UKTV

Infobox Network
network_name = UKTV
network_
country = United Kingdom
network_type = Television and Online
available = Cable / Digital
owner = 50% BBC Worldwide
50% Virgin Media Television
launch_date = Nov 1997
website = [http://www.uktv.co.uk/ www.uktv.co.uk]

UKTV is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media Television. UKTV is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.

UKTV's channels are available via satellite and cable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. In the UK, UKTV History and Dave are available on Freeview, and selected parts of G.O.L.D., UKTV Style and UKTV Food are available through Top Up TV.

Most programmes on UKTV's channels are repeat broadcasts of BBC productions (although the entertainment channels also feature programmes made by other companies), and the channels themselves are played out by Red Bee Media from their Broadcast Centre in West London.

2008/9 rebrand

On 10 July 2008 it was announced that all UKTV channels would be rebranded over the next 12 months and, on 7 October, "UKTV Gold" became "G.O.L.D." and "UKTV Drama" became "Alibi". A new channel, Watch, launched on the same day. On 9 October it was announced that in early 09, "UKTV People" becomes "Blighty" and "UKTV Documentary" becomes "Eden". [cite news
title=UKTV to rebrand all channels| publisher=UKTV
date=July 10, 2008
url=http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/06/uktv_to_rebrand_all_channels.html
accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite news
title=UKTV unveils new channel brands
publisher=Broadcast
date=June 12, 2008
url=http://uktv.co.uk/uktv/item/aid/603804
accessdate=2008-06-13]

Channels

"For more information on UKTV channels and defunct channels, see Virgin Media Television#UKTV"

Already Rebranded

*Alibi
*Dave
*G.O.L.D.
*Watch

To Be Rebranded

*UKTV Documentary as Eden
*UKTV Food as Food
*UKTV Gardens as Gardens
*UKTV History as History
*UKTV People as Blighty
*UKTV Style as Style

Defunct channels

*UK Arena - closed in 2000 due to insufficient ratings, relaunched as UK Drama (later UKTV Drama and then Alibi)
*Play UK (formerly UK Play) - closed in 2002 due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital
*UK Gold 2 (formerly UK Gold Classics) - closed in 2003 to create UKG2 (later UKTV G2 and then Dave)
*UK Horizons - closed in 2004 to create UKTV People and UKTV Documentary
*UKTV People +1 - closed in 2006 to create UKTV Drama +1 (later Alibi +1)
*UKTV Bright Ideas - closed in 2007 on all platforms for the relaunch of UKTV G2/Dave going onto Freeview
*UKTV Style 2 - closed in 2008 to make way for Watch

References

External links

* [http://www.uktv.co.uk UKTV.co.uk]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk BBC]
* [http://www.virginmediatv.com Virgin Media Television]
* [http://www.topup.tv Top Up TV]
* [http://thetvroom.com/uktv The TV Room] looks at presentation/branding on the UKTV channels