Sky 2, Start-Up, August 1997

[Chao772VersionIV]

Stevieg for some strange reason why is the video supossed to be in 4:3 aspect ratio can you explain to me why is there black sidebars while you have VHS recordings from a cable box (e.g. Sky1) back in 97'?

Is it because of the Sky analogue opt out or something?

[AnthonyUK]

Did cable ever carry Wereldomroep Zomer TV from the Granada Talk TV channel from the Astra 1D satellite or did they block it out with the guide or carry the sound and a NYNEX/C&W slide as here? Astra satellite viewers always got Wereldomroep Zomer TV after Granada Talk TV from 18.00-22.00UK(19.00-23.00CET).

[steviegTVreturns]

@AnthonyUK How long did Wereldomroep Zomer TV last? As I'm certain Sky Scottish was always carried after Granada Talk went off air at 6pm/UK. But for us this channel wasn't carried on at all IIRC. We'd only had a Cable a couple of weeks when I recorded this, some stations off air displayed a slide with the audio, some had the Channel Guide with Sky Radio or something like that.

[AnthonyUK]

@steviegTVreturns when Sky Scottish stopped broadcasting for good, in the summer of that year Wereldomroep Zomer TV launched initially for a summer tv broadcast targeting Dutch viewers all over Europe via the Astra 1D satellite using the Granada Talk TV transponder in clear PAL for four solid hours from 18.00h-22.00h UK(19.00-23.00h CET). I think it lasted two or three years or maybe two. Some cable operators apparently carried it by mistake and forgot to switch it off.

[steviegTVreturns]

@AnthonyUK Granada Talk ended in August 1997, Sky Scottish ended in March/April 1998, as Sky put on Sky Box Office 3 on that transponder in December 1997, initially only between 8pm and 6am, but this later became 8pm-6pm, the 2 hours inbetween obviously for Sky Scottish, whether this station was only around for a short period in 1996/7, but I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have been there by December 1997.

[AnthonyUK]

@steviegTVreturns Must have been during the summer downtime hours I think in 1995 until 1997 when Wereldomroep Zomer TV took the airtime between 18.00-22.00UK on Granada Talk TV's Astra 1D transponder in PAL clear. I used to watch it myself(even though I don't speak Dutch) on Astra 1D using an 80cm PACE PRD900 satellite receiver and Philips Matchline 32in stereo TV connected with SCART leads with the 7.02/7.20Mhz PANDA1 stereo audio on 7.02/7.20Mhz PANDA 1 output through the hifi on phono leads.

[leeirisray]

telewest never had sky2 and to Virgin Media came a along and takeover but ntl had sky2

[AnthonyUK]

I like the Macarena style trailer with rap!

[myanthony1]

Sky 2 Ident 2:49 - 2:57

[AnthonyUK]

Why do cablecos put satellitechannels on different slots to what is transmitted on satellite if several channels are transmitted on the same satellite transponders? If I set up cable across the UK I would have carried the shared UK channels on the same cable slots from their satellite transponders rather than mix and chop the variety across different ones.

[AnthonyUK]

You thought NYNEX cablecomms would have carried Fox Kids before Sky 2 being an Astra feed from 19.2degE!

[steviegTVreturns]

They never did. When it became Cable & Wireless soon after it took them until October 98 to add Fox Kids. It took them til January 98 to add National Geographic despite the fact it replaced Sky2 in Sept 97. Even more oddly CWC placed NGC on the same channel as Granada Good Life/Breeze.

[AnthonyUK]

@steviegTVreturns So an hour of programme guide before NGC at 7pm on granada goodlife/breeze?

[steviegTVreturns]

Yep that was the case 6-7pm, then when they bothered to put Fox Kids on NGC, Breeze moved to Ch48 sharing with MUTV. The channel that held Sky 2 originally was given over to BBC News 24 about 2 months after.

[kargaroc386]

FX would be the equivalent of this channel in the US.

[steviegTVreturns]

We have FX (and FX HD) available in the UK now, and I agree it's similar, it's just that our FX has alot of Family Guy on it.

[ROTSSisalive]

and others like American Dad, King of the Hill and JAG

[kargaroc386]

and then sky would rename sky1 to FOX Europe because they are pretty much identical (i think)

[myanthony1]

Do you have any Sky 2 closedowns?

[jsam93]

Married-With Children: one of the best american sitcoms of all time, probably second only to M*A*S*H!

[incy247]

Do you have anymore Sky 2 start ups?

[Kargaroc286]

were u on cable then?