Channel 5 Takeover - Viacom: Viacom Closes Acquisition of Channel 5

The following is from Viacom:

Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc., today announced the completion of its £450M acquisition of Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from Northern & Shell Media Group.

Made in Cardiff reveal launch date

Local TV broadcaster "Made TV" has just reveal that Made in Cardiff will launch on October 15th on Sky, Freeview and Virgin Channel 159.

Confirmed: Smallworld customers started to move over to Virgin Media

Virgin Media sources has told Media Boy HQ that Smallworld customers started being brought over to Virgin on August 26th.

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Digital Spy: Two new red button channels plus Tru TV testing on Virgn Media?

Digital Spy Forum poster "Sirius C" says Virgin Media are testing TruTV and two red button channels out.

Made in TV confirmed two channels to launch in Bristol and Leeds on Virgin Media

Local TV Broadcaster "Made in TV" has confirmed the following tonight on Twitter:

Virgin Media add CBS amd Horror to M Package until December 1st

Virgin Media have added the following Entertainment channels to the M Package until December 1st:

Channel 5 Takeover - Broadcast: Viacom poised to seal C5 deal

Story thanks to Broadcastnow:

Viacom’s £450m acquisition of Channel 5 is set to close next month and the two companies have opened content-sharing talks.

Local TV update extra

Here is up-to-date news on Local TV in the UK and Northern Ireland:

Local TV round up

Belfast Local TV Channel NvTV has confirmed that they will relaunch on Freeview on September 29th.

Also viewers in Brighton & Hove can now turn into tests for Latest TV (Launching on Thursday). Latest TV will also launch on Virgin Channel 159 in the Brighton & Hove area.

Broadcast: Sony completes CSC acquisition

Broadcast is reporting that Sony Pictures Television has completed its acquisition of CSC Media Group and its 16 UK channels.

The Hollywood studio has finalised a deal first agreed in June with private equity backer Veronis Suhler Stevenson, which will give it access to a slew of music, movie and kids channels as well as two Freeview slots.

Local TV on Virgin Media update

Local TV on Virgin Media update:

Made TV says both Made in Bristol* and Made in Leeds** will only launch on Sky and Freeview on their web site.

Sky Sports Open Day: Enjoy all 6 Sky Sports channels at no extra cost

From Virgin Media.com:

Reserve the best spot on the sofa for Sky Sports Open Day and get ready for a day of sporting action to remember. It’s a chance for all Virgin Media TV customers to enjoy a day of world-class sport at no extra cost. From 6am on Saturday 16th August until 6am on Sunday 17th August even if you don't have a Sky Sports subscription, you could watch all the sporting action across Sky Sports 1 – 5 & F1. Also available to all in HD.

Sky Sports 5 launches on Virgin Media

Virgin Media has today added both Sky Sports 5 (On Virgin Channel 506) and Sky Sports 5 HD (On Virgin Channel 516) plus Sky Sports News has also been rebranded as Sky Sports News HQ on Virgin Channel 501.

Media Guardian: Birmingham local TV service launch date unrealistic, say potential bidders

Story from Media Guardian:

Rival bidders for Birmingham’s local TV licence say it is now impossible to launch a quality television service before the government’s deadline, following the collapse of the company that won the bid almost two years ago.

Media Guardian: Birmingham’s City TV goes bust

Story from MediaGuardian.com:

Birmingham’s City TV has become the first of Jeremy Hunt’s ambitious network of local TV stations to go bust.

Sheffield Live Television to launch on September 23rd

Sheffield's Local TV Channel Sheffield Live Television has confirmed today that they will launch on Freeview Channel 8 and Virgin Channel 159 in the Crosspool aka Tapton Hill Transmitter areas.

BBC News: Murdoch runs out of Time

Story thanks to BBC Online:

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox has withdrawn its bid to purchase US entertainment giant Time Warner Inc for an estimated $80bn (£47bn).

Digital Spy: Darts coming to Sky2 and Challenge this month

Sky are to broadcast live Darts on Sky2 and Challenge later this month:

Radio Times: Sky Sports News HQ to be shown up to FIVE hours a day on Sky Sports 5

Radio Times has confirmed that from August 13th Sky Sports News HQ will be shown on Sky Sports 5 every weekday from:

• 6am to 9am.
• 1pm to 2pm.
• and 6pm to 7pm.

Confirmed: Tru TV in talks with Virgin Media

From Tru TV UK Twitter page: