BBC America

Last updated

BBC America
BBC America logo 2021.svg
Country United States
Headquarters New York City, New York, U.S.
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner BBC Studios (50.01%)
AMC Networks (49.99%)
Sister channels AMC
BBC Entertainment
BBC News (International)
IFC
Sundance TV
We TV
History
LaunchedMarch 29, 1998;26 years ago (1998-03-29)
Links
Website www.bbcamerica.com
Availability
Streaming media
Service(s) DirecTV Stream, Philo, YouTube TV, Sling TV

BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. [1] The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series).

Contents

Unlike the BBC's domestic channels in the United Kingdom, BBC America does not receive funding from the British licence fee (which is the principal funding for the BBC's channels within the United Kingdom), as the BBC cannot fund any of its channels that are available outside the United Kingdom. [2] Consequently, BBC America operates as a commercial-supported channel and accepts traditional advertising. It is also funded by television subscription fees.

As of November 2023, BBC America is available to approximately 60,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2017 peak of 82,000,000 households. [3]

History

Launch and early years

BBC America was launched on March 29, 1998, [4] presenting a mixture of comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters including ITV and Channel 4. In the channel's early days, it focused on repeats of popular lifestyle shows such as Changing Rooms and Ground Force . BBC America's head of television programming later stated that the channel needed to establish a niche, since non-British viewers found the lifestyle shows appealing. [5] Most of the newer programs appeared as part of BBC America's evening schedule.

The network removed the British soap opera EastEnders from its schedule in 2003 due to low ratings; however, the program's removal from BBC America provoked complaints from viewers, which caught media attention. [6] [7] [8]

After CEO Paul Lee was appointed president of ABC Family in 2009, the network appointed Bill Hilary from Comedy Central to serve as its chief executive officer. Hilary appointed Kathryn Mitchell to the new position of general manager. Under Hilary's tenure, BBC America was restructured; it moved its main offices to New York City and had its programming budget increase substantially. The channel was led by Garth Ancier, who served as the president of BBC Worldwide Americas from February 2007 until 2010, when he was succeeded by former MTV Networks executive Herb Scannell. Meanwhile, Perry Simon serves as general manager. [9]

AMC Networks joint venture

In 2014, AMC Networks acquired a 49.9% equity stake in BBC America for $200 million, and replaced Discovery Communications as its managing partner. As part of the deal, AMC Networks also took on the responsibility of negotiating U.S. broadcast and advertising sales for the regional variant BBC News (International). AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan stated that the deal gave his company "a powerful collection of networks that are among the most critically acclaimed, with distinct dramas and other potent content that creates a deep connection with viewers", while BBC Worldwide CEO Tim Davie considered it "an opportunity to grow the creative quality and ambition from an already high base." [10] [11]

AMC Networks would become a founding partner in the US launch of BritBox, a streaming service operated by BBC Studios and ITV plc. [12] [13]

On Sunday, April 25, 2021, BBC America unveiled a redesigned logo and tagline – "Brit-ish". [14]

Programming

Outside of shows acquired from the BBC and other British television outlets, BBC America currently airs a mix general entertainment programming with little to no relation with the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth. [15]

Current

Some of the programs on the channel are edited either for adult content or to allow for commercials. Occasionally, comedy shows are run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks and a few first-run drama programs are broadcast in a longer block that allows them to run to their original broadcast length. Additional series that has been previously broadcast may periodically return to the schedule as part of the network's rotation of daytime programming.

Original programming and co-productions

In the mid-2000s, BBC America produced a few of its own original shows, along with some joint productions; including Sharpe's Challenge, part of the Sharpe series of made-for-television movies and co-produced with ITV; and The State Within and Jekyll , which were co-productions with the BBC. The first original series produced solely by the channel was Copper , which premiered in the summer of 2012. [16]

BBC America has also branched into co-producing British series, including Robin Hood , The Musketeers, Killing Eve , Mood and from its fourth series, the revival of Doctor Who (until 2022). [17] They also co-produced the Canadian series Orphan Black with Bell Media's Space channel.

Newscasts

BBC America used to broadcast BBC World News each Monday through Friday morning from 6:00 to 8:00 am Eastern and Pacific Time. All news programs now air exclusively on the BBC News Channel, also distributed by AMC Networks in the United States. [18]

The weekday morning (6:00–9:00 am Eastern) simulcast used to include BBC World News bulletins, World Business Report , Sport Today, Asia Today, and a one-hour bulletin called World News Today . Most of these were removed from the schedule without any announcement on April 6, 2009. The weekend morning (6:00–6:30 am ET) simulcast was also abruptly dropped on April 4, 2009. According to BBC America, the simulcast was dropped because of disappointing ratings. [19]

From 2007 to 2011, BBC America broadcast BBC World News America , a live Washington, D.C.–based program anchored by Matt Frei. Katty Kay served as a Washington-based correspondent. On February 18, 2011, network management announced that BBC World News America would be dropped from BBC America and would instead be broadcasting only on the BBC World News channel and PBS member stations in the United States. [20]

The network was in discussions to unveil a weekly news program fronted by Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman, who was to introduce a synopsis of Newsnight items with an international aspect and was expected to bring his interviewing style to bear on American politicians. An international edition of Newsnight debuted on February 29, 2008, in the 10 pm time slot. This program was cancelled in November 2008, but the announcement of the program's cancellation was not made until April 2009. [19]

During major breaking news events, the network sometimes replaces scheduled programs with coverage from BBC News; the London bombings in July 2005 was one example. BBC News's American coverage started out sparse, but has expanded within the last decade on several providers throughout the United States, generally alongside BBC America as part of AMC Networks' retransmission consent negotiations (one previous example is New York City-based Cablevision, which did not carry BBC America until August 2011) or BBC World News America , an American-focused news program presented by Katty Kay and usually from Washington, D.C., mainly carried by American public television stations through a distribution agreement with Washington PBS member station WETA-TV.

Sports

BBC America has carried coverage of the PDC World Darts Championship in simulcast with Sky Sports, with preliminary rounds streaming, and the finals airing on television. [21]

Outside the U.S.

BBC America is available in Caribbean countries, such as:

It is also available in the Pacific in the US territory of Guam on DoCoMo Pacific [31] and GTA Teleguam's IPTV service; [32] as well as in the Northern Marianas on DoCoMo Pacific. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC News (international TV channel)</span> English-language pay television channel

BBC News is an international English-language pay television channel owned by BBC Global News Ltd.— a subsidiary of BBC Studios—and operated by the BBC News division of the BBC. The network carries news bulletins, documentaries, and other factual programmes; its programming is based out of studios in London, Washington, D.C., and Singapore. As of April 2023, the channel largely operates as an international feed of the BBC News channel in the UK, sharing the majority of its schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV (TV network)</span> TV network in the United Kingdom

ITV, legally known as Channel 3, is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It is branded as ITV1 in most of the UK except for central and northern Scotland, where it is branded as STV. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition and reduce the current monopoly to the then BBC Television. ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time: BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Two</span> Television channel operated by the BBC

BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream and popular BBC One.

Television broadcasts in the United Kingdom began in 1932, however, regular broadcasts would only begin four years later. Television began as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection of free-to-air, free-to-view and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channels for consumers as well as on-demand content. There are six main channel owners who are responsible for most material viewed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Television</span> Television service of the British Broadcasting Corporation

BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 1932, although the start of its regular service of television broadcasts is dated to 2 November 1936.

BBC Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that mostly broadcast television series originally produced by the BBC, the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom. The channel was owned by Corus Entertainment and BBC Studios (20%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV News Channel</span> Former British television news channel (2000–2005)

The ITV News Channel was a 24-hour television news channel in the United Kingdom which broadcast from 1 August 2000 to 23 December 2005. It was available on Sky, NTL:Telewest, and analogue cable. It was also available during the morning on ITV Digital. The channel was carried by its replacement Freeview, although the launch of ITV4 saw its hours on that platform reduced to 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Simulcast is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio. Likewise, the BBC's Prom concerts were formerly simulcast on both BBC Radio 3 and BBC Television. Another application is the transmission of the original-language soundtrack of movies or TV series over local or Internet radio, with the television broadcast having been dubbed into a local language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alibi (TV channel)</span> Digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom

Alibi is a British premium television channel that was launched on 1 November 1997 as UK Arena. It was renamed UK Drama in 2000, and then UKTV Drama in 2004, and assumed its current name on 7 October 2008.

AMC Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CITV</span> British free-to-air TV channel for children

CITV was a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged 6–12. It replaced the earlier Watch It! branding and introduced networked in-vision continuity links between programmes. These links were originally pre-recorded from a small London studio up until 1987, when Central won the contract to produce live links from their Birmingham studios. In 2004, presentation of CITV was relocated to Granada Television in Manchester, which saw the demise of in-vision continuity. Nine years later, the operations moved to ITV Granada's MediaCityUK studios in Salford.

KEQI-LD is a low-power television station in Dededo, Guam, serving the U.S. territory as an affiliate of the Fox network. It is owned by Sorensen Media Group and operated by Lilly Broadcasting alongside ABC affiliate KTGM. The two stations share studios on 111 Chalan Santo Papa in Hagåtña (Agana); KEQI-LD's transmitter is located in the heights of Barigåda (Barrigada).

A regional variation generally refers to times when a radio station or television station simultaneously broadcasts different programs, continuity or advertisements to different parts of its coverage area. This may be so as to provide programming specific to a particular region, such as local news, or may be so as to allow advertisements to be targeted to a particular area.

A graveyard slot is a time period in which a television audience is very small compared to other times of the day, and therefore broadcast programming is considered far less important. Graveyard slots usually displayed in the early morning hours of each day, when most people are asleep.

This is a list of British television related events from 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BritBox</span> Internet media streaming and video on demand service broadcasting British TV

BritBox is an online digital video streaming subscription service, founded by BBC Studios and ITV, operating in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa. It is focused on British television series and films, mainly featuring current and past series and films supplied from two British terrestrial broadcasters of the BBC and ITV, in addition to original programming. BritBox is said to feature the biggest collection of British box sets available in one place, with additional original programming available from 2020.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Television News.

A timeline of notable events relating to the BBC News Channel and its original name BBC News 24.

This is a timeline of the history of television news in the UK.

References

  1. ↑ Lieberman, David (October 23, 2014). "AMC Networks Pays $200M For 49.9% Of BBC America". Deadline. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ "FAQs". BBC America. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023". wrestlenomics.com. May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "AMC Networks Press Center". press.amcnetworks.com.
  5. ↑ "EastEnders axe outrages US fans". The Guardian. September 30, 2003. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Entertainment - EastEnders returns to US screens". BBC. June 4, 2004. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ "BBC AMERICA; Alas, 'East Enders'". The New York Times. April 11, 2004.
  8. ↑ "Arts, Briefly – A Reprieve for 'EastEnders'". The New York Times. January 31, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Home – BBC America Press". Press.bbcamerica.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  10. ↑ "AMC Buys Half of BBC America to Bolster Pay-TV Leverage". Bloomberg.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  11. ↑ "AMC Networks Pays $200M For 49.9% Of BBC America". Deadline.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  12. ↑ "BBC Worldwide, ITV SVOD Venture BritBox Launches With $6.99 Monthly Price". The Hollywood Reporter. March 7, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  13. ↑ "'Coronation Street' Episodes Now Available on BritBox a Day After U.K. Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. May 11, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  14. ↑ Lafayette, Jon (April 23, 2021). "BBC America's New Branding Designed To 'Be Brit-ish'". Next TV . Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ TV Schedule Lineup | Listing of Shows & Movies for Today | BBC America; retrieved on May 14 2024
  16. ↑ Press, Joy (January 4, 2012). "BBC America gives details about its first original drama, 'Copper'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Programs – BBC America Press Room" . Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Schedule". BBC America.
  19. 1 2 Leigh Holmwood (April 6, 2009). "Jeremy Paxman's US Newsnight axed in shakeup at BBC America". The Guardian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ "'BBC World News America' Shifts To BBC World News - February 18, 2011 20:13:35 | Multichannel News". Multichannel.com. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  21. ↑ "BBC America aims for bull's-eye of niche sports with darts championship". Sports Business Daily. December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  22. ↑ "TV Packages & Channel Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  23. ↑ WOW :: World On Wireless - Bermuda Archived April 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ "Channel Lineup".
  25. ↑ "Lineup - Flow - Barbados". discoverflow.co.
  26. ↑ "TV Listings- Find Local TV Listings and Watch Full Episodes". Zap2It. September 1, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Flow - Grenada - Channel Line-Up". discoverflow.co. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  28. ↑ "MiTV Packages - TELBO". Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Flow Extended Basic 24 channels". Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  30. ↑ SXM Channel Line Up Archived April 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  31. 1 2 "Channel Listing - TV - DOCOMO PACIFIC Guam". www.docomopacific.com.
  32. ↑ "Guam Cable TV - Guam Digital Television - GTA Teleguam". gta.net. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.