United Business Media To Close Rapture TV

United Business Media (UBM) is to close its cable and satellite youth channel, Rapture TV, after failing to attract viewers in the crowded digital TV market.

The channel is in a “winding down position” and is expected to close at the end of the month with the loss of 30 to 40 staff.

A spokesperson for the channel said: “We are just at the end of a final consultation period to decide when the last programme will be broadcast. Some staff have already been laid off and more redundancies will follow.”

Rapture TV was launched in 1997 and was put up for sale in March after rebranding failed to pull in much needed viewers and advertisers. UBM, which recently reported 48% drop in pre-tax profits (see UBM Profits Down Nearly 50%), decided to stop investing in the channel last year after it suffered significant losses.

There have been a number of casualties in multi-channel television in the last year. Carlton announced the closure of the Taste Network last month (see Carlton To Close Taste Network), and Granada cut 80 jobs from its health TV channel and website, Wellbeing in July (see Carlton Interactive To Close Websites).

United Business Media: 020 7921 5000 www.rapture.com

Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive