Screensport (TV channel)
Country | Europe |
---|---|
Broadcast area | United Kingdom |
Programming | |
Language(s) | Dutch English Spanish French German |
Ownership | |
Owner | WHSTV (WHSmith) ABC (7%) ESPN Inc.[1] |
History | |
Launched | 29 March 1984 |
Closed | 1 March 1993[2] |
Replaced by | Eurosport |
Screensport was a pan-European cable and satellite sports television network that was on air from 1984 until 1993 before merging with Eurosport.[3]
History
1984–1986: Early years
Screensport was founded in 1981 by Bob Kennedy[4][5] — who had started up BBC Radio Leicester, Sky Channel (operators of the UK's first satellite television network which later became known as Sky One) and several independent commercial radio stations,[6] backers included the American networks ABC and ESPN (which then-recently its majority 80% share was acquired by ABC).[7] A programming deal with Trans World International allowed access to events taking place around the world.[8][9]
The channel began broadcasting on 29 March 1984,
On 28 August 1985, the station started to expand its broadcasting area to include the
1987–1992: WHSmith era
On 1 December 1986, the WHSmith Television Group took over the operation and management of the network when Bob Kennedy and ABC pulled out.[16] By the end of that year, the station had lost £700,000 and no longer broadcast in Sweden, which resulted in a loss of 100,000 customers.[16]
On 9 April 1987, as the channel had acquired rights to cover some major events, Screensport broadcast live coverage of the
On 7 December 1988, ESPN increased its stake in the channel from 3.5% to 25.5% after purchasing shares from WHSmith for £4.4 million.[21] By then, Screensport had increased its sports content, allowing the channel to broadcast for 18.5 hours each day within the schedule included ice hockey, skiing, golf, tennis, and yachting. By 1989, Screensport adopted the sub-title The European Sports Network, while the WHSmith Television Group later renamed itself as WHSTV.[1] The channel also began broadcasting on the Astra 1A satellite in February of that year, following a move of its operations from the north of England to central London, after taking full control of Molinare later that year on 17 May,[22] which helped to operate as one channel under four different names:
On 15 May 1991, Screensport filed with the
1993: Merger and demise
On 14 January 1993, Eurosport and Screensport proposed a merger to provide a single channel as both were operating at a loss, hoping that a merged channel would become financially profitable.[28] The merger finally took place on 1 March and that same day, Screensport was shut down permanently.[3] It ended with a credit screen listing all the network's staff (akin to its sister channel Lifestyle's close on 24 January of that year), before cutting to Eurosport's feed surrounded by a notice telling viewers to watch any of its frequencies.
Finally on 6 March 1993 at 6.09am, Screensport's signal was shut down permanently as RTL Zwei was launched in its transponder place.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Commission Decision of 19 February 1991 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/32.524 - Screensport/EBU members)". Eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ MikeMcGrathBryan (10 December 2008). "ScreenSport: The Final Broadcast". Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ISBN 9780857717474. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-0-415-83924-2.
- ^ https://fr.linkedin.com/pub/robert-d-kennedy/17/798/5a1 [self-published source]
- ^ "Screen International", 7 January 1984, p. 31
- ^ "Screen International", 25 February 1984, Issue 434, p. 19
- ISBN 1-58798-195-5.
- ^ "tv-live.org.uk". www.tv-live.org.uk.
- ^ a b "RCA buys share in Screen Sport", The Stage and Television Today, 6 September 1984, Issue 5395, p. 13
- ^ Screen International, 25 August 1984, Issue 460, p. 37
- ^ Screen International, 26 May 1984, Issue 447, p. 23
- ^ Variety, 28 August 1985, Vol. 320, p. 67
- ^ TheBeelist (22 July 2011). "Brentford V Newport County - FRT Southern Area Final (17th May 1985)". Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Shadow cast over cable TV". Jonathan Miller, Media Correspondent. The Times, 1 December 1986; p. 3.
- ^ "ABC (Madrid) - 09/04/1987, p. 135 - ABC.es Hemeroteca". Hemeroteca.ABC.es. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "ABC (Madrid) - 10/09/1987, p. 111 - ABC.es Hemeroteca". Hemeroteca.ABC.es. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Leeds game moved", The Guardian; 18 July 1987, p. 15
- ^ "ABC (Madrid) - 21/08/1987, p. 78 - ABC.es Hemeroteca". Hemeroteca.ABC.es. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Stake raised". The Times, 7 December 1988; p. 27
- ^ "WH Smith in £4.4m TV bid". The Times, 17 May 1989; p. 26
- ^ "EUR-Lex - 31991D0130 - EN". Eur-Lex.Europa.eu. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ISBN 0-203-98424-2.
- ^ "Screensport issues writ over TV pact". Melinda Wittstock. The Times 15 May 1991; p. 22
- ^ "Screensport part of ITV deal", The Guardian, Martin Thorpe, 28 February 1992, p. 18
- ^ "Screensport teams up with ITV", Broadcast, 6 March 1992, p. 1
- ^ "Satellite channels to merge". The Times 14 January 1993; p. 40