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Rapture TV
Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air satellite television station (although later an exclusively online channel) operated from the United Kingdom,[citation needed] founded in 1997. Focusing mostly on electronic dance music and extreme sports, it is notable for the number of times it has failed financially only to be relaunched.
The channel was initially launched by the United Business Media group as a cable television channel on 22 November 1997. Due to common UBM ownership, the channel shared facilities with, and was broadcast from, the Anglia Television studios in Norwich. The channel was later carried free-to-view on the analogue transponder of FilmFour on Astra 1A at weekends,[citation needed] and eventually used this transponder full-time,[dubious – discuss] until closing its analogue service on 12 December 1999.[citation needed] Shortly before this, on 27 October 1999, the channel had moved to digital broadcasting via Sky Digital, where it launched in the general entertainment section of the EPG.
Rapture made agreements with cable companies in 1999, starting with NTL in January 1999, adding 700,000 potential households, and later in September with Cable & Wireless, effective 16 October, adding 850,000 potential households. The agreement with CWC also enabled the production of five programmes for CWC's Local Channel. In May 1999, it announced that Rapture TV would start a seven-day service from March 2000, a move that would double its production output. Rapture made a production agreement with BBC Choice to produce Problem Page, presented by Heather Darroch. In October 1999, Rapture TV made its first acquisition, Clubavision, produced by London Weekend Television, as well as an agreement with Channel 4 to relay thirty hours of its output per week. The channel made its first outside broadcast on 13 November 1999 at the Slope X snowboarding festival in Battersea Park. For New Year's Eve, the channel planned to air a five-part documentary about Radio 1 DJ Carl Cox's two gigs in Sydney and Honolulu.
A notable feature of the station during this time was its "Mouse Cam", broadcast as a time filler when the station was off-air. This featured some mice in a Habitrail-like setup, with shots changing between cameras. The station also featured one of the first SMS-based request shows during this era. A launch to ITV Digital was planned at this time, but never came to completion.
Co-founder Debbie Mason quit the channel in late January 2000, to spend more time with her family. The channel started its seven-day schedule on 7 February 2000, nearly a month ahead of the initial March 2000 target. Richard Kilgarriff left the channel in March, starting a platform of his own instead. Shortly afterwards, the channel announced a one-off celebrity special of That Film Show presented by Neil Stuke. Hobbins Sides devised a new identity for the channel in 2000, being implemented from 1 May that year. On 24 July, the channel was made available full-time on Sky Digital.
Rapture started facing difficulties in September 2000. On 27 September a meeting was being held at the now-defunct Rapture TV studio at Anglia's facilities, eyeing a massive cut of its staff, which before the crisis was estimated to be at 40. After the cuts were announced, Rapture greenlighted its first independent commission, Club Class and a co-production with Ministry of Sound to broadcast a concert held at the Millennium Dome.
The channel had never been profitable, and its average audiences were in the region of 100,000. UBM placed the channel on the market in January 2001, but as it was unable to find a buyer, UBM announced in September that it would close the channel later in 2001, pending a consultation regarding the date of its closedown, with the loss of 46 jobs and debts estimated at £12 million, before closing down on 31 October, notably playing "Rapture" by iio as its final track over pictures of the station staff. During this time, it had refocused almost entirely on dance music, and had moved to the music section of the EPG.
In April 2002, the channel's assets were bought by Edinburgh based independent production company Power TV, who had previously produced some shows for the channel. A temporary relaunch occurred to Channel 232 in June 2002, and lasted until August of the same year, when problems caused it to close again.
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Rapture TV
Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air satellite television station (although later an exclusively online channel) operated from the United Kingdom,[citation needed] founded in 1997. Focusing mostly on electronic dance music and extreme sports, it is notable for the number of times it has failed financially only to be relaunched.
The channel was initially launched by the United Business Media group as a cable television channel on 22 November 1997. Due to common UBM ownership, the channel shared facilities with, and was broadcast from, the Anglia Television studios in Norwich. The channel was later carried free-to-view on the analogue transponder of FilmFour on Astra 1A at weekends,[citation needed] and eventually used this transponder full-time,[dubious – discuss] until closing its analogue service on 12 December 1999.[citation needed] Shortly before this, on 27 October 1999, the channel had moved to digital broadcasting via Sky Digital, where it launched in the general entertainment section of the EPG.
Rapture made agreements with cable companies in 1999, starting with NTL in January 1999, adding 700,000 potential households, and later in September with Cable & Wireless, effective 16 October, adding 850,000 potential households. The agreement with CWC also enabled the production of five programmes for CWC's Local Channel. In May 1999, it announced that Rapture TV would start a seven-day service from March 2000, a move that would double its production output. Rapture made a production agreement with BBC Choice to produce Problem Page, presented by Heather Darroch. In October 1999, Rapture TV made its first acquisition, Clubavision, produced by London Weekend Television, as well as an agreement with Channel 4 to relay thirty hours of its output per week. The channel made its first outside broadcast on 13 November 1999 at the Slope X snowboarding festival in Battersea Park. For New Year's Eve, the channel planned to air a five-part documentary about Radio 1 DJ Carl Cox's two gigs in Sydney and Honolulu.
A notable feature of the station during this time was its "Mouse Cam", broadcast as a time filler when the station was off-air. This featured some mice in a Habitrail-like setup, with shots changing between cameras. The station also featured one of the first SMS-based request shows during this era. A launch to ITV Digital was planned at this time, but never came to completion.
Co-founder Debbie Mason quit the channel in late January 2000, to spend more time with her family. The channel started its seven-day schedule on 7 February 2000, nearly a month ahead of the initial March 2000 target. Richard Kilgarriff left the channel in March, starting a platform of his own instead. Shortly afterwards, the channel announced a one-off celebrity special of That Film Show presented by Neil Stuke. Hobbins Sides devised a new identity for the channel in 2000, being implemented from 1 May that year. On 24 July, the channel was made available full-time on Sky Digital.
Rapture started facing difficulties in September 2000. On 27 September a meeting was being held at the now-defunct Rapture TV studio at Anglia's facilities, eyeing a massive cut of its staff, which before the crisis was estimated to be at 40. After the cuts were announced, Rapture greenlighted its first independent commission, Club Class and a co-production with Ministry of Sound to broadcast a concert held at the Millennium Dome.
The channel had never been profitable, and its average audiences were in the region of 100,000. UBM placed the channel on the market in January 2001, but as it was unable to find a buyer, UBM announced in September that it would close the channel later in 2001, pending a consultation regarding the date of its closedown, with the loss of 46 jobs and debts estimated at £12 million, before closing down on 31 October, notably playing "Rapture" by iio as its final track over pictures of the station staff. During this time, it had refocused almost entirely on dance music, and had moved to the music section of the EPG.
In April 2002, the channel's assets were bought by Edinburgh based independent production company Power TV, who had previously produced some shows for the channel. A temporary relaunch occurred to Channel 232 in June 2002, and lasted until August of the same year, when problems caused it to close again.