The Wrestling Channel

From Freepedia

The Wrestling Channel
Image:Wiki-twc.gif
Launched:March 15, 2004
Audience Share : small but not zero (Jul '05 [1])
Owned By:Dolphin Television
Sister channel(s):TWC Reloaded, (ceased March 3, 2005)
thewrestlingchannel.tv
Availability
Terrestrial
Not available
Satellite
Sky Digital:Channel 427
Cable
Not available

The Wrestling Channel, also known as TWC, is the world's first dedicated professional wrestling television channel that launched on March 15, 2004. It shows many different promotions from the wrestling spectrum, with daily new content. The channel is Free-To-Air from the Eutelsat Eurobird 1 satellite and carried via the Sky Digital platform on EPG channel 427 for viewers in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It does not require any subscription to view this service.

Contents

Programming

Current

Previous

Supercard Show (unique only)

Test (unique only)

  • Classic Wrestling - Mat Mayhem
  • Classic Wrestling - Wrestling Legends: The Early Years

Overview

2003

December 2003

Originally, the channel aired one-hour teaser programming for a month on December 1, via Friendly TV starting at 7PM to test the audience and engage feedback.

2004

January 2004

The Wrestling Channel revealed their intentions on running four live shows, twice a year in Britain and Ireland to compliment their programming. They would not be a promotion but merely running live events that involve all the programming that's shown weekly on the channel. Elsewhere, the first of a muted weekly news show was first mentioned.

February 2004

The Mediabullet web site stated that The Wrestling Channel would be renamed as Wrestling TV. There appeared to be no truth on this what so ever. Mediabullet continued to refer to the station as Wrestling TV in the coming months, when clearly it was not.

The Friendly TV broadcasts was extended for another month starting on February 2, leading up to the official channel launch where selected programming was simultaneously broadcast on both channels.

On February 28, The Wrestling Channel stated they would launch on March 15 via Sky Digital on channel 432. Broadcast hours would be from 10AM until 3AM, seven days per week.

March 2004

After a week of testing and several hours of programming previews through the day, the worlds first ever wrestling channel - The Wrestling Channel (TWC) - launched on Sky Digital on channel 432. The first show was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Xplosion at 9PM. A few hours of selected programming would be simultaneously played on Friendly TV each day.

April 2004

The Wrestling Channel web site is now be used by 2,000 people everyday. Viewing figures have ranged from zero to 20,000 over the last three weeks since the channel launched. They stated that for the channel to be a success, 10,000 viewers would need to be watching at any one time.

May 2004

The Wrestling Channel stated on May 8, that 37,000 viewers watched the Total Nonstop Action Super X Cup tournament that was transmitted via the Friendly TV tests. Elsewhere, approximately 14,000 regularly watched Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Ring Of Honor and World of Sport programming on the channel.

On May 11, The Wrestling Channel invited fans to apply for the job of presenting their new weekly news show. A videotape of yourself presenting a mock news type show was requested from applicants.

Due to general channel expansion of the Sky Digital platform - The Wrestling Channel moved from channel 432 to channel 427, on May 18.

In the first of The Wrestling Channel's irregular e-mail newsletters, it was reported that over 1,400,000 had tuned in during the launch period. Audiences had peaked at almost 50,000 viewers for programming such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Frontier Wrestling Alliance and Combat Zone Wrestling.

July 2004

The world's first wrestling television based talk show and The Wrestling Channel's first in-house produced programme - The Bagpipe Report (originally with working title Inside Wrestling) - launched on July 9. Hosted by Blake Norton, it brought fans the latest insider news and guest interviews; the first interview was with Diamond Dallas Page.

In their July newsletter, it stated the channel would not be broadcasting any new Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre due to very poor ratings for this programme; the first programme to be dropped. NWA Wildside was however to be added to its programming line-up.

September 2004

Jimmy Hart discussed in Slam Wrestling that he would hopefully be hosting an exclusive special show around his defunct X Wrestling Federation promotion for The Wrestling Channel. This was also later reported in The Wrestling Channel's September newsletter.

October 2004

On October 10, The Wrestling Channel announced they would be launching the world's second wrestling channel called The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded). It would feature action from their library whilst experimenting with new shows, promotion screen testers and schedule formats. Interactive SMS games would be introduced during selected programming. One possible idea was for fans to choose matches via SMS. Also Mixed Martial Arts would be introduced at some stage on the new channel. Xposed TV, a light erotic programming strand would play nightly at 10PM.

On October 22, the channel hyped a major announcement as the biggest since the launch of the station itself, for their October 29 edition of The Bagpipe Report.

The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded) was launched on October 25, starting at 9AM with GAEA Japan.

For their October 29 major announcement - to mark their first anniversary - The Wrestling Channel would host the world's first interpromotional pro-wrestling supershow for March 2005 at Skydome Arena, Coventry, England.

December 2004

December 22: Former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Mick Foley was unveiled as the "international superstar" who had signed up to be part of the supershow - now called International Showdown. Foley was involved with Ring Of Honor, a promotion featured on the channel.

2005

January 2005

January 24: The Wrestling Channel Reloaded was reduced to a minimum level of programming due to a number of potential partners seeking to re-programme and develop the slot. The channel would only run for three hours per day, starting at 3AM in the morning.

February 2005

February 24: The Wrestling Channel moved satellite frequency from 11.623GHz Horizontal to 11.680GHz Vertical.

According to the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) - for the week of February 27, The Wrestling Channel recorded its biggest ever rating with 811,000 viewers (2.2% reach). This was higher than several other established entertainment and sports channels.

March 2005

The Wrestling Channel's sister station - The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded) ceased on March 3. None of the anticipated innovations or experimental programming came to be. This was replaced by Movies 333 that occupied their 428 channel number slot before moving to channel 333 on March 21.

On March 19, The Wrestling Channel presented International Showdown - a live wrestling event with various superstars featured on the channel in competition. The event at Skydome Arena, Coventry, England, was a phenomenal success with a reported attendance of 3,401 - only 93 people short of a venue sell-out.

April 2005

After numerous schedule changes since its launch, The Wrestling Channel transmitted continuously 24 hours per day for its first time, on 4 April.

May 2005

May 26: The Wrestling Channel moved frequency from 11.680GHz Vertical to 11.264GHz Horizontal.

July 2005

July 26: The Wrestling Channel moved frequency from 11.264GHz Horizontal to 11.260GHz Vertical.

Satellite tuning details

Satellite: Eutelsat Eurobird 1
Position: 28.5 degree east
Frequency: 11.260GHz
Polarity: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 27.500 MSy/s
Forward Error Correction: 2/3
Format: DVB MPEG-2
Sky Digital Channel: 427
Transmission: Free-To-Air (FTA)

See also

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.freepedia.org/The_Wrestling_Channel.html"


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