Rapture TV
Encyclopedia
Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air
satellite television
station (although now an exclusively online channel) operated from the United Kingdom
, founded in 1997. Focusing mostly on electronic dance music
and extreme sports, it is notable for the amount of times it has "failed" financially only to be relaunched.
channel on 22 November 1997. Due to common UBM ownership, the channel shared facilities with and was broadcast from the Anglia Television
studios in Norwich
. The channel was later carried free-to-air
on the analogue transponder of FilmFour
on Astra 1A
at weekends, and eventually used this transponder full time, until closing its analogue service on December 12, 1999. Very shortly prior to this, on October 27, 1999, the channel had moved to digital broadcasting via Sky Digital
, where it launched as a general entertainment channel on EPG
channel 187.
A notable feature of the station during this time was its "Mouse Cam" http://www.sub-tv.co.uk/skydigital.asp, broadcast as a time filler when the station was off-air. This featured some mice in a Habitrail
-like setup, with shots changing between cameras. The station also featured one of the first SMS
-based request shows during this era. A launch to ITV Digital
was planned at this time, but never came to completion. http://www.wolfbane.com/articles/chd2.htm
The channel had never been profitable, and its average audiences were in the region of 100,000. UBM placed the channel on the market in 2001, was unable to find a buyer, and closed on October 31, 2001, with the loss of 46 jobs and debts estimated at £12 million, notably playing "Rapture" by iio
as its final track over pictures of the station staff. During this time, it had refocused almost entirely on dance music, and was moved to EPG channel 458 in the music section.
In April 2002 the channels assets were bought by Edinburgh
based independent production company Power TV, who had previously produced some shows for the channel. A temporary relaunch occurred - to EPG #232 - in June 2002, and lasted until August of the same year, when problems caused it to close again.
It was again relaunched in May 2003 on EPG channel 265. Recurring financial issues, aggravated by the technical failure of a premium-rate SMS service on the channel which would have brought in funding, and various other problems, left the channel in a precarious state. By April 2004 it was running on an almost autopilot, having moved (again) to EPG channel 205, with a somewhat randomised playlist of a few videos, reruns of old club nights over night, and extreme sports in the day.
In July 2004, the channel ran out of money terminally, a potential purchase by Video Interactive Television fell through and the channel ceased to broadcast and was removed from the Sky EPG. Plans for its relaunch were kept active, however. Its named holding company, Rapture TV (Scotland), which was incorporated in 2002, was wound up in 2005.
The story of Rapture TV has been a defining one for the birth of digital satellite. With the increase in capacity, and lower cost base, a whole host of such channels were launched, with most languishing at unpopular EPG locations, or even outside the EPG. Although the satellite TV became "cheaper" to enter, many operators rushed onto the scene without a viable business plan that would make money. Unlike other such channels, Rapture TV has refused to disappear.
broadcasting from Eurobird 1
on November 14, 2005, after some time awaiting an EPG number from Sky - a period of time which was deemed excessive enough to warrant a complaint to OFCOM
by the channel.
The re-launched Rapture TV shows clubbing and extreme sports, programming that the channel is well known for, as well as new programmes from genres such as comedy and drama. In addition, programmes focusing on computer games and technology, including Cybernet
(previously seen on ITV
) and G@mers
, an in-house production have been added to the lineup. The channel also broadcasts feature films. Dance music content, which made up much of the channels output on previous editions, has been retained, with the addition of Underground, a hardcore dance
show presented by Jon Doe of CLSM
.
The channel launched a broadband simulcast in March 2006, and claims to be the first UK based entertainment channel to launch such a service.
In September 2006, Rapture lodged a complaint with OFCOM against BSkyB, claiming "BSkyB is charging excessively high fees for the supply of a EPG service on the UK's only DSat platform". This was furthered on 23 February 2007 with Rapture submitting further evidence to OFCOM in regard to what they felt was "Bullying" on the part of BSkyB .
The complaint was furthered just under a week before Virgin Media removed BSkyB's Basic channels from their service after an unsuccessful round of negotiations in regard to the worth of the channels. Ofcom rejected this complaint.
On 25 April 2007, Rapture published a statement that outlined the temporary cut off of the channel, whilst giving details of upgrading the site with more content and on-demand video.
On May 9, 2007 a case brought by Rapture TV to Ofcom concerning the BSkyB EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) went to Appeal at the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal (CAT). The hearing was heard on 18th and 19th of December 2007.
Rapture continued to be very vocally critical of Sky and the various related Murdoch companies on public forums for some time before focusing their efforts elsewhere.
RTI closed down shortly after this.
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
station (although now an exclusively online channel) operated from the United Kingdom
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...
, founded in 1997. Focusing mostly on electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and extreme sports, it is notable for the amount of times it has "failed" financially only to be relaunched.
History
The channel was initially launched by the United Business Media group as a cable televisionCable 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...
channel on 22 November 1997. Due to common UBM ownership, the channel shared facilities with and was broadcast from the Anglia Television
Anglia Television
Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional...
studios in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. The channel was later carried free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
on the analogue transponder of FilmFour
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
on Astra 1A
Astra 1A
Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES . During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite originally....
at weekends, and eventually used this transponder full time, until closing its analogue service on December 12, 1999. Very shortly prior to this, on October 27, 1999, the channel had moved to digital broadcasting via Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
, where it launched as a general entertainment channel on EPG
Electronic 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...
channel 187.
A notable feature of the station during this time was its "Mouse Cam" http://www.sub-tv.co.uk/skydigital.asp, broadcast as a time filler when the station was off-air. This featured some mice in a Habitrail
Habitrail
Habitrail, a product made by the Hagen corporation, is a series of translucent plastic tubes and "houses" for use in home terrariums, designed especially for small pets such as mice or hamsters. The design of the Habitrail is modular and can be configured however the owner likes, as well as...
-like setup, with shots changing between cameras. The station also featured one of the first SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
-based request shows during this era. A launch to ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
was planned at this time, but never came to completion. http://www.wolfbane.com/articles/chd2.htm
The channel had never been profitable, and its average audiences were in the region of 100,000. UBM placed the channel on the market in 2001, was unable to find a buyer, and closed on October 31, 2001, with the loss of 46 jobs and debts estimated at £12 million, notably playing "Rapture" by iio
IiO
iiO was a New York City-based house music act composed of singer-songwriter Nadia Ali and producer Markus Moser. The group gained prominence for its 2001 single "Rapture", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Following the success of "Rapture",...
as its final track over pictures of the station staff. During this time, it had refocused almost entirely on dance music, and was moved to EPG channel 458 in the music section.
In April 2002 the channels assets were bought by Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
based independent production company Power TV, who had previously produced some shows for the channel. A temporary relaunch occurred - to EPG #232 - in June 2002, and lasted until August of the same year, when problems caused it to close again.
It was again relaunched in May 2003 on EPG channel 265. Recurring financial issues, aggravated by the technical failure of a premium-rate SMS service on the channel which would have brought in funding, and various other problems, left the channel in a precarious state. By April 2004 it was running on an almost autopilot, having moved (again) to EPG channel 205, with a somewhat randomised playlist of a few videos, reruns of old club nights over night, and extreme sports in the day.
In July 2004, the channel ran out of money terminally, a potential purchase by Video Interactive Television fell through and the channel ceased to broadcast and was removed from the Sky EPG. Plans for its relaunch were kept active, however. Its named holding company, Rapture TV (Scotland), which was incorporated in 2002, was wound up in 2005.
The story of Rapture TV has been a defining one for the birth of digital satellite. With the increase in capacity, and lower cost base, a whole host of such channels were launched, with most languishing at unpopular EPG locations, or even outside the EPG. Although the satellite TV became "cheaper" to enter, many operators rushed onto the scene without a viable business plan that would make money. Unlike other such channels, Rapture TV has refused to disappear.
2005 Relaunch
The channel relaunched on Sky DigitalSky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
broadcasting from Eurobird 1
Eurobird 1
Eurobird 1 is a Eutelsat operated Eurobird satellite, used primarily for digital television. It is located at 28.5° east in the Clarke Belt, just within the range of most satellite dishes pointed at SES Astra's Astra 2A, 2B and 2D at 28.2° east...
on November 14, 2005, after some time awaiting an EPG number from Sky - a period of time which was deemed excessive enough to warrant a complaint to OFCOM
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
by the channel.
The re-launched Rapture TV shows clubbing and extreme sports, programming that the channel is well known for, as well as new programmes from genres such as comedy and drama. In addition, programmes focusing on computer games and technology, including Cybernet
Cybernet
Cybernet was a weekly video gaming magazine programme, originally broadcast overnight on the ITV network in the United Kingdom. The programme was commissioned by Yorkshire Television and produced by Capricorn Programmes and also aired on GBC TV in Gibraltar...
(previously seen on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
) and G@mers
G@mers
G@mers is a computer and video games television show, originally produced by and shown on Rapture TV from 1999-2006. As of July 2010, the show has been revived and is now broadcast on Information TV and Showcase TV. The show has presented by Matt Cuttle, a former presenter on Sky One's...
, an in-house production have been added to the lineup. The channel also broadcasts feature films. Dance music content, which made up much of the channels output on previous editions, has been retained, with the addition of Underground, a hardcore dance
Hardcore dance
Hardcore dance can refer to:*Hardcore dancing, a dance to hardcore punk; see also moshing*Hardcore techno, a genre of electriconic dance music....
show presented by Jon Doe of CLSM
CLSM
CLSM is also an abbreviation of the scientific term Confocal laser scanning microscopyCLSM is also an abbreviation of the concrete term CLSM is a British Happy Hardcore group...
.
The channel launched a broadband simulcast in March 2006, and claims to be the first UK based entertainment channel to launch such a service.
In September 2006, Rapture lodged a complaint with OFCOM against BSkyB, claiming "BSkyB is charging excessively high fees for the supply of a EPG service on the UK's only DSat platform". This was furthered on 23 February 2007 with Rapture submitting further evidence to OFCOM in regard to what they felt was "Bullying" on the part of BSkyB .
The complaint was furthered just under a week before Virgin Media removed BSkyB's Basic channels from their service after an unsuccessful round of negotiations in regard to the worth of the channels. Ofcom rejected this complaint.
2007
On 19 March 2007, BSkyB decided to remove Rapture TV from their EPG based on the fact that Rapture TV had failed to pay for a slot in the EPG. Rapture TV was available on the BSkyB platform on channel 193. It now has to be tuned in manually.On 25 April 2007, Rapture published a statement that outlined the temporary cut off of the channel, whilst giving details of upgrading the site with more content and on-demand video.
On May 9, 2007 a case brought by Rapture TV to Ofcom concerning the BSkyB EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) went to Appeal at the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal (CAT). The hearing was heard on 18th and 19th of December 2007.
Rapture TV Live
On June 12, 2007, Rapture relaunched its live stream, which initially broadcast R:Muzik 24/7 but now also broadcasts programmes from the Rapture archive. A week beforehand the stream was trialled unsuccessfully using peercast. This current free stream is a temporary measure, and in the future may be replaced with a high quality paid service. In October 2007, a new feature was added enabling viewers to select music videos to play on the live stream for free via the Rapture website.2008
On the 31st of March 2008 the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal released their judgement in which they unanimously dismissed the appeal.Rapture continued to be very vocally critical of Sky and the various related Murdoch companies on public forums for some time before focusing their efforts elsewhere.
2009
Rapture attempted to restart their satellite broadcast presence in an audio only capacity by broadcasting several shows for Satellite radio broadcaster RTI (Sky channel 0195). These broadcasts took place on the 17th and 24th of January 2009.RTI closed down shortly after this.