Media Boy
Quote:
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Also I think ViacomCBS will use Paramount Network old slot on Freeview from January 7th for Smithsonian Channel as they part own it.
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I don't think the merger has progressed far enough internally in the US, let alone the UK, for it to simply be passed over.
C5's Ben Frow only very recently got put in charge of other UK bits of Viacom, and that's the parts before CBS came back into the picture.
https://tbivision.com/2019/11/28/cha...ontent-budget/
The CBS channels in Europe are co-owned with AMC Networks International.
Oddly Smithsonian Channel UK does seem to be have same ownership as the US one. Odd because Smithsonian Channel is run in conjunction with Blue Ant Media in many countries.
https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2019...onal-presence/
However I
think the
main problem is the channel licensee needs to be the same to enable it.
On the DTT part of the Ofcom website:
Paramount Network's Licensee
Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/ra...untnetwork.htm
And Smithsonian Channel's Licensee is
SNI/SI Networks LLC
http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/ra...ianchannel.htm
Rules involving ownership have stopped certain things happening on Freeview before.
It's quite possible Smithsonian Channel will end up with one of the 3 full slots (ex-E4+1, ex-TBN or ex-5Spike), but if they do end up with 5Spike's slot it will be up to Arqiva. I think C5 would have to give up the slot for Smithsonian to simply have a
chance get it, because they are still legally separate entities in UK.
And C5 haven't said they are giving up the slot. If they aren't, the only obvious internal channel choices to take the 5Spike slot are 5Star+1, 5USA+1 and Paramount Network +1 as they all have C5 as their licensee.