BBC America
From Freepedia
BBC America is the BBC Worldwide owned-and-operated cable television network in the United States, which was launched on March 29, 1998.
From the outset, BBC America has cherrypicked the highlights from the UK television networks, including comedy, drama, and lifestyle programming. There are also at least four half-hour BBC World news bulletins included in each 24-hour period. Today, the critically acclaimed highlights of the BBC networks air in primetime slots, while the daytime is given to repeats of home-improvement shows such as Changing Rooms.
BBC America is distributed in association with Discovery Networks, the parent company of the Discovery Channel, which also handles the affiliate and advertising sales. The channel, unlike the BBC's domestic networks which are supported through television license fees, is wholly advertising-supported. Many comedy programs run in specially formatted 40-minute blocks that allow them to run unedited.
BBC America simulcasts news bulletins from BBC World with U.S. commercials inserted. Previously, only individual 30 minute bulletins were simulcast — but in October 2005, the network began airing a full three-hour simulcast of BBC World in the mornings (U.S. time). A 30 minute bulletin also airs in the evening.
(During major breaking news situations, the network will sometimes take BBC World's coverage and pre-empt regular programming. The London Bombings in July 2005 were one such example.)
BBC America caused some dismay to some viewers when it dropped the soap opera EastEnders in October 2003, but it argued that the show was one of the channel's least popular, although EastEnders, along with other BBC programming, also appears on PBS stations. It now airs reruns of The Office, Keeping Up Appearances, Coupling, Monty Python's Flying Circus, My Hero, Cash in the Attic, Little Britain, and Blackadder. It also regularly purchases the U.S. broadcast rights to non-BBC British programs, such as Father Ted, The Avengers, Footballers' Wives and The Saint.
