Dedicated Arts Channel To Launch On Sky Digital

Artsworld Channels Limited has confirmed that it will launch a digital TV channel and website dedicated to arts coverage this year. The company, founded by chairman Sir Jeremy Isaacs and a group of partners, has gained investment from companies including BSkyB and Guardian Media Group, both of which hold 20% stakes. Isaacs says that the arts audience is “not fully served by television”.

The channel, called Artsworld, will be available as an a la carte premium subscription service on Sky Digital. It will be transmitted from noon until midnight daily to subscribers in the UK and Eire. Content will include performances, reviews, news, documentaries, features and films. The company promises that “hundreds of hours” of these will be original productions, including programmes commissioned from independent producers. The channel will also carry material from television organisations around the world.

Scheduling will cover areas such as classical music, dance, visual art, antiques, cinema, design, jazz, travel and theatre. Programmes are expected to be integrated into the content of the artsworld.com website, which will also have a national, regional and international information service for arts audiences.

Both services are due to launch later this year, although an official date has not been released.

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