BBC America

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American pay television networkTemplate:SHORTDESC:American pay television network

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**BBC America** is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series).

Unlike the BBC's domestic channels in the United Kingdom, BBC America does not receive funding from the British licence fee (which is the principal funding for the BBC's channels within the United Kingdom), as the BBC cannot fund any of its channels that are available outside the United Kingdom. Consequently, BBC America operates as a commercial-supported channel and accepts traditional advertising. It is also funded by television subscription fees.

As of September 2018, BBC America is available to about 80.9 million television households (87.8% of pay television customers) in the United States.

## History

BBC America was launched on March 29, 1998, presenting a mixture of comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters including ITV and Channel 4. In the channel's early days, it focused on repeats of popular lifestyle shows such as *Changing Rooms* and *Ground Force*. BBC America's head of television programming later stated that it was important for the channel to establish a niche since non-UK viewers found the lifestyle shows appealing. Most of the newer programs appeared as part of BBC America's evening schedule.

The network removed the popular British soap opera *EastEnders* from its schedule in 2003 due to low ratings; however the program's removal from BBC America provoked complaints from viewers, which caught media attention.

After CEO Paul Lee was appointed president of ABC Family in 2009, the network appointed Bill Hilary from Comedy Central to serve as its chief executive officer. Hilary appointed Kathryn Mitchell to the new position of general manager. Under Hilary's tenure, BBC America was restructured; it moved its main offices to New York City and had its programming budget increase substantially. The channel was led by Garth Ancier, who served as 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.

In 2014, AMC Networks acquired a 49.9% equity stake in BBC America for $200 million, and replaced Discovery Communications as its management partner. As part of the deal, AMC Networks also took on the responsibility of negotiating U.S. broadcast and advertising sales for the BBC World News channel. AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan stated that the deal gave his company "a powerful collection of networks that are among the most critically acclaimed, with distinct dramas and other potent content that creates a deep connection with viewers", while BBC Worldwide CEO Tim Davie considered it "an opportunity to grow the creative quality and ambition from an already high base."

## Programming

### Current

* *CSI: Miami*
* *Doctor Who*
* *The Graham Norton Show*
* *Planet Earth*
* *Star Trek*
* *Star Trek: The Next Generation*
* *Star Trek: Voyager*
* *Top Gear*

Some of the programs on the channel are edited either for adult content or to allow for commercials. Occasionally comedy shows are run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks and a few first-run drama programs are broadcast in a longer block that allows them to run to their original broadcast length. Additional series which have been previously broadcast may periodically return to the schedule as part of the network's rotation of daytime programming.

### Original programming and co-productions

In the mid-2000s, BBC America produced a few of its own shows along with some joint productions. These have included *Sharpe's Challenge*, part of the *Sharpe* series of made-for-television movies and co-produced with ITV; as well as *The State Within* and *Jekyll*, which were co-productions with the BBC. The first original series produced solely by the channel was *Copper*, which premiered in the summer of 2012.

BBC America has also branched into co-producing British series, including *Robin Hood*, *The Musketeers*, and, from its fourth series, the revival of *Doctor Who*. They also co-produce the Canadian series *Orphan Black*.

### Newscasts

BBC America used to broadcast BBC World News each Monday through Friday morning from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Eastern and Pacific Time. All news programs now air exclusively on the BBC World News channel, also distributed by AMC Networks in the United States.

The weekday morning (6:00–9:00 a.m. Eastern Time) simulcast used to include *BBC World News* bulletins, *World Business Report*, *Sport Today*, *Asia Today*, and a one-hour bulletin called *World News Today*. Most of these were removed from the schedule without any announcement on April 6, 2009. The weekend morning (6:00–6:30 a.m. ET) simulcast was also abruptly dropped on April 4, 2009. According to BBC America, the simulcast was dropped because of disappointing ratings.

From 2007 to 2011, BBC America broadcast *BBC World News America*, a live Washington, D.C.–based program anchored by Matt Frei. Katty Kay served as a Washington-based correspondent. On February 18, 2011, network management announced that *BBC World News America* would be dropped from BBC America and would instead be broadcasting only on the BBC World News channel and PBS member stations in the United States.

The network was in discussions to unveil a weekly news program fronted by *Newsnight* host Jeremy Paxman, who 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. An international edition of *Newsnight* debuted on February 29, 2008, in the 10 p.m. time slot. This program was canceled in November 2008, but the announcement of the program's cancellation was not made until April 2009.

During major breaking news events, the network will sometimes replace scheduled programs with coverage from BBC World News; the London bombings in July 2005 was one example. BBC World News itself is not currently widely available in the US as a separate channel (although it is carried on several cable systems throughout the United States, generally in lieu of BBC America; one previous example is New York City-based Cablevision, which did not carry BBC America until August 2011) or in a 30-minute telecast on public television stations daily.

## Outside US

BBC America is available in Bermuda on both Bermuda CableVision's digital cable service, and the WOW (World on Wireless) service, as well as the Bahamas on REVTV, in Barbados on Multi-Choice TV's wireless service, in the Cayman Islands on Weststar TV, Grenada on Flow Digital Cable, Telbo MiTV in Bonaire, Flow Cable in Curaçao and on SXM Cable & Data in Sint Maarten. It is also available in the US territory of Guam on MCV Broadband and GTA Teleguam's IPTV service.

## References

1. ↑ Lieberman, David (October 23, 2014). "AMC Networks Pays $200M For 49.9% Of BBC America". *Deadline*. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
2. ↑ "FAQs". BBC America. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
3. ↑ "Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, drops at MLBN and NFLN". September 10, 2018.
4. ↑ BBC America Press - Corporate
5. ↑ "EastEnders axe outrages US fans". The Guardian. September 30, 2003. Retrieved September 10, 2016. Italic or bold markup not allowed in: `|publisher=` (help)
6. ↑ "Entertainment - EastEnders returns to US screens". BBC. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
7. ↑ "BBC AMERICA; Alas, 'East Enders'". April 11, 2004 – via NYTimes.com.
8. ↑ "Arts, Briefly - A Reprieve for 'EastEnders' - NYTimes.com". January 31, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
9. ↑ "Home - BBC America Press". Press.bbcamerica.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2011. Unknown parameter `|deadurl=` ignored (`|url-status=` suggested) (help)
10. ↑ "AMC Buys Half of BBC America to Bolster Pay-TV Leverage". *Bloomberg*. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
11. ↑ "AMC Networks Pays $200M For 49.9% Of BBC America". *Deadline.com*. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
12. ↑ Press, Joy (January 4, 2012). "BBC America gives details about its first original drama, 'Copper'". *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
13. ↑ "Programs - BBC America Press Room". Retrieved May 17, 2016.
14. ↑ http://www.bbcamerica.com/schedule/ BBC America television schedule
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Leigh Holmwood. "Jeremy Paxman's US Newsnight axed in shakeup at BBC America". *The Guardian*. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
16. ↑ "'BBC World News America' Shifts To BBC World News - February 18, 2011 20:13:35 | Multichannel News". Multichannel.com. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
17. ↑ Welcome To Bermuda CableVision
18. ↑ WOW :: World On Wireless - Bermuda
19. ↑ REVTV PRIME PLUS
20. ↑ Multi-Choice TV
21. ↑ Weststar TV
22. ↑ "Flow Grenada - Welcome - TV, Phone, and Internet Services from Flow" (PDF). flowgrenada.com. Retrieved May 10, 2015.[*permanent dead link*]
23. ↑ "MiTV Packages - TELBO". Retrieved May 17, 2016.
24. ↑ Flow Extended Basic 24 channels
25. ↑ SXM Channel Line Up
26. ↑ MCV Broadband Guam: High-Definition Television
27. ↑ "Guam Cable TV - Guam Digital Television - GTA Teleguam". gta.net. Retrieved May 10, 2015.

## External links

* Official website

Template:AMC Networks

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