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Originally Posted by OLD BOY
I would be most surprised if such a channel were not commercially viable.
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I'd argue that the fact we have had a soap channel then lost it means that such a channel is less viable than you'd think.
The problem is it often isn't just a case of digging up the old tapes or film (assuming either exist), sticking it in a player then pressing "play".
The channel showing the programme would need to be able to obtain the rights to the show. That may also involve getting the actor's permission to show it, and they would also need to secure rights to any music used as well as any programmes shown within the show.
Admittedly, the last two don't really apply to soaps as such because the only soaps I know of that use any music apart from the theme are Hollyoaks and Holby City.
Take, for instance, the Royle Family. You'll find that the early episodes of this are rarely, if ever, shown on any TV channel. Why? It's not as if it didn't get good viewing figures and it probably would again. No, the reason is probably that the family themselves often had the TV on in the background and it was frequently playing other shows produced by Granada (who actually filmed it) including Coronation Street,
Now, they can blur the screen and should be able to remove the sound from the soundtrack (if they have recorded the soundtrack properly, it should be on a multi track tape and the TV sound should be on a different channel to the actors). They can also digitally alter the image on the screen to something else, although this last option is expensive to do, so while it may be done for special occasions, they are unlikely to do it for most showings of old soaps.
Now, while UK Gold did all this, and clearly found it viable for years, they obviously reached a point where it was no longer viable. Either that or they were funded by Venture Capitalists for years and they suddenly demanded a profit.