Sky Arts (defunct channel)

Infobox TV channel
name= Sky Arts
logosize=160px
logofile=Skyarts.jpg
logoalt=The new Sky Arts logo
launch=2 December 1990 | closed date=7 April 1991 [cite web|url=http://www.ukfree.tv/tvhistory.php|title=TV History - ukfree.tv - independent digital TV and switchover advice|accessdate=2007-08-17]
owner= BSkyB
sat serv 1=Analogue
sat chan 1=Marcopolo, 11.785H
|

Sky Arts was an opt-out service from the "Sky News" television channel on the Marcopolo satellite.

History

Originally Sky Arts was planned as a full channel on the Astra satellite. Promotional material broadcast during the the launch of Sky Television in 1989 indicated the channel would appear later that year along with Disney Channel. [ [http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/otherchannels/skyindex/sky_launch.html TV Ark:Sky TV Launch Promo] ] Neither channel did appear at the promised time, Disney due to disputes with Sky whilst Sky Arts was apparently cancelled.

Due to the merger of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) and Sky Television plc to form British Sky Broadcasting in 1990 the need for an opt-out service came about. As the dominant partner in the merger, BSkyB had replaced the BSB arts channel "Now" with Sky Television's news channel "Sky News". However, contracts were still in place for some shows produced for Now to be shown by BSkyB. BSkyB solved this by occasionally opting-out of the regular Sky News service during weekends on the Marcopolo satellite (that which was owned by BSB prior to the merger and which carried "Now") and showing the programmes as part of a strand entitled Sky Arts. [ [http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/bsbskymerge.html AnalogueSat:The BSB/Sky Merger] ] [ [http://www.iolfree.ie/~icdg/sky_about.htm Murdoch on Astra...versus BSB on Marco Polo] ] Sky Arts did not opt-out of Sky News on the Astra satellite which carried Sky Television prior to the merger.

After all outstanding programmes had been broadcast, Sky Arts was closed down and the full Sky News service was broadcast on both Marcopolo and Astra.

In 2005, Sky completed their purchase of the Artsworld channel and on March 1 2007 they renamed it Sky Arts.

References