BBC Knowledge To Launch On SKY NZ

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pjamieson

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#74407 29-Dec-2010 11:51

BBC Worldwide will re-launch New Zealand’s Documentary Channel as BBC Knowledge next year, in a major step forward in the development of its global branded channels business.

BBC Knowledge will join BBC Worldwide’s other channels on the SKY platform – BBC World News and UKTV – to create a bespoke factual content offering geared towards the needs of New Zealand audiences.

http://www.skytv.co.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=202&art_id=34337

steve98

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#423351 2-Jan-2011 11:14

pjamieson: BBC Worldwide will re-launch New Zealand’s Documentary Channel as BBC Knowledge next year, in a major step forward in the development of its global branded channels business.

BBC Knowledge will join BBC Worldwide’s other channels on the SKY platform – BBC World News and UKTV – to create a bespoke factual content offering geared towards the needs of New Zealand audiences.

http://www.skytv.co.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=202&art_id=34337

As thrilled as I am to see the BBC continuing to invest in its NZ presence, I have to say that documentary channels are already highly overrepresented in Sky's channel line-up. Would rather see another general entertainment channel to be honest.

blakamin

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#423365 2-Jan-2011 11:42

Steve98, I think you missed the bit where they are RE-launching the Documentary Channel as BBC Knowledge... It looks like they're just changing some content and the brand.

John2010

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#423373 2-Jan-2011 12:09

This could be a welcome change - well, for me anyway.

It is currently wasted space at the moment insofar as my own selfish wants are concerned as I hardly ever watch the channel because many of its "documentaries" seem to turn out to be oriented towards rhetoric rather than being fact oriented. But I did enjoy the Elvis, Fleetwood Mac and Meatloaf documentaries on new Year's Eve so not all is bad :-).

steve98

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#423820 3-Jan-2011 21:42

Nope didn't miss that part. Would rather the Documentary Channel just got deleted in favour of another general entertainment channel.

nigelj

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#423822 3-Jan-2011 21:56

steve98: As thrilled as I am to see the BBC continuing to invest in its NZ presence, I have to say that documentary channels are already highly overrepresented in Sky's channel line-up. Would rather see another general entertainment channel to be honest.

I'd imagine Documentaries are far cheaper to make than entertainment style TV, even if you get a high profile anchor.

However I do agree, I'd like to see:

- One of the documentary style channels dumped, a lot of duplication currently between channels (stuff like American Prisons on both C&I + Nat Geo for example, yesterday was a classic case of this).
- TVNZ Heartland should be Free To Air on Freeview
- Something like the Hallmark channel on Foxtel (even if it's just broadcasting the Hallmark channel in sync with Australia like Discovery etc), for those that don't know, Hallmark channel focuses on a mixture of repeat Australian shows, and some of the newer American shows.

Of course, it's possible to enter a scenario like UKTV where exclusive rights are already purchased by other stations in NZ (UKTV could potentially broadcast the same stream to Australia & NZ if Coro Street for instance wasn't exclusive to TV1 in NZ)

steve98

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#423872 4-Jan-2011 06:52

nigelj:
- Something like the Hallmark channel on Foxtel (even if it's just broadcasting the Hallmark channel in sync with Australia like Discovery etc), for those that don't know, Hallmark channel focuses on a mixture of repeat Australian shows, and some of the newer American shows.

Sky used to carry the Hallmark Channel a few years back, but it got dumped in favour of the Disney Channel