Premiere (also known as PREM1ERE on air) was the first
subscription
The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and ...
movie channel launched on 1 September 1984, which broadcasts to Europe via satellite alongside the other services of that time including
Sky Channel,
Music Box
A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc to pluck the tuned teeth (or ''lamellae'') ...
and
The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a British-based pan-European children's television channel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which was owned by Flextech in London, England, UK. It began broadcasting on the original Eutelsat ...
.
History
The Entertainment Network
The Entertainment Network – also known as TEN and The Movie Channel – launched on 29 March 1984 by
Czechoslovak
Czechoslovak may refer to:
*A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93)
**First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38)
**Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39)
**Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60)
**Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...
-born British media proprietor
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster.
Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...
, it was jointly owned by
UIP Pay TV Group (
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
/
UA,
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
and
MCA/
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
), Visionhire,
Plessey
The Plessey Company plc was a British electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after World War II by acquisition of companies and formed overseas compani ...
and
The Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribut ...
, which also developed in-house by
Rediffusion Cablevision.
The station went bust on 1 June 1985, but was later relaunched as Mirrorvision in the following day.
Mirrorvision
Mirrorvision was a film channel from the stable of the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' launched on 2 June 1985,
[
] whether Mirrorvision and Premiere were merged but continue to be called from the same name on 1 April 1986.
Star Channel
Star Channel was started by
British Telecom
BT Group plc (trade name, trading as BT and formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is th ...
in August 1986 as an alternative film service which broadcasts between 6.30pm and 2.00am, it has been distributed to several cable operators on
videotape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
form rather than by
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
.
Discussions on a merger between the film services were begun and concluded with Premiere, Star Channel and
Home Video Channel
Home Video Channel (HVC) was a British cable television service devoted to broadcast low-budget movies (such as horror, action, adventure, science fiction and erotica) from 8.00pm to midnight, and the owners also operated The Adult Channel whi ...
all now being programmed within a reconstructed partnership but the channel continued as a separate service for the time being.
In July 1987, the expected closure of Star Channel took place following its merger with Premiere, thereby reducing the remaining film services to include
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
and Home Video Channel.
Demise
Due to losses of around £10 million and increased competition from
Sky Movies
Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema ...
, Premiere closed on 31 July 1989. The final film shown was 1985's ''
Twice in a Lifetime'', followed by a final announcement thanking the viewers as well as a few businesses that helped with Premiere's transmission.
Programming
In addition to movies, the service also showed children's television programmes in an after school slot as fillers within the channel premiered ''
ThunderCats'' before the
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
launch, and also the first to show was ''
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors'' (French: ''Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière'') is an animated TV show which was first broadcast on TF1 on September 9, 1985 on the block ''Salut les p'tits loups !'', and eventually on September 16 in ...
''.
See also
*
List of European television stations
List of European television stations is a list of television stations which are notable in Europe. Notability refers to them being the dominant stations within their countries in terms of viewers.
...
*
Timeline of cable television in the United Kingdom
This is a timeline of cable television in the United Kingdom.
The first part of the timeline covers the development of cable across the country, including details of the cable-exclusive channels which launched in the 1990s as part of cable telev ...
*
Starview
*
The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel (TMC) is an American premium television network owned by Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of Paramount Global operated through its Media Networks unit. The network's programming mainly features first-run theatrically released ...
*
Carlton Cinema
*
Film4
Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...
*
Filmnet
FilmNet was the name used for several premium television channels in Europe during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. It was launched on 9 March 1985, broadcasting with a focus on Scandinavia, the Netherlands and the northern part of Belgium (Flanders). ...
*
Teleclub
Teleclub was a brand name of a premium television offering in Switzerland. Founded in 1982, it was one of the longest established providers of such in Europe. At present time the service is only available in Switzerland. The service is owned by ...
*
V Film
V Film is a group of premium movie channels broadcasting in the Nordic countries owned by Viaplay Group.
History
Viasat Film was started by Kinnevik on 27 August 1989 as TV1000, using one of the sixteen transponders on Astra 1A, the very firs ...
(formerly TV 1000)
References
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110716201338/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/otherchannels/premiere.html
* http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8u5bt_premiere-family-films-ident-1986_shortfilms#.UdH6E5y-FgE
{{Authority control
Defunct British television channels
Television channels and stations established in 1984
Television channels and stations disestablished in 1989
Movie channels in the United Kingdom
1980s in Europe
1980s in the United Kingdom
1980s in British television
History of television in the United Kingdom