Top Up TV Channel Talks Near Completion
Terrestrial pay-TV operator, Top Up TV, has revealed talks with several major broadcasters to fill the gap in its channel line-up created by the free-to-air broadcasting of E4, with a decision expected within days.
The broadcaster will lose E4 from its channel portfolio tomorrow, as Channel 4 moves the entertainment-focused digital offering to the Freeview platform in time for the launch of Big Brother. However, the shift will leave Top Up TV customers with a deficit in their service – a situation Top Up are eager to address.
“We have had lots of interest from broadcasters,” a spokeswoman for the broadcaster explained. “We have asked customers which channel they would like to see and conducted our own research into how best to meet demand.”
Amongst those channels currently negotiating with Top Up, Sky One and UKTV Gold G2 are believed to be high on the list. The broadcaster also confirmed that negotiations had been held with Paramount Comedy and Living TV, and that the new addition to its line up would be on air by 1 June.
Channel 4’s decision to withdraw from Top Up TV was announced last month, with both the main channel, and its time shifted counterpart E4+1, launching on Freeview to provide round-the-clock coverage of Big Brother‘s sixth series (see E4 Set For Freeview Launch Next Month).
The channel will continue to broadcast via Sky and cable as a continuation of its existing carriage deals with Telewest, NTL and BSkyB.
Channel 4 chairman, Luke Johnson, recently stated that the broadcaster needs to position itself as an “entertainment brand” rather than solely as a television broadcaster. Speaking at the University of Oxford’s media summit, Johnson explained that Channel 4 should be active in all areas of media in order to survive the multi-channel age, expanding into mobile phones content and computer games (see Johnson Pledges Further Brand Extensions For Channel 4).
“We have a digital radio station, Channel 4, 4Docs, E4, and another, [More4], on Freeview stating later in the year,” the broadcast boss explained. “We have to build on that and get into live events, mobile phones, computer games perhaps, music and we have to get a move on.”
Top Up TV: 08700 543 210 www.topup.tv