UKTV (Australia and New Zealand)

Infobox TV channel
dummy parameter=
name= UKTV
logofile=Uktv.png logoalt=TV1 Logo
launch= 1996
owner= BBC Worldwide(as of July 1)
web= [http://www.uktv.com.au/ www.uktv.com.au] [http://www.uktv.co.nz/ www.uktv.co.nz]
terr avail=Not Available
sat serv 2=Austar Digital
sat chan 2=Channel 103
sat serv 3=Foxtel Digital (Satellite)
sat chan 3=Channel 103
sat serv 4=Sky Network Television
sat chan 4=Channel 6
cable serv 2=Foxtel Digital (Cable)
cable chan 2=Channel 103
cable serv 3=TelstraClear InHomeTV
cable chan 3=Channel 6
|

UKTV is a subscription television channel in Australia and New Zealand, screening British entertainment programming, sourced mainly from the archives of the BBC, RTL Group (mainly talkbackTHAMES material) and ITV plc. The company is now owned solely by BBC Worldwide, although it was originally a joint venture with FOXTEL (60% ownership) and the RTL Group (20% ownership).

History

It was first launched in Australia in August 1996, and became available in New Zealand via SKY Television, in November 2003.

It shows a mix of old series like "Are You Being Served?", "Dad's Army", "The Jewel in the Crown", "Never the Twain", "The Sweeney" and "The Bill" that have already been seen on free-to-air terrestrial television in Australia. It also screens popular soap operas like the BBC's "EastEnders" and Granada's "Coronation Street". UK soap opera "Family Affairs", which has never been screened on free-to-air Australian television, ran on UKTV from 1998 to 2007. In July 2006 UKTV began screening 2006 episodes of UK soap opera "Emmerdale".

Current episodes of EastEnders are approximately only 4 weeks behind the United Kingdom, Coronation Street is approximately 1 year and 3 months behind, whereas Emmerdale is about 7 months behind

It also screens other current shows such as "Casualty", "Holby City", "Shameless", and the original version of "The Weakest Link".

In addition to British programming it has repeated Australian soap operas "Sons and Daughters" and "Prisoner" (known in the UK as "Prisoner Cell Block H") which were both produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation (now owned by RTL). In both cases the entire series was shown; the "Sons and Daughters" repeat run was from 1997 until 2000 and "Prisoner" ran from 1997 until October 2004. It also showed the TVNZ soap opera "Shortland Street" for several years in the 1990s, after that series had briefly been screened by SBS on free-to-air television in Australia.

Apart from comedy and drama series being aired, UKTV has also shown British sci-fi shows such as Doctor Who and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

In Australia, UKTV, like all pay TV drama channels, is legally required to spend 10 per cent of their total program expenditure on funding new eligible (Australian and New Zealand) drama programs [http://www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.65640:STANDARD::pc=PC_91809] . One such production was miniseries "Changi".

UKTV now has separate services in Australia and New Zealand, partly to reflect different local tastes, but also for rights reasons, as many programmes, particularly "EastEnders" and "Coronation Street", are shown on free-to-air in New Zealand on Prime and TV One respectively.

Changes

As of 1 July 2008, BBC Worldwide will assume full control of UKTV and have the addition of three BBC Worldwide channels being added to the Foxtel lineup over the next 12 months.

BBC Worldwide had previously had a 20-percent stake in UKTV, in a three-way partnership with Foxtel and Fremantle Media. BBC Worldwide will launch two new Foxtel channels, BBC Knowledge (documentary and non-fiction programming) and CBeebies (an advertising-free channel for 0 to six year-olds), which will both launch in mid-2009. [ [http://www.encoremagazine.com.au/articles/D2/0C057CD2.aspx?sc=269267 The Beeb takes over UKTV] - encore Magazine, "25 June 2008"]

References

*UKTV Website 2006 [http://www.uktv.co.nz] . Retrieved Jan. 16 2006.

External links

* [http://www.uktv.com.au UKTV Australia]
* [http://www.uktv.co.nz UKTV New Zealand]