Watch, Alibi and GOLD: UKTV Rebrands Channels

UKTV has announced the new channel brands for three of its key channels as Watch, GOLD and Alibi, which will launch on Tuesday 7th October.

As announced in NewsLine in June, UKTV Gold is being rebranded as GOLD (see All UKTV Channels To Be Rebranded), which will stand for Go On Laugh Daily. It will become a dedicated comedy channel with the sole mission to make people laugh.

Offering some of Britain’s best comedy, such as Only Fools and Horses, Fawlty Towers and the Vicar of Dibley, it will also have two brand new commissions at launch: Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga and Blackadder’s Most Cunning Moments.

UKTV Drama will be rebranded as Alibi, the World’s Number One Detective Agency, and will be dedicated to the best crime shows from Taggart to Sherlock Holmes to Waking the Dead.

Meanwhile pay channel Watch will replace UKTV Gold+1 and will sit next to GOLD in the EPG. It will be a general entertainment channel offering catch-up on modern classics such as Torchwood, Mistresses and Larkrise to Candleford, but also Richard and Judy’s new weekday primetime show.

Commenting on the launches, Matthew Littleford, UKTV controller, explains, “The fact we’ve taken the bold decision to re-brand our entire entertainment portfolio in one swoop demonstrates the magnitude of our ambition and our commitment to Pay TV. Watch, GOLD and Alibi are dynamic channel brands that are clearly identifiable, full of personality and I believe will future-proof our business as we head towards 2012.”

Christian Drobnyk, Director of Entertainment, who is leading the editorial strategy adds: “With its innovative marketing and strong schedule, Dave became, almost overnight, a top ten channel in multi channel homes; a success that cannot be attributed solely to Freeview as Dave grew by 56% in Pay TV. This success can be replicated across the network with Watch, GOLD and Alibi and enables us to exploit the potential of our real estate.”

UKTV: 020 7299 6200 www.uktv.co.uk