TS News - BBC To Launch News Channel

• from: owner-ts-news@tele-satellite.com
• Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 10:56:19 +0900

TELE-satellit News, 14 October 1997

BBC To Launch News Channel
  LONDON, England, 97/10/14 (TS) -- The BBC has announced it will launch a
new 24-hour news channel, BBC News 24, from next month. The service will
initially be available in the UK via cable television and on the BBC-1
network during otherwise unused overnight hours.

  The service will be available "on all digital platforms as they become
available," which could mean the network gets carriage on the upcoming
BSkyB digital satellite service in addition to a planned terrestrial
digital TV service. Fears of competition for its own Sky News channel
could, however, keep the new network off the BSkyB service. Reports suggest
the channel will be free to cable operators, Sky requires operators to pay
for its service, so it may replace the Sky service on some networks.

 The BBC Worldwide division of the corporation already operates a 24-hour
news and information service, BBC World, which is distributed around the
world by satellite but is not officially available in the UK.


(c)TELE-satellit 1997. All rights reserved.

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