So it has begun. The proposition is the same, but the marketing will make people think something new has happened. Virgin Media launched today in a blaze of publicity, as is the style of Richard Branson. In the history of cable I never saw NTL or telewest get so many column inches over a product launch. Rather than bang on about details that you can find elsewhere, I thought I would offer opinion. I won’t be getting it.
Virgin, Sky and BBC all trying to get closer to their viewers. Last week Sky launched their “Anytime” product to consumers. The problem with satellite is that it is impossible to provide proper “on-demand” services, due to bandwidth restrictions. So Sky have tried to circumvent that in the past with things like multi-start a with the next best thing.
Ofcom have revealed that 75% of households in the UK have gone digital, that is to say these homes have at least one TV that is connected to either a freeview box, Sky “Digi-kal” or some sort of digital cable hookup.
Digital Spy report that as a result of this, viewers are turning away from the five major terrestrial channels, in favour of smaller digital niche programming.
A day after confirming the new name of their cable/broadband/Telephone/mobile empire, it has emerged NTL Telewest are in talks with ITV for some sort of merger/acquistion type shenanigans.
I’m all for the merger, as long as it brings in a sea of change to UK TV, with well scripted programming combined with high production values bringing viewers back to ITV, the nations favourite TV network. Not bloody likely. Look forward to “Popstars: To the death” after “The Bill: Tyneside” followed by Ruth Rendell’s Taggarty Marple mysteries maybe solved by Poirot if Prime Suspect can’t make it. With that catchy title it can’t fail.
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