Sky gives Chart Show its music channels but gains ads
BSkyB has handed over the day-to-day running of its ailing music channels, Flaunt, Scuzz and The Amp, to rival music company Chart Show Channels in a deal that sees Sky consolidating the ad sales operations of the two companies.
Chart Show Channels, which owns Chart Show TV, The Vault and B4, will also run Flaunt, Scuzz and The Amp, although Sky will retain ownership and control of ad sales.
Sky will also sell advertising on the three Chart Show Channels from January 2005 on an agency basis.
The deal, which was secured today, will result in 13 redundancies at BSkyB, representing all the permanent staff of Sky Music. All channels will remain part of the Sky Digital service.
BSkyB launched Flaunt, Scuzz and The Amp 18 months ago to take on MTV's stable of music channels including MTV and the Emap-owned Kiss, Smash Hits, Q and Kerrang!.
Flaunt is a pop music channel mixed with celebrity and lifestyle programming, while The Amp, which features banks like the Mercury Award-winning Franz Ferdinand, is aimed at the indie music market and Scuzz targets rock and heavy metal fans.
A Sky spokesman said: "Sky's music channels are a distinctive and valued part of our customer proposition. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Chart Show that will create operational efficiencies and deliver benefits of scale to advertisers."
(Source: http://www.brandrepublic.com/mediabulletin/news_story.cfm?articleID=222051&Origin=MB14092004)
