Following Sky’s recent purchase of TV channels from Virgin Media, it looks like Sky is planning to shut two of these key channels.
Bravo (which started in 1985), and Channel One (recently rebranded from Virgin 1) are apparently set for the chop.
Why? It seems that Sky feel that Bravo has too close an overlap with Sky One, and Channel One is too similar to Sky Three. Some of the key Bravo and Channel One shows will move across to the Sky channels, allowing these two channels to close.
The loss of Channel One (formerly Virgin 1) will be particularly sad, as this has offered a decent number of free-to-view TV shows on Freeview.
From what we understand, when Channel One does vacate Freeview, it could be replaced by the former Virgin Media games and quiz channel Challenge.
We’ve had no firm confirmation of these plans from Sky, and there’s no news on when these changes could happen…
Update: Bravo ceased broadcasting on 1st January 2011. Channel One was removed on the 1st of February 2011.
L feel that the loss of channel one will be a very sad loss to free view viewers and that the purpose of sky closing the channel after purchasing it is an attempt the draw more viewers to sky saying it resembles sky 3 to much .I for one would listen to a radio if sky was the only other alternative
I am angry that Channel One is going to be axed.
I love watching all the Star Trek spin-off series and Nothing To Declare!
I am unable to afford Sky and only have Freeview.
Channel One is my fave channel i will really miss it!
last night i stayed up to look on my epg
guide on my sky digi box and listings for bravo
said programes no longer available and i checked
on the channel it came up with a white screen saying that
we’re no longer broadcasting so i switched it over to bravo 2 for the last ever programe on the channel was worlds amazing videos after that they showed a couple of promos for other channels and it went to
the sky tv set up guide channel so these changes took place midnight last night so curently channel one is still broadcasting
for now anyway.
from
frankie smales
(frankie smales movie and tv review uk)
I was shocked to see bravo cancelled. Many of the programs are not shown on sky one. We are not getting what we signed up for and Sky should refund us some of the money which we paid.
George Shippey
Sorry I am to hear that Channel 1 is closing. Always good for a bit of sci fi! Way better than Sky 3, which I never watch at all. I was sorry for the disappearance of sky 1 from freeview channels, too, because that was good, too, and is the channel that gave me my addiction to Stargate SG1 and caused me to purchase the 10 series on DVD. I failed to get into Atlantis and some of the others because by the time they were on Sky 1 all the time I could not get it for free. But I never could get bravo even though I would have liked some of the programmes. For men in their 20s, 30s and 40s? A woman in her 50s was quite interested too. What a shame there can’t be a freeview channel with that content in it. I will not pay for extra stations because they include so many that I don’t want. It would be lovely to be able to subscribe to one channel at a time, or maybe just pay per view if it’s something you really want to watch but it’s not on freeview.
Virgin Media was BSkyB’s arch rival and they hated Virgin One (re-branded to Channel One) and the Bravo network the most since they directed competed with Sky One Etc. Virgin Media made £160m by selling their TV network last Summer (2010) to BSkyB and even though the channels were very popular, BSkyB wanted to close them since they showed rival programmes to what was shown on their channels. In other words BSkyB brought Virgin Media’s TV channels for the purpose of destroying the competition instead of for the purpose of improving their customer’s viewing experience. Amongst the package, Virgin also sold the Living TV network to BSkyB, but BSkyB don’t consider this channel in direct competition with their channels so it won’t be axed in the foreseeable future. Challenge TV is another channel sold to BSkyB which is relatively low budget, this is likely to replace Channel One on Freeview which in my opinion a very poor replacement unless you’re in the minority of people who are addicted to game shows so much that you don’t mind watching very old repeats most of the time (there are now a few new game shows).
In my opinion Virgin Media shouldn’t have given up their main bargaining tool to BSkyB so they can simply close down the competition. Even though Virgin Media customers are losing the channels and Virgin made £160m out of the deal, there’s no replacement to the channels at the time of writing and no compensation to their customers. BSkyB are launching Sky Atlantic HD in a couple of days at the time of writing to soften the blow to their customers who have lost these channels, but since Virgin Media have little to bargain with any more, BSkyB are refusing to strike a deal with Virgin Media for this new channel. In other words Virgin Media customers can’t even watch Sky Atlantic HD which in my opinion is a kick in the teeth, especially since BSkyB continuously advertise this channel.
In my opinion BSkyB should be forced to share Sky Atlantic HD with Virgin Media since it’s a monopoly and they are acting unfairly to the competition. BSkyB make some money indirectly from Virgin Media customers since they have to pay BSkyB for their channels so they can broadcast them to their customers, so in my opinion BSkyB are being greedy since they obviously make more money by cutting out the middle man and some customers will leave Virgin Media to BSkyB so they can get Virgin Atlantic HD.
The only compensation is that some programming that’s lost due to channel closure will be transferred to other Sky channels, but this isn’t immediate and it’s unlikely that every programme will be moved. Also less channels obviously means less choice.
Bravo and Virgin One (re-branded to Channel One) were some of my favourite channels and I’m very annoyed at Virgin Media and BSkyB for their part in getting them closed down against what their customer’s wanted.
Weel Folks
Vince Cable seesm to have been right. Why let Murdoch buy out BSkyB altogether. here we have Virgin Channel One and Bravo bought out by SKY and closed down.
If ever I saw a deliberate tactic to force people who dont have SKY to be forced to buy it, this is it. Blantant tactical comapny takeovers and buyouts
Makes Freeview really something of a waste of time.I dont want a host of shopping channels and BBC and ITV.I had BBC and ITV before on analogue.I’ve been forced to buy into digital and some expense and now the number of Freeview channels keeps reducing and reducing. I wonder what will go next Quest , perhaps.It is the next most interesting channel. I dont seen genuine compeition in this market place any more. Time for the usually inept and ineffectual OFT to step in. ……no chance.
Think of those that cannot get Virgin (no cable to our area) and also no Sky as we face NW on the side of a hill and reception is not good enough. We have freeview and now they delete services…..
Well, that is annoying. there weren’t really that many channels I watched on Virgin Media besides Channel One and this was the first time I had a put the tv on to watch it in a few days so you can imagine my disappointment when flicking to the channel todsy greeting me with the clinical “we’re sorry, but this service is no longer available” message.
This reminds me of the time Virgin Media lost Sky 1, another situation that caused us to threaten Virgin Media with a movie to Sky. I might consider such a thing myself now, or maybe even just save some money and just go back to “terrestrial” tv. I won’t even comment on something like Challenge being viewed as a replacement for these missing channels. Poor show.
I’m a Virgin Media customer and I’m bloody furious about Sky closing Channel One down. I’m annoyed at Virgin for selling it and would like to know what, as a customer that pays their wages, I’m gonna get out of this??? The excuse from BSkyB that it’s too similar to Sky 3 is a joke, Sky 3 could disappear and no one would notice. Channel One was more often than not a better alrenative to Sky 1. This move wont encourage me to move to Sky, it only pushes me further away. I don’t even know why I’m paying money to virgin, I might just go back to Freeview.
Is this indicative of why Murdoch cannot be trusted with any type of media? or as Abba would say money,money,money its a very rich man’s world,and they want more!
this is an outrage i love virgin 1 and the programs such as the fresh prince of bel-air deadliest warrior star trek so to rupert murdock get stuffed
How ridiculous two channels that consumers liked have been axed this type of thing is happening all over the world from supermarket lines to TV channels .
Who are these d***heads out there that decide what the consumer wants cos whoever you are ur wrong .
Lord evil is NOT happy, and I won’t entertain sky under any circumstances, as it is a complete rip-off. The amount of channels on Freeview is diminushing, the standard of programme content has diminished beyond belief, I don’t have cable access, so what’s the answer?…I think I may have to take legal advice.
they need bbc hd on 169 bbc two hd it make more sense