BBC America
Encyclopedia
BBC America is an American television
network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide
, and available on both cable
and satellite
.
and other British television broadcasters like ITV
and Channel 4
.
In the early days, the channel focused on repeats of popular lifestyle shows such as Changing Rooms
and Ground Force
. BBC America's head of television program
ming later stated that it was important for the channel to establish a niche since non-UK viewers found the lifestyle shows appealing. The evening schedule is where most new programming would appear.
The network removed the popular British soap opera
EastEnders
from the schedules in 2003 after low ratings, but provoked a high number of complaints from viewers which caught the attention of the media.
After CEO Paul Lee moved to ABC Family
, the network appointed Bill Hilary from Comedy Central
. He appointed Kathryn Mitchell to the newly created position of GM. Under Hilary's tenure, BBC America was restructured; it moved its main offices to New York City and saw its programming budget increase substantially.
The channel was led by Garth Ancier
, who was the president of BBC Worldwide Americas from February 2007 until 2010, when he was succeeded by former MTV Networks
executive Herb Scannell
. Meanwhile, Perry Simon serves as general manager.
and parent company of the Discovery Channel
, which also handled affiliate and advertising sales until this moved in-house on April 1, 2008.
The network is not subject to funding from the UK licence fee
by law: the BBC cannot fund any of its channels that are not available in the United Kingdom. As this is the case, the channel carries advertisements.
on both Bermuda CableVision's digital cable TV service, and the WOW (World on Wireless) service. It is also available in the US Pacific territory of Guam
on MCV Broadband
cable service and GTA TeleGuam's IPTV
service, the only territory outside North America where the channel is available.
programming on many U.S. digital cable systems. These video-on-demand programs are usually available for two to four weeks before being rotated out. These programs are offered commercial-free though they are interrupted for network promos.
.
version of BBC America, is carried nationally by Dish Network
, and regionally on Time Warner Cable
,Cox Communications
and some smaller providers.
Most of the non-news programming is edited either for adult content or to allow for commercials. However, occasionally comedy shows run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks and a few first run drama programs in a longer block that allow them to run to their original broadcast length, though adult content is still edited.
series of TV movies and co-produced with ITV
; also The State Within
and Jekyll which were co-productions with the BBC. On April 26, 2011, BBC America announced that it was co-producing The Fades
, a supernatural drama set to air in it's "Supernatural Saturday" line up later this year.
In May 2011, BBC America commissioned a pilot based on the podcast
The Nerdist, hosted by its creator, American comedian Chris Hardwick
. A pilot special for The Nerdist aired on September 24, 2011, with five additional episodes ordered for December 2011.
In November 2011, the network announced they had commissioned a pilot for a television version of the NPR
panel game
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
to be aired in December 2011
The weekday morning (6:00–9:00 am ET) simulcast which included BBC World News newscasts, World Business Report
, Sport Today, Asia Today and a one-hour newscast called World News Today
, was canceled for a brief period without any announcement on April 6, 2009. The weekend morning (6:00–6:30 am ET) simulcast was also abruptly canceled on April 4, 2009. According to BBC America the simulcast was canceled because of disappointing ratings. BBC World News was replaced in its morning time slot by re-runs of Cash in The Attic and Gordon Ramsay's F Word. The morning simulcast returned on May 18, 2009 and now airs from 4:00–8:00 am on weekdays. The weekday morning simulcast now includes BBC World News newscasts, World Business Report, Sport Today, and GMT with George Alagiah
.
From 2007 to 2011, BBC America aired BBC World News America
, presented live from Washington by Matt Frei
. Katty Kay
served as Washington correspondent. On February 18, 2011, it was announced that BBC World News America would be discontinued on BBC America and would instead be airing only on BBC World
and local PBS stations in the United States.
The network was in discussions to unveil a weekly news program fronted by Newsnight
host Jeremy Paxman
. He was to introduce a synopsis of Newsnight items with an international aspect and was expected to bring his brash interviewing style to bear on American politicians. "Jeremy Paxman is the sort of person that Americans will just eat up," Garth Ancier
told the Financial Times
. An international edition of Newsnight debuted on February 29, 2008, in the 10 pm time slot. This program was canceled in November 2008, but the cancellation was not announced until April 2009.
During major breaking news situations, the network will sometimes take BBC World News's coverage and pre-empt regular programming. The London Bombings in July 2005
were one such example. However, BBC World News itself is not currently widely available in the US as a separate channel (although it does appear on several cable systems throughout the United States, generally in lieu of BBC America; one previous example is the New York based service Cablevision which until August 2011, did not carry BBC America) or in a 30-minute telecast on public television stations daily.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
, and available on both cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
.
History
The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC TelevisionBBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
and other British television broadcasters like ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
In the early days, the channel focused on repeats of popular lifestyle shows such as Changing Rooms
Changing Rooms
Changing room may refer to:*changeroom, a room or enclosure in a clothing store where customers may try on clothes before purchasing them*Changing Rooms, a BBC television series*The Changing Room, a stage play by David Storey...
and Ground Force
Ground Force
Ground Force was a British garden makeover television series originally broadcast by the BBC between 1997 and 2005. The series was originally hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh and was produced by Endemol for the BBC.-Production:...
. BBC America's head of television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
ming later stated that it was important for the channel to establish a niche since non-UK viewers found the lifestyle shows appealing. The evening schedule is where most new programming would appear.
The network removed the popular British soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
from the schedules in 2003 after low ratings, but provoked a high number of complaints from viewers which caught the attention of the media.
After CEO Paul Lee moved to ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, the network appointed Bill Hilary from Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. He appointed Kathryn Mitchell to the newly created position of GM. Under Hilary's tenure, BBC America was restructured; it moved its main offices to New York City and saw its programming budget increase substantially.
The channel was led by Garth Ancier
Garth Ancier
Garth Ancier is a media executive best known for being one of only two people to have programmed three of the five US broadcast television networks .He is the former President of BBC Worldwide America and...
, who was the president of BBC Worldwide Americas from February 2007 until 2010, when he was succeeded by former MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
executive Herb Scannell
Herb Scannell
Herb Scannell, is the president of BBC Worldwide America.-Early years:Scannell was born in Long Island, New York to an Irish father and Puerto Rican mother as the youngest of four. He received his primary and secondary education in his hometown. His mother taught him Spanish at home helping him to...
. Meanwhile, Perry Simon serves as general manager.
Distribution and availability
BBC America is distributed in association with Discovery Networks, the United States division of Discovery CommunicationsDiscovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
and parent company of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, which also handled affiliate and advertising sales until this moved in-house on April 1, 2008.
The network is not subject to funding from the UK licence fee
Television licence
A television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...
by law: the BBC cannot fund any of its channels that are not available in the United Kingdom. As this is the case, the channel carries advertisements.
Outside the US
BBC America is available in BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on both Bermuda CableVision's digital cable TV service, and the WOW (World on Wireless) service. It is also available in the US Pacific territory of Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on MCV Broadband
MCV Broadband
MCV Broadband is a Telecommunications company headquartered in Dededo, Guam that specializes in Cable television, telephone, and broadband ISPs...
cable service and GTA TeleGuam's IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
service, the only territory outside North America where the channel is available.
On Demand
BBC America On Demand refers to a selection of BBC America programs available as video on demandVideo on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
programming on many U.S. digital cable systems. These video-on-demand programs are usually available for two to four weeks before being rotated out. These programs are offered commercial-free though they are interrupted for network promos.
iTunes Store
As of Q2 2008, select BBC America Shows are available on Apple's iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Zune Marketplace
As of June 2009, select BBC America shows are available on Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.BBC America HD
BBC America HD, a high definition simulcastSimulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
version of BBC America, is carried nationally by Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, and regionally on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
,Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
and some smaller providers.
Programming
The following is a list of some of the programming that is currently airing on the channel. While many of the shows were produced by the BBC, some of the shows were produced by other British networks. There are also some re-runs of American programming.- BBC World News
- Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
- BedlamBedlam (TV series)Bedlam is a British supernatural drama television series created by David Allison, Neil Jones and Chris Parker for Sky Living. It first aired on February 7, 2011. Series regulars include Theo James, Will Young, Charlotte Salt, Ashley Madekwe, and Hugo Speer. The season finale was aired on March...
- Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
- Free AgentsFree AgentsFree Agents is a romantic black comedy starring Stephen Mangan, Sharon Horgan and Anthony Head. Originally a pilot for Channel 4 in November 2007, the series began on 13 February 2009. It spawned a short lived US remake, which was cancelled after just 4 episodes aired.-Plot:Alex works for CMA, a...
(upcoming) - Gordon Ramsay's F Word
- The Graham Norton ShowThe Graham Norton ShowThe Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
- Katy Brand's Big Ass ShowKaty Brand's Big Ass ShowKaty Brand's Big Ass Show is a British comedy programme on ITV2.The show features comedian Katy Brand in skits of real life situations and stereotypes, as well and celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Adele and Kate Winslet.The second series began on 2 September...
(upcoming)' - Kitchen NightmaresKitchen NightmaresKitchen Nightmares is an American reality television series broadcast on the Fox network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The show is produced by ITV Studios...
- Law and Order UK
- The Nerdist (upcoming)
- Ramsay's Kitchen NightmaresRamsay's Kitchen NightmaresRamsay's Kitchen Nightmares is a television programme featuring British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning programme debuted on Channel 4 in 2004....
- Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
- State of Play (upcoming)
- Top Gear
- TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
- The TudorsThe TudorsThe Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
(upcoming) - WhitechapelWhitechapel (TV series)Whitechapel is a three-part British television drama series produced by Carnival Films, which first broadcast in the UK on 2 February 2009 and which dealt with the murders of Jack the Ripper....
- The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
Most of the non-news programming is edited either for adult content or to allow for commercials. However, occasionally comedy shows run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks and a few first run drama programs in a longer block that allow them to run to their original broadcast length, though adult content is still edited.
Original programming
In the mid 2000s, BBC America produced a few of its own shows along with some joint productions. This has included Sharpe's Challenge, part of the SharpeSharpe (TV series)
Sharpe is a British series of television dramas starring Sean Bean about Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is the hero of a number of novels by Bernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books...
series of TV movies and co-produced with ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
; also The State Within
The State Within
The State Within is a 2006 Seven-episode British television political drama, written by Lizzie Mickery and Daniel Percival, produced by Grainne Marmion as a joint BBC–BBC America production, that was broadcast by BBC1 in the United Kingdom from Thursday, 2 November 2006.The protagonist of The State...
and Jekyll which were co-productions with the BBC. On April 26, 2011, BBC America announced that it was co-producing The Fades
The Fades (TV series)
The Fades is a British supernatural drama television series broadcast on BBC Three and BBC HD. The first of six episodes aired on 21 September 2011....
, a supernatural drama set to air in it's "Supernatural Saturday" line up later this year.
In May 2011, BBC America commissioned a pilot based on the podcast
Podcasting
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
The Nerdist, hosted by its creator, American comedian Chris Hardwick
Chris Hardwick
Christopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist...
. A pilot special for The Nerdist aired on September 24, 2011, with five additional episodes ordered for December 2011.
In November 2011, the network announced they had commissioned a pilot for a television version of the NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
to be aired in December 2011
Newscasts
BBC America simulcast several newscasts during the day from its sister channel, BBC World News.The weekday morning (6:00–9:00 am ET) simulcast which included BBC World News newscasts, World Business Report
World Business Report
World Business Report is a television business news programme produced by BBC News and shown daily on BBC World News and the BBC News channel. The programme is broadcast 10 times daily Monday - Thursday and 9 times daily on Fridays. The main presenters of the programme are Tanya Beckett, Sally...
, Sport Today, Asia Today and a one-hour newscast called World News Today
World News Today
World News Today is a current affairs news programme produced by BBC News and presented by Zeinab Badawi. It was originally conceived as a morning television show aimed at American audiences, hosted by George Alagiah, but later expanded to six editions a day aimed at different markets...
, was canceled for a brief period without any announcement on April 6, 2009. The weekend morning (6:00–6:30 am ET) simulcast was also abruptly canceled on April 4, 2009. According to BBC America the simulcast was canceled because of disappointing ratings. BBC World News was replaced in its morning time slot by re-runs of Cash in The Attic and Gordon Ramsay's F Word. The morning simulcast returned on May 18, 2009 and now airs from 4:00–8:00 am on weekdays. The weekday morning simulcast now includes BBC World News newscasts, World Business Report, Sport Today, and GMT with George Alagiah
George Alagiah
George Maxwell Alagiah OBE is a British newsreader, journalist and television news presenter.Since 3 December 2007, he has been the sole presenter of the BBC News at Six and has also been the main presenter of GMT on BBC World News since its launch on 1 February 2010...
.
From 2007 to 2011, BBC America aired BBC World News America
BBC World News America
BBC World News America is a current affairs news programme produced by BBC World News to be shown initially for American audiences. It's presented by Katty Kay, who was announced the main anchor in September 2011....
, presented live from Washington by Matt Frei
Matt Frei
Matthias Frei better known as Matt Frei is a German-born British television news journalist and writer, presently the Washington, D.C. correspondent for Channel 4 News.-Personal life:...
. Katty Kay
Katty Kay
Katty Kay is an English journalist and correspondent, based at the Washington, D.C. bureau of BBC News. She also blogs at the website True/Slant and is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Biography:...
served as Washington correspondent. On February 18, 2011, it was announced that BBC World News America would be discontinued on BBC America and would instead be airing only on BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
and local PBS stations in the United States.
The network was in discussions to unveil a weekly news program fronted by Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
host Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
. He was to introduce a synopsis of Newsnight items with an international aspect and was expected to bring his brash interviewing style to bear on American politicians. "Jeremy Paxman is the sort of person that Americans will just eat up," Garth Ancier
Garth Ancier
Garth Ancier is a media executive best known for being one of only two people to have programmed three of the five US broadcast television networks .He is the former President of BBC Worldwide America and...
told the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
. An international edition of Newsnight debuted on February 29, 2008, in the 10 pm time slot. This program was canceled in November 2008, but the cancellation was not announced until April 2009.
During major breaking news situations, the network will sometimes take BBC World News's coverage and pre-empt regular programming. The London Bombings in July 2005
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
were one such example. However, BBC World News itself is not currently widely available in the US as a separate channel (although it does appear on several cable systems throughout the United States, generally in lieu of BBC America; one previous example is the New York based service Cablevision which until August 2011, did not carry BBC America) or in a 30-minute telecast on public television stations daily.
External links
- BBC America website
- Anglophenia—BBC America's blog