCrypt 2 encryption. The MultiChoice service was run by South Africa-based Network Holdings, separate from BSkyB, and initially included Filmnet and The Adult Channel as premium channels, and The Children's Channel (in Benelux only), Discovery, MTV, Country Music Television and QVC as basic channels.[13][14][15] Sky Soap and Sky Travel launched, and were added to the package, on 3 October 1994 ,[16][17] but Sky News remained free-to-air.[18] QVC was switched to free-to-view broadcasting on 7 March 1995.[19] 1996 saw the launch of Sky 2 and a selection of channels operated in conjunction with Granada.
The launch of Astra 1D allowed Sky to further expand the Multichannels package,[20] including the pay-per-view Box Office channels on 1 December 1997.
Promotion
[edit]BSkyB ran television advertisements prior to the new service launching. However, in 1993, the Independent Television Commission ruled against BSkyB after ten complaints regarding a number of false claims involving some of the channels which were due to be part of the package,[21] as well as further complaints about the commercials failing to state that a one-year contract had to be taken out to take advantage of any special introductory offer.[22]
In conjunction with the launch of the Multichannels package, all Sky networks adopted a cohesive graphical and music appearance as idents featured the logo's newly-added "ring" forming out of swirling energy streaks while the text formed out of glass copies. The graphics were produced by American graphical firm Novocom, the look for Sky News resembling their earlier work for the CBS Evening News from 1991. A new music package from composer Frank Gari dubbed the Sky Symphony was also used, with differing arrangements per channel (Sky News utilized a variant with the signature of Gari's pre-existing "Great News" package in 1989, which had been used since launch and received a slight update with the new look). The full package was used in promotional spots for what was termed as "the brand new Sky" and during periods where BSkyB channels were off the air.
To promote the Sky Multichannels package on the Astra satellites, a selection of channels was placed on Sky's preview service on transponder 47 of Astra 1C in the clear[23] This showed promotional material in the centre of the screen and 12 channels around the edge,[24] including some English services which were not part of the package. During football matches on Sky One, services which were also part of the Multichannels package were made available free-to-view, allowing sports subscribers to sample them.[25] This continued until the launch of Sky Sports 2 on 19 August 1994.[16][26]
Closure
[edit]Due to the growth of digital television and the Sky platform, alongside greater choice and the reduced need for channels to timeshare due to bandwidth constraints, BSkyB announced that its analogue service would cease transmission with all channels in this package closing by 2001.[27] The first to be ceased was TV Travel Shop which became exclusive to digital in late 1999, and by February 2000 many of the channels on Astra 1D had been discontinued.
On 9 May 2001, it was announced that due to the possibility of lost revenue from the 242,000 analogue subscribers, the closure of the remaining analogue channels would be delayed from June to September.[28][29] BSkyB closed down the last service in the Multichannels package - Sky One - on 27 September of that year.[6]
Channel list
[edit]1993
[edit]The subscription cost was £6.99 a month at launch, although those who signed up before 1 September 1993 could get the channels for £3.99 a month until the start of 1994. Additional packages including the multiple channels alongside one or more of Sky's premium channels were available from £11.99 to £19.99.[8] The channels were encrypted using NDS Group's VideoCrypt system,[1] and viewing them required a monthly subscription payment, a decoder and a valid viewing card.
| Channel name | Encryption status (at launch) | Genre (at the time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky One | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | 20 hours (when closed hours for highlights) |
| Sky News | Free-to-air | News | 24 hours |
| UK Living | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment for women | 7.00am to 1.00am, part owned by Flextech |
| Nickelodeon | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 7.00am to 7.00pm |
| Bravo | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic TV and movies | Midday to midnight,[30] sharing with The Adult Channel |
| Country Music Television | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Country music videos | Midnight to 4.00pm, time-shared with Discovery Channel |
| Discovery Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Documentaries | 4.00pm to midnight, time-shared with Country Music Television |
| UK Gold | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic programming | |
| The Children's Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 6.00am to 5.00pm, time-shared with The Family Channel |
| The Family Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | 5.00pm to 5.00am, time-shared with The Children's Channel |
| QVC | Free-to-view encrypted using VideoCrypt | Shopping | Launched on 1 October 1993 |
| MTV | Free-to-air | Music videos | 24 hours. MTV did not encrypt at the time that Sky Multichannels launched,[31] but did so on 3 July 1995, while the channel was encrypted with VideoCrypt 1 for British viewers and in VideoCrypt 2 for European viewers[9] |
| VH1 | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Music videos aimed towards middle-agers | Launched on 1 October 1994, but was promoted from the start |
1995
[edit]In 1995, the number of Sky customers exceeded five million.[32] Sky Sports 2, Sky Soap and Sky Travel which launched on 3 October 1994 joined the package.[17] By October and November 1995, the launch of Astra 1D allowed Sky to expand the Multichannels package further with the Sci-Fi Channel, Paramount Channel, Sky Sports Gold and History Channel, as well as the Disney Channel, Christian Channel Europe, European Business News, Television X and Playboy TV which were added to Astra 1C. QVC, which launched as part of the Multichannels package, switched to free-to-view broadcasting in this year.[33]
| Channel number | Channel name | Encryption status | Genre (at the time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sky One | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | 24 hours |
| 6 | UK Living | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment for women | 6.00am to midnight |
| 7 | Nickelodeon | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 7.00am to 7.00pm. |
| 7 | Paramount Channel | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Comedy and drama | Launched on 1 November 1995: 7.00pm to 4.00am, time-shared with Nickelodeon |
| 8 | Learning Channel | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Educational programming | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| 8 | Discovery Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Documentaries | 4.00pm to 6.00am |
| 9 | UK Gold | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic programming | |
| 10 | The Children's Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 6.00am to 5.00pm, time-shared with The Family Channel |
| 10 | The Family Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | 5.00pm to midnight, time-shared with The Children's Channel |
| 11 | Sky Travel | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Travel programming | Launched on 3 October 1994: 6.00am to midday on weekdays (see notes below) |
| 11 | Sky Soap | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Soap operas | Launched on 3 October 1994: Midday to 4.00pm on weekdays (see notes below) |
| 11 | History Channel | New channel | History-related programming | Launched on 11 November 1995: 4.00pm to 8.00pm |
| 11 | Sci-Fi Channel | New channel | Entertainment with science fiction and horror themes | Launched on 1 October 1995: 8.00pm to 4.00am |
| 12 | QVC | Free-to-view encrypted using VideoCrypt | Shopping | Launched on 1 October 1993, but was promoted from the start |
| 13 | European Business News | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Business and news | 6.00am to midday, sharing with Bravo and The Adult Channel |
| 13 | Bravo | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic TV and movies | Midday to midnight |
| 14 | Country Music Television | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Country music videos | 6.00am to 7.00pm, time-shared with JSTV |
| 15 | MTV | Free-to-air | Music videos | MTV did not encrypt at the time that Sky Multichannels launched,[31] but did so on 3 July 1995, while the channel was encrypted with VideoCrypt 1 for British viewers and in VideoCrypt 2 for European viewers[9] |
| 16 | VH1 | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Music videos aimed towards middle-agers | Launched on 1 October 1994, but was promoted from the start |
Channel 11 notes (up until October 1995):
- Midnight to 6.00am: Chinese Channel – daily entertainment and news service (PAL/clear)
- 8.00am to midday on weekdays: Sky Soap (PAL/VideoCrypt/Multi-channel)
- Midday to midnight on Mondays to Thursdays, and midday to 6.00pm on Fridays: Sky Travel (PAL/VideoCrypt/Multi-channel)
- 6.00pm to midnight on Fridays, and 8.00am to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays: Sky Sports 2 (PAL/VideoCrypt/Sports subscription)
1996
[edit]In 1996, Sky reached six million subscribers. New channels included Sky Sports 3 (replacing Sky Sports Gold), along with Sky 2, Computer Channel, Granada Sky Broadcasting (with Plus, Men & Motors, Good Life and Talk TV), Weather Channel UK, HSN Direct, Fox Kids, Sky Scottish and Trouble (from early 1997).[32]
| Channel number | Channel name | Encryption status | Genre (at the time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sky One | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | |
| 6 | UK Living (later renamed Living TV on 27 October 1997) | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment for women | Part owned by Flextech |
| 7 | Nickelodeon | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 7.00am to 7.00pm |
| 7 | Paramount Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Comedy and drama | 7.00pm to 4.00am, time-shared with Nickelodeon |
| 8 | European Business News | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Business and news | 7.00am to midday |
| 8 | Trouble | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Teenage-related programming | Launched on 3 February 1997: Midday to 8.00pm |
| 8 | Bravo | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic TV and movies (with action, horror and erotic content from 3 February 1997) | 8.00pm to 7.00am |
| 9 | UK Gold | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic programming | |
| 10 | The Children's Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Children's programming | 6.00am to 5.00pm, time-shared with The Family Channel |
| 10 | The Family Channel (later renamed Challenge TV on 3 February 1997) | encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | 5.00pm to 5.00am, time-shared with The Children's Channel |
| 11 | Sky Travel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Travel programming | 7.00am to midday on weekdays |
| 11 | Sky Soap | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Soap operas | Midday to 4.00pm on weekdays |
| 11 | History Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | History-related programming | 4.00pm to 8.00pm on weekdays |
| 11 | Sci-Fi Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Entertainment with science fiction and horror themes | 8.00pm to 4.00am on Mondays to Wednesdays, and 1.00am to 4.00am on Thursdays to Sundays |
| 12 | QVC | Free-to-view encrypted using VideoCrypt | Shopping | Launched on 1 October 1993, but was promoted from the start |
| 13 | Learning Channel (later renamed Discovery Home & Leisure on 3 April 1997) | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Educational programming | 9.00am to 4.00pm |
| 13 | Discovery Channel | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Documentaries | 4.00pm to 2.00am |
| 13 | HSN Direct | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Shopping | 2.00am to 9.00am |
| 14 | Fox Kids | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Cartoons | Launched on 19 October 1996: 6.00am to 7.00pm, sharing with Sky 2 |
| 14 | Sky 2 | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | General entertainment | Launched on 1 September 1996: 7.00pm to 6.00am |
| 15 | MTV | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Music videos | |
| 16 | VH1 | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Music videos aimed towards middle-agers | |
| 20 | Granada Plus | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Classic programming | Launched on 1 October 1996: 6.00am to 11.00pm, sharing with Granada Men & Motors |
| 20 | Granada Men & Motors | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Sports and cult TV aimed at men | Launched on 1 October 1996: 11.00pm to 2.00am, sharing with Granada Plus |
| 21 | Granada Good Life (later renamed Granada Breeze on 1 May 1998) | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Lifestyle programming aimed at women | Launched on 1 October 1996: 6.00am to 6.00pm, as the channel divided into four segments including 'Food & Wine', 'Health & Beauty', 'High Street' and 'Home & Garden' |
| 21 | Computer Channel | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Programming devoted to computing and information technology | Launched on 1 September 1996: 6.00pm to 8.00pm |
| 22 | Granada Talk TV | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Talk and phone-in programming | Launched on 1 October 1996: 6.00am to 6.00pm, but later ceased broadcasting on 31 August 1997 |
| 22 | Sky Scottish | New channel, encrypted using VideoCrypt | Scottish-related programming | Launched on 1 November 1996: 6.00pm to 8.00pm |
| 23 | Sky Movies Gold | Premium channel | Classic movies | 5.00pm to 5.00am |
| 25 | Country Music Television | encrypted using VideoCrypt | Country music videos | 24 hours |
1997
[edit]During 1997, but same as above:
- National Geographic Channel launches on 1 September, replacing Sky 2 as time shared with Fox Kids.
- Christian Channel Europe (4.00am to 11.00am), Sky Soap (11.00am to 4.00pm), History Channel (4.00pm to 8.00pm) and Sci-Fi Channel (8.00pm to 4.00am) moved to a new service to allow Sky Sports 2 and Sky Travel to broadcast longer, while European Business News, Trouble and Bravo continued to share a channel.
- UKTV network launched on 1 November, adding three new channels (UK Horizons, UK Style and UK Arena) which shared a service.
- Pay-per-view movies launched on Sky Box Office from 1 December 1997.
References
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