Virgin 1 Gets October Launch Date

Virgin Media’s new entertainment channel, Virgin 1, is to launch on October 1.

Virgin 1, available on Freeview, satellite and cable and Virgin Media’s catch-up TV, recently unveiled its brand identity, comprising a red number one figure emblazoned with the Virgin Logo (see Virgin Unveils New Channel Logo).

The logo, conceived by directing duo Conkerco in collaboration with Andrew Fairhurst, will be used in all on-air and in marketing campaigns.

The new channel is an attempt by Virgin to combat the loss of Sky One, which disappeared from the Virgin platform when the two companies were unable to resolve a dispute over the pricing of the satellite broadcaster’s basic channel package (see Virgin Media And Sky: The Story So Far).

Content for the channel includes The Riches, starring Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard, and Terminator spin-off series The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

In August, Virgin Media revealed that it lost 70,300 subscribers across its four cable and mobile services in the three months to the end of June (see Virgin Media Loses 70,300 Subscribers In Q2).

Virgin Media: www.virginmedia.com