Sky’s digital satellite service is to slowly unroll this month in preparation for a larger promotions push this summer. Initially the service will be available to a small number of Sky subscribers and then, when more set-top box hardware becomes available, it will be offered to all the subscribers to Sky’s analogue service.
A spokesperson for Sky said that there is traditionally a peak in consumer buying of electronic hardware and satellite receiver equipment during the summer months. Sky hopes to capitalise on this with a large promotional and advertising campaign believed to be costing the broadcasting company up to £100 million. The volume of hardware required, which is being manufactured by Pace Micro Technology, Amstrad, Panasonic and Grundig, will be available at this time according to Sky.
The much-heralded 200 television channels which digital transmission will allow are to be introduced gradually throughout the rest of this year, although Sky would not confirm the launch dates of any particular services.
As digital develops, however, Sky is promising such services as movie multiplexing (up to 10 channels), 50 audio channels of music, a Sky Sports News channel, 10 free to air channels and an augmentation of the existing Box Office film channels. The existing analogue channels, which will be simulcast on digital, may receive extra hours. None of these plans has yet been given a definite launch date.
BSkyB’s rival digital broadcaster, British Digital Broadcasting (BDB), is planning to launch its digital terrestrial services in the Autumn of this year. Programming will consist of 15 channels at launch, taken from BBC/Flextech, Carlton, Granada and Sky. They will be packaged as 12 core channels, with one, two or three premium channels from Sky.
BDB’s chief executive Stephen Grabiner says: “In a short number of years the 30 or so channels on offer at launch could increase by 50%. There is also the prospect of introducing more interactive features and services. Our core package of 12 channels will be priced below the entry point of Sky’s current big basic and, indeed, below the price points of many of the recently introduced cable mini-packages.”
BSkyB: 0171 705 3000 British Digital Broadcasting: 0171 819 8000
