BBC World Service Television

2025-07-14T19:48:33Z

2A02:C7E:3194:8E00:A89C:D6E0:1621:4084: /* Rebranding and reorganisation */

{{short description|Former BBC international satellite television channels}}
{{About|the BBC's international television services|the radio channel|BBC World Service}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}{{Infobox television channel
| name = BBC World Service Television<br>BBC WSTV (Asia)
| logo = File:BBC logo (pre97).svg
| logo_caption =
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_alt =
| image =
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1991|3|11|df=y}}<ref name="MacDonald">[https://books.google.com/books?id=Yl_gAAAAMAAJ&q=%2211+March%22 ''Broadcasting in the United Kingdom: A Guide to Information Sources''], Barrie I. MacDonald, Mansell, 1993, page 84</ref>
| closed_date = {{End date and age|1995|1|26|df=y}}
| picture_format = [[576i]] ([[4:3]] [[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| network = [[BBC]]
| owner = [[BBC]]
| country = UK
| area = Worldwide
| headquarters = [[BBC Television Centre]]
| former_names =
| replaced = [[BBC TV Europe]]
| replaced_by = [[BBC News (international TV channel)|BBC World]]<br>[[BBC Prime]]
| sister_channels =
| timeshift_service =
| website =
| terr_serv_1 =
| terr_chan_1 =
| cable_serv_1 =
| cable_chan_1 =
}}
'''BBC World Service Television''', often abbreviated to '''WSTV''' (World Service Television), was the name of two [[BBC]] international [[satellite television]] channels between 1991 and 1995. It was the BBC's first foray into worldwide television broadcasting. In Europe, it was the successor to [[BBC TV Europe]], which it replaced on 11 March 1991.<ref name="MacDonald" /> The service was also launched in Asia as a 24-hour news and information service with minor differences, a precursor to [[BBC World News]], launched on 14 October 1991.<ref name="BBC 70 years">{{cite book|last=Cain|first=John|title=The BBC: 70 years of broadcasting|year=1992|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|location=London|isbn=0563367504|pages=142, 143 and 151}}</ref>

Unlike the [[BBC World Service]] at the time, it was not funded by the British government through a grant-in-aid.<ref name="Immerfall">[https://books.google.com/books?id=MO_zF5woowQC&dq=%22BBC+World+Service+Television%22&pg=PA112 ''Territoriality in the Globalizing Society: one place or none? : with 5 figures and 8 tables''], Stefan Immerfall, Springer Science & Business Media, 14 May 1998, page 112</ref> Instead, it was funded either by subscription or by commercial advertising, with advertisements inserted locally by individual cable or satellite providers. News headlines, trailers and other updates, known as "break fillers", were inserted to fill gaps in cases where no commercials were broadcast by the local provider.

==Availability==

===Europe===
In Europe, BBC WSTV replaced BBC TV Europe on 11 March 1991 as the BBC's subscription-funded entertainment service.<ref name="BBC 70 years"/> Like BBC TV Europe, it was a mix of [[BBC One|BBC1]] and [[BBC Two|BBC2]]. However, in place of BBC TV Europe's near-continuous direct rebroadcast of BBC1 and schedule pattern timed to UK time ([[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]/[[British Summer Time|BST]]), it had a schedule pattern more synchronised to [[Central European Time]] and many of its first-run programmes were timeshifted to more suitable times for viewing in CET, as well as showing specially commissioned ''World Service News'' bulletins from [[BBC Television Centre|Television Centre]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=IH0jAQAAMAAJ&q=%22bbc+tv+europe%22 ''Combroad''], Issues 86-93, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, 1990, page 39</ref> The '''BBC World Service News''' studio looked like the BBC's domestic news, though with different graphics and an on-screen logo. The station also broadcast its own [[Children's BBC]] junctions from Presentation Studio A.

===Outside Europe===
Outside Europe, BBC World Service Television was the name of the 24-hour news, information and current affairs service, launched in Asia on 14 October 1991 as carried by [[Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific|Star TV]], and also available from [[Turkey]] to [[South Korea]] on [[AsiaSat]].<ref name="BBC 70 years"/> Competing against [[CNN International]], it showed current affairs and documentary programming from BBC One and BBC Two in addition to ''BBC World Service News'' with entertainment programs aired on [[Star World|Star Plus]]. Explaining why the company choose to carry BBC WSTV instead of CNN, [[Richard Li]], who was head of Star TV at the time, cited American bias projected in CNN's coverage of the [[Gulf War]], in an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Michael |title=BBC and CNN Test Asia's News Tastes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/02/business/worldbusiness/IHT-bbc-and-cnn-test-asias-news-tastes.html |access-date=30 December 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |issue=2 October 1991}}</ref>

[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]], of [[Rupert Murdoch]], began acquiring Star TV in 1993. In March 1994, the BBC and Star TV reached a deal after an out of court settlement, that would gradually drop BBC World Service Television from the satellite broadcaster's offerings. BBC WSTV would be dropped from the channel line-up for the Northeast Asia by mid-April that year, but would be available in the rest of Asia until 31 March 1996.<ref name="UPI-94MAR22">"[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/22/Murdochs-STAR-TV-to-drop-BBC/9394764312400/ Murdoch's STAR TV to drop BBC]" UPI March 22, 1994</ref><ref>Dawtrey, Adam "[https://variety.com/1994/tv/news/bbc-star-tv-to-split-in-parts-of-asia-119420/ BBC, Star TV to split in parts of Asia]" ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' March 21, 1994</ref><ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/look-what-happened-in-asia-the-bbcs-world-service-television-is-a-sure-winner-but-it-needs-better-1432177.html Look what happened in Asia: The BBC's World Service Television is a sure winner, but it needs better backing if it is to keep its audiences, says Jonathan Eyal], ''[[The Independent]]'', 27 March 1994</ref>

BBC World Service Television programming was also carried in Africa on [[M-Net]], launched on 15 April 1992, for 11 hours a day.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fGMOAQAAMAAJ&q=%22BBC+World+Service+Television%22++ ''Africa Research Bulletin: Political, social, and cultural series''], Volume 29, Blackwell, 1992, page 10559</ref> In [[Canada]], its bulletins were carried on [[CBC News Network|CBC Newsworld]] several times a day.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DJQHAQAAMAAJ&q=CBC+Newsworld ''BBC Worldwide'' The BBC World Service Magazine], Issues 9-14, November 1993</ref>

BBC World Service Television news broadcasts were aired on Malaysia's [[TV1 (Malaysian TV network)|TV1]] until May 1994, with the BBC demanding that it would stop supply their content to Malaysia and should air their content without cuts,<ref>{{cite news |title=RTM axes BBC news programmes |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19940505-1.2.14.6.3 |access-date=15 December 2023 |work=Business Times |date=5 May 1994}}</ref> which TV1's operator [[Radio Television Malaysia|RTM]] think is unfair.<ref name="other" /> It also said that the BBC ignored priorities and cultural values of Asians.<ref name="other">{{cite news |title=RTM to use other news sources after BBC boycott |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940502-1.2.22.4 |access-date=15 December 2023 |work=The Straits Times |date=2 May 1994}}</ref>

==Presentation==
{{see also|Computer Originated World#BBC World Service Television}}
The channel from 1991 until c.1994 used the presentation device of a rotating world: the [[Computer Originated World]], which had previously been used on BBC One between 1985 and 1991. The world symbol remained the same, but the legend at the bottom was altered to a [[Logo of the BBC#1980s|BBC logo]] with an italic "World Service" beneath. Promotional style and static programme captions mirrored that of BBC1 and 2 at the time and featured the globe symbol above a small BBC logo in the top left corner of promotions and on captions. The sidebar of captions featured a vague wispy line style, similar to that used by WSTV bulletins.<ref name=youtube>{{cite web|title=BBC World Service TV 1992|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=henrdyozbzQ&NR=1 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/henrdyozbzQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|publisher=YouTube|access-date=18 September 2011}}{{cbignore}} YouTube video of BBC WSTV continuity including idents, captions and promotions.</ref> The channel also used a break bumper featuring the globe, and a promo bumper featuring the COW globe split into lines to the side and bottom.<ref name=TBS>{{cite web|title=BBC World Service Television |url=http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/intertel/gallery/bbcworld.php |work=Intertel |publisher=Transdiffusion Broadcasting System |access-date=18 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608074616/http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/intertel/gallery/bbcworld.php |archive-date=8 June 2011 }} Contains images and video clips of News, Weather and break and promo bumpers.</ref>

Around the time of the relaunch, BBC WSTV adopted a variation of the flag look later to be used by [[BBC World News|BBC World]], which only featured a BBC logo.<ref name=TVARK>{{cite web|last=Walker|first=Hayden|title=BBC World 1991|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/bbcworld/1991.html|publisher=TVARK|access-date=18 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505191537/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/bbcworld/1991.html|archive-date=5 May 2012|url-status=usurped}} Contains news clips from the channel, and an ident used on BBC WSTV.</ref><ref name=TVWorld>{{cite web|title=BBC World|url=http://home.clara.net/jim.edwards/bbcwrld.htm|publisher=TV World|access-date=18 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010306233136/http://home.clara.net/jim.edwards/bbcwrld.htm|archive-date=6 March 2001|url-status=dead}} Contains images and previously video of BBC WSTV continuity.</ref>

The channel had a permanent [[Digital on-screen graphic|DOG]] of the BBC logo in the top right corner of the screen.<ref name=TVARK/>

==Rebranding and reorganisation==
On Thursday, 26 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT, BBC World Service Television was split into two new channels at [[BBC Television Centre]] in [[White City, London|White City]]:
*'''[[BBC World]]''' (since renamed [[BBC News (International)|BBC News]]): 24-hour English free-to-air terrestrial international news channel, officially launched on Monday 16 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT.
* '''[[BBC Prime]]''' (since replaced by [[BBC Entertainment]]): 24-hour English cable lifestyle, variety, and entertainment channel, officially launched on Monday 30 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT.<ref name=TVARK1995>{{cite web|title=BBC World 1995|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/bbcworld/1995.html|publisher=TVARK|access-date=18 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318042746/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/bbcworld/1995.html|archive-date=18 March 2012|url-status=usurped}} Contains video of pre-launch caption, and of the simultaneous launch of BBC World and BBC Prime.</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|border=no|BBC|World}}
* [[BBC TV Europe]]
* [[BBC Arabic Television]]
* [[BBC World Service]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.transdiffusion.org/intertel/gallery/bbcworld/ BBC World Service Television idents] at Transdiffusion
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010306233136/http://home.clara.net/jim.edwards/bbcwrld.htm BBC World Service Television idents including past BBC World] at TV World - Videos are no longer available
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120505191537/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/bbcworld/1991.html TVARK BBC World Service Television]}}

{{Star TV}}
{{BBC Television}}
{{BBC World Service}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bbc World Service Television}}
[[Category:Defunct BBC television channels]]
[[Category:International BBC television channels]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1991]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 1995]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1995 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]

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BBC World Service Television