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{{article | publication = Financial Times | file = 1987-01-29 Financial Times p10.jpg | px = 550 | height = | width = | date = 1987-01-29 | author = Raymond Snoddy | pages = 10 | language = English | type = | description = | categories = | moreTitles = | morePublications = | moreDates = | text = Raymond Snoddy on the hopes behind Super Channel's launch Super Channel, the British satellite television channel for Europe, launches its service tomorrow to 6.4 m homes in 14 countries, one year to the day after the project was given the go-ahead by the independent television companies. Subscribers to cable networks as far ahead as Spain and Norway will be able to receive a 24-hour channel compiled from programmes from the ITV companies, the BBC and independent producers. The channel will be launched with the broadcast of a party. The first proper programmes will be a special edition of Game For A Laugh, the popular game show, to emphasise that Super Channel is primarily an entertainment channel, and Yorkshire Television's production of Romance on the Orient Express. But each week night there will also be a half-hour programme of European news specially produced for the channel by ITN under a contract worth more than 2 m Pounds (pds) a year. Granada Television is producing a weekly European version of What the Papers Say, featuring leading European journalists. Super Channel will compete directly with Mr Rupert Murdoch's Sky Channel, the general entertainment channel which is available to more than 7 m cable television homes in Europe but which is still losing money after four years. Sky lost 5.9 m pds last year although its advertising revenue rose to more than 8 m pds. Mr Richard Hooper, joint managing director with Mr Charles Levison of Super Channel, believes the pan-European television advertising market, worth about 10 m pds last year, might double this year, partly as a result of the channel. Super Channel is owned by 14 of the 15 ITV companies and Mr Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Only Thames Television decided against investing. The companies have already contributed 11 m pds in equity finance, 5 m pds in paid-up loan stock and 20 m pds in partly paid-up loan stock to be called in when needed. The annual running costs are expected to be in excess of 15 m pds a year. About a third of the channel's advertising revenue for the financial year to August has already been booked. The first advertiser will be Austin Rover, using satellite television for the first time. The launch of Super Channel coincides with the launch of the Rover 800 in Europe. Other companies to book advertising include Cadbury Schweppes, Mars, McDonalds, Nissan, Revlon and Coca Cola. Ten hours of pop music programmes a day will be provided by Music Box, the satellite channel that has merged its main activities with Super Channel. About 80 per cent of the remaining hours will be evenly divided between the ITV companies and BBC. The rest will be filled with programmes made by independent producers. Super Channel will pay between 2,000 pds and 2,500 pds an hour for the programmes which will be shown about a year after they appear on British television. The BBC, which is not a shareholder, will receive 22.5 per cent of eventual profits in return for making available programmes such as EastEnders, Dr Who and All Creatures Great and Small. "Our ambition is to be the premier English-language satellite channel," Mr Hooper said. Super Channel, which is based in London and has a staff of about 100, will be launched at parties in all the leading European capitals. Homes Receiving Super Channel Austria 210,000 Belgium 530,000 Denmark 25,000 Finland 245,000 France 27,000 W Germany 1,572,000 m Ireland 250,000 Luxembourg 71,000 Netherlands 2,410,000 m Norway 80,000 Sweden 182,000 Spain 9,000 Switzerland 705,000 UK 87,000 Total 6,403,000 *As at February 1 1987 }}

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