Hello Dave: UKTV To Launch New Channel

UKTV is to replace UKTV G2 with a comedy and factual entertainment channel called Dave, launching on October 15.

The channel is aimed at a young male audience and will be available on all platforms including Freeview.

UKTV said that the core aim of the name change is to create viewer affinity among a key target audience of ABC1 men aged 16-34.

Steven North, Dave channel head, explained: “With a schedule for which most broadcasters would give their eye teeth, UKTV G2 is an incredibly successful channel with 10 million viewers in pay homes each month, but with relatively low brand awareness.

“Changing the channel name to Dave enables us to create a strong and noisy personality for the channel that immediately aligns us with our core 16-34 male audience.”

Julia Jordan, UKTV’s executive director business and operations, added: “In a cluttered multichannel environment channel branding is crucial, and Dave offers us a new and innovative way to create audience connections and a commercially desirable channel to maintain our viewing share.

“There’s a definite opportunity for a channel like Dave on Freeview. The younger male audience is of very high value commercially and this demographic is currently under-served in Freeview homes,” she added.

Marketing activity to launch Dave will commence on October 1 with an on-air campaign created by Red Bee Media, which will play across the UKTV and Virgin Media networks.

Starting on October 15, Dave will broadcast from 7am to 3am on Freeview channel 19 (replacing UKTV Bright Ideas), Sky channel 111 and Virgin TV channel 125.

UKTV History remains at channel 12 on Freeview, transmitting from 7am to 6pm. On Sky 537 and Virgin TV 203 the channel will be available from 7am to 1am.

UKTV: 0207 299 6200 www.uktv.co.uk