BBC America

BBC America
Launched	March 29, 1998
Owned by	BBC Worldwide
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Country	United States
Language	English
Headquarters	New York City
Sister channel(s)	Discovery Networks BBC World News
Website	www.bbcamerica.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	Channel 264 1264 VOD
Dish Network	Channel 135
Cable
Available on many cable systems	Check local listings for channels
Verizon FiOS	189
IPTV
AT&T U-verse	188

BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide Americas, and available on both cable and satellite.

History

The channel launched on March 29, 1998^[1], broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from the BBC and other British television channels.

In the early days, the channel focused on repeats of popular lifestyle shows such as Changing Rooms and Ground Force. BBC America's head of programming later stated that it was important for the channel to establish a niche since non-UK viewers found the lifestyle shows appealing. The evening schedule is where most new programming would appear.

The network removed the popular British soap opera EastEnders from the schedules in 2003 after low ratings, but provoked a high number of complaints from viewers which caught the attention of the media.^[2][3][4]

After CEO Paul Lee moved to ABC Family, the network appointed Bill Hilary from Comedy Central. He appointed Kathryn Mitchell to the newly created position of GM. Under Hilary's tenure, BBC America was restructured; it moved its main offices to New York City and saw its programming budget increase substantially.

Currently, the network is led by Garth Ancier, who has been the president of BBC Worldwide Americas since February 2007. ^[5] Since then, the channel experimented with nights of themed programming (sci-fi programming was billed in a block known as "Supernatural Saturday"), and adopted the same visual presentation (including the circle-themed IDs) used on BBC One, the BBC's flagship channel in the UK.

Distribution and availability

BBC America is distributed in association with Discovery Networks, the United States division of Discovery Communications and parent company of the Discovery Channel, which also handled affiliate and advertising sales until this moved in-house on April 1, 2008. ^[1]

The network is not subject to funding from the UK licence fee by law: the BBC cannot fund any of its channels that are not available in the United Kingdom. ^[6] As this is the case, the channel carries advertisements.

Outside the US

BBC America is available in Bermuda on both Bermuda CableVision's digital cable TV service^[7], and the WOW (World on Wireless) service^[8], and is also available in the US territory of Guam in the Pacific^[9], the only territory outside North America where the channel is available.

On Demand

BBC America On Demand refers to a selection of BBC America programs available as video on demand programming on many U.S. digital cable systems. These video-on-demand programs are usually available for two to four weeks before being rotated out. These programs are offered commercial-free though some programs are interrupted for network promos.

iTunes Store

As of Q2 2008, select BBC America Shows are available on Apple's iTunes Store.

Zune Marketplace

As of June 2009, select BBC America shows along with The Mighty Boosh (Currently airing on Cartoon Network's late night Adult Swim) are available on Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.

BBC America HD

BBC America HD, a high definition version of BBC America, was made available to all the channel's distribution partners on July 20, 2009. No providers carried the HD version at launch. However, in an interview with Multichannel News on July 21, 2009, channel publicity VP Amy Mulcair said "We've got great reaction from viewers on our HD service." She added, "Everyone's very keen to see it and we're very keen for them to see it. And we're glad to say there are a number of deals that will be announced imminently." The article also said "Citing complications involving the availability of HD shows such as Torchwood: Children of Earth, which only just aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom with big ratings, the network did not announce the HD launch date until June 1. As a result, it has taken a while for BBC America to line up launches." ^[10] On August 19, 2009, Time Warner Cable's New York City division became the first provider to carry the HD channel.^[11] Programs that air in HD include Top Gear, Robin Hood, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and The Graham Norton Show. ^[12]

Programming

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

The following is a list of programming that is currently airing or previously aired on the channel . While many of the shows were produced by the BBC, some of the shows are either Channel 4, ITV or Five programs, or reruns of American programming that was co-produced by the BBC:

• Antiques Roadshow UK
• BBC World News
• BBC World News America
• Cash in the Attic
• Doctor Who
• Dragons' Den
• Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
• Gordon Ramsay's F Word
• How Clean is Your House?
• How Not to Decorate
• Kitchen Nightmares
• Mary Queen of Shops
• Primeval
• Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
• Robin Hood
• Skins
• The Graham Norton Show
• The Hotel Inspector
• Top Gear
• Torchwood
• You Are What You Eat

Most of the non news programming is edited either for adult content or to allow for commercials. However, many comedy programs run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks and first run drama programs in 75-minute blocks that allow them to run to their original broadcast length, though adult content is still edited.

Original Programming

BBC America began producing its own shows and joint productions in 2004. This has included Sharpe's Challenge, part of the Sharpe series of TV movies and co-produced with ITV; also The State Within, a co-production with the BBC; Jekyll and most recently BBC World News America.

Newscasts

BBC America simulcast several newscasts during the day from its sister channel, BBC World News.

The weekday morning (6:00 - 9:00 am ET) simulcast which included BBC World News newscasts, World Business Report, Sport Today, Asia Today and a one-hour newscast called World News Today, was canceled for a brief period without any announcement on April 6, 2009. The weekend morning (6:00 - 6:30 am ET) simulcast was also abruptly canceled on April 4, 2009. According to BBC America the simulcast was canceled because of disappointing ratings.^[13] BBC World News was replaced in its morning time slot by re-runs of Cash in The Attic and Gordon Ramsay's F Word. The morning simulcast returned on May 18, but now airs from 5:00 -8:00 am on weekdays.

At 7-8 pm ET and repeated at 10-11 pm ET, BBC America airs BBC World News America, presented live from Washington by Matt Frei. Katty Kay serves as Washington correspondent. Rome Hartman (formerly of CBS Evening News) is executive producer.

The network was in discussions to unveil a weekly news program fronted by Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman. He was to introduce a synopsis of Newsnight items with an international aspect and was expected to bring his brash interviewing style to bear on American politicians. "Jeremy Paxman is the sort of person that Americans will just eat up," Garth Ancier told the Financial Times. An international edition of Newsnight debuted on February 29, 2008, in the 10 pm time slot. This program was canceled in November 2008, but the cancellation was not announced until April 2009.^[13]

During major breaking news situations, the network will sometimes take BBC World News's coverage and pre-empt regular programming. The London Bombings in July 2005 were one such example. However, BBC World News itself is not currently widely available in the US as a separate channel (although it does appear on several cable systems throughout the United States, generally in lieu of BBC America; one such example is the New York based service Cablevision) or in a 30-minute telecast on public television stations daily.

See also

BBC portal

References

External links

• BBC America website
• Anglophenia - BBC America's blog
• BBC America On Demand Webpage
• BBC America Acquires Life on Mars Sequel - Ashes To Ashes