Baby Channel Sets Delivery Date of Spring 2001
A TV channel aimed at expectant mothers and new parents has announced it will launch in the spring of next year. Having received its licence to broadcast from the Independent Television Commission (ITC) last month, The Baby Channel will be available free to digital cable and satellite viewers, broadcasting from 8am to midnight daily. In order to create effective cross-marketing the channel will be accompanied by a website, www.thebabychannel.net, due to go live this autumn.
Scheduling on the TV channel will offer 35 hours of original programming per week, including live studio-based shows and documentaries. There will also be a maximum of three hours tele-shopping per day. Shopping will continue through the website, which will feature a searchable database of retailers and manufacturers. Leon Hawthorne, CEO of Baby Communications – the company behind the venture – said: “We have first mover advantage in a £7bn a year retail market in the UK and the global potential of this business is obvious.” The website will also offer a live stream of the TV channel and video on demand in the form of a library of short videos on parenting issues. Other content will be provided by contributors including doctors, educationalists and childcare experts.
Baby Communications was founded by Hawthorne, who has worked as a CNN news anchor and BBC political correspondent; he remains the principal shareholder. Also in the team launching the new channel are former Observer editor Donald Trelford as chairman; former head of Europe for Razorfish, Chris Mathias as director and former series producer of the BBC’s Food and Drink, Elaine Bancroft as director of programmes.
Baby Communications plans to float on the Stock Exchange within the next twelve months in order to raise the £12m it needs to finance the operation. Talks are said to be underway with companies including Granada Media Sales for the sale of TV and internet advertising and NTL and Telewest for UK digital cable distribution.
The Baby Channel: 020 7355 5054