L!VE TV
Encyclopedia
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television
from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003. In 2006, the new L!VE TV's name was changed to Babeworld
to reflect the channel's gradual change of focus towards "adult material"
.
as MGN's foray into pay television. At its launch in 1995, the station was headed by Kelvin MacKenzie
with Janet Street-Porter
as managing director and a team of young "tellybrats". Street-Porter left after five months due to clashes with MacKenzie over content and was replaced with Mark Cullen. MacKenzie went on to create programmes that received much media coverage but low viewer figures.
Considered cheap and always accused of poor taste, the channel never captured more than 1% of the British
television audience under MGN, and at its worst was losing around £7 million a year. It was often described as "tabloid television", in part due to its control by MGN and the fact that MacKenzie had been editor of The Sun
.
Among its programmes were Topless Darts, produced by future Times
journalist Sathnam Sanghera
with commentary by comedian Jimmy Frinton, the surreal talent show
Spanish Archer
, Talgarth Trousers, (a comedy sketch show) and Canary Wharf
, a soap opera, which used the station's offices in the Docklands as a set. Other features were the weather, read in Norwegian
by a blonde model (Eva Bjertnes or Anne-Marie Foss) wearing a bikini, Britain's Bounciest Weather
with Rusty Goffe
(known, although uncredited, for his appearance as an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
) who due to his small stature bounced on a trampoline while doing the forecast (bouncing higher the further north he was talking about), Tiffany's Big City Tips, in which model Tiffany Banister gave the financial news while stripping to her underwear, Painted Ladies, which involved topless girls "painting" on large sheets of paper with various body parts and the News Bunny
, a person in a rabbit
suit who stood behind a newsreader making gestures and expressions for each item.
A typical early show was a two-hour afternoon piece based on viewers' wedding videos. By the second week only one had been sent in, and on phoning the participants to have a live commentary, the presenters were informed that the couple were too busy shopping.
Shortly before its demise in 1999, it was said the channel would bid for rights to show the English Premiership
, but given the size of the financial commitment required, it is likely that it was merely a publicity stunt. By this time, the channel had increasingly moved to showing soft porn.
"L!ve TV: 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999"
274, then on 214. Its content was almost entirely archive from L!VE TV. Then in 2004, following competitor channels, its risqué archive of late-night offerings were supplemented with banners advertising adult text messaging.
Towards the end of 2005, the evening and late night were turned over to promoting adult text and phone-in services, involving models stripping to entice viewers into phoning or texting the studio. This was under the pretence that the viewer would get to talk to a studio guest.
By February 2006, content had dwindled to little more than these shows and it was moved to the adult section of Sky's EPG on February 28, 2006. Two days later, the name changed to Babeworld, ending links to the MGN operation.
A fore-runner to L!VE TV was the cable and satellite channel Wire TV
, a far cry from the wild programming to follow on L!VE TV. Regular presenters were Femi Oke
, Mike Morris and Fenella George, backed by guest presenters including Chris Stacey, who hosted quiz show EastEnders v Corrie for L!VE TV shortly before its demise.
, on Sky channel 199.
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003. In 2006, the new L!VE TV's name was changed to Babeworld
Babeworld
Babeworld was a British televised sex line broadcast on Sky — both the channel and programme were named Babeworld. As of 2008, it is also responsible for the channel House Of Fun TV...
to reflect the channel's gradual change of focus towards "adult material"
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
.
First incarnation (1995-1999)
The channel was proposed by David MontgomeryDavid Montgomery (newspaper executive)
David Montgomery is a British newspaper editor, executive, proprietor and media investor....
as MGN's foray into pay television. At its launch in 1995, the station was headed by Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin Calder MacKenzie is an English media executive and former newspaper editor. He is best known for being editor of The Sun newspaper between 1981 and 1994, an era in which the paper was established as Britain's best selling newspaper.- Biography :MacKenzie was educated at Alleyn's School...
with Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
as managing director and a team of young "tellybrats". Street-Porter left after five months due to clashes with MacKenzie over content and was replaced with Mark Cullen. MacKenzie went on to create programmes that received much media coverage but low viewer figures.
Considered cheap and always accused of poor taste, the channel never captured more than 1% of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television audience under MGN, and at its worst was losing around £7 million a year. It was often described as "tabloid television", in part due to its control by MGN and the fact that MacKenzie had been editor of The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
.
Among its programmes were Topless Darts, produced by future Times
Times
The Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
journalist Sathnam Sanghera
Sathnam Sanghera
-Early life and education:Sathnam Sanghera was born to Punjabi parents in Wolverhampton in 1976. His parents had emigrated to the UK in 1968. He was raised as a Sikh. At the age of ten he worked part-time in a sewing factory. He attended Wolverhampton Grammar School and graduated from Christ's...
with commentary by comedian Jimmy Frinton, the surreal talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
Spanish Archer
Spanish Archer
Spanish Archer was a talent show hosted by Rhodri Williams and occasionally Ruth Madoc. It was produced by L!VE TV and filmed at the station's headquarters at Canary Wharf in London....
, Talgarth Trousers, (a comedy sketch show) and Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
, a soap opera, which used the station's offices in the Docklands as a set. Other features were the weather, read in Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
by a blonde model (Eva Bjertnes or Anne-Marie Foss) wearing a bikini, Britain's Bounciest Weather
Britain's Bounciest Weather
Britain's Bounciest Weather was a weather forecast segment that appeared on British cable television channel L!VE TV from 1995 to 1999. The weather forecast was presented by dwarf actor and entertainer Rusty Goffe, bouncing on a trampoline next to the weather map: for weather in the more northerly...
with Rusty Goffe
Rusty Goffe
Rusty Goffe is a British dwarf actor and entertainer. He has featured in a number of high-profile roles, including as the "bouncing weatherman" for L!VE TV. He appeared as an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and as a Jawa in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...
(known, although uncredited, for his appearance as an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
) who due to his small stature bounced on a trampoline while doing the forecast (bouncing higher the further north he was talking about), Tiffany's Big City Tips, in which model Tiffany Banister gave the financial news while stripping to her underwear, Painted Ladies, which involved topless girls "painting" on large sheets of paper with various body parts and the News Bunny
News Bunny
News Bunny was station mascot, and creation of the short-lived UK TV Station L!VE TV, under its publicity-seeking boss Kelvin MacKenzie.The basic premise was that during news bulletins, an extra dressed as a giant rabbit would stand behind the news presenter, and mime actions related to the news...
, a person in a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
suit who stood behind a newsreader making gestures and expressions for each item.
A typical early show was a two-hour afternoon piece based on viewers' wedding videos. By the second week only one had been sent in, and on phoning the participants to have a live commentary, the presenters were informed that the couple were too busy shopping.
Shortly before its demise in 1999, it was said the channel would bid for rights to show the English Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, but given the size of the financial commitment required, it is likely that it was merely a publicity stunt. By this time, the channel had increasingly moved to showing soft porn.
Closure
The station's broadcast finished on 31 October 1999 at 6pm with a caption over a black and white still of the station's cast and crew in the studio:"L!ve TV: 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999"
Second incarnation (2003-2006)
In 2003, L!VE TV returned as a free channel on Sky Digital, first on EPGElectronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
274, then on 214. Its content was almost entirely archive from L!VE TV. Then in 2004, following competitor channels, its risqué archive of late-night offerings were supplemented with banners advertising adult text messaging.
Towards the end of 2005, the evening and late night were turned over to promoting adult text and phone-in services, involving models stripping to entice viewers into phoning or texting the studio. This was under the pretence that the viewer would get to talk to a studio guest.
By February 2006, content had dwindled to little more than these shows and it was moved to the adult section of Sky's EPG on February 28, 2006. Two days later, the name changed to Babeworld, ending links to the MGN operation.
A fore-runner to L!VE TV was the cable and satellite channel Wire TV
Wire TV
Wire TV was a short-lived British cable television channel produced by United Artists Cable and featured a range of entertainment, lifestyle and sports programming...
, a far cry from the wild programming to follow on L!VE TV. Regular presenters were Femi Oke
Femi Oke
Femi Oke is a British television presenter and journalist.Femi was born in Britain to Nigerian parents. She is a graduate of Birmingham University where she received a bachelors degree in English literature and language...
, Mike Morris and Fenella George, backed by guest presenters including Chris Stacey, who hosted quiz show EastEnders v Corrie for L!VE TV shortly before its demise.
2007
A number of archive programmes from L!VE TV, including The Why Files and Lie Detector were shown on My Channel, formerly known as Eat CinemaEat Cinema
My Channel is a British television channel which launched on 28 February 2006 as Eat Cinema, originally targeted at mainstream cinema audiences...
, on Sky channel 199.
External links
- L!VE TV online
- Babeworld.tv website (Contains adult material)
- Online Live TV & Radio channels.