BBC America Says HD Launches Will Be Announced Soon
High-Def Outlet Went Live Monday But Not on Cable, Satellite Systems Yet
by Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 7/21/2009 4:19:09 PM
No launches yet for BBC America's new high-definition channel but the network said distribution deals will be coming soon.
BBC America HD launched Monday (July 20) at 6 a.m. but can't be seen yet on any cable or satellite-TV service, the network said.
The channel scheduled a slew of popular sci-fi shows for the first week, including new Torchwood episodes Monday-Friday, that had many viewers talking about the channel on Twitter on Monday. 
"We've got great reaction from viewers on our HD service," channel publicity VP Amy Mulcair said Tuesday. "Everyone's very keen to see it and we're very keen for them to see it. And we're glad to say there are a number of deals that will be announced imminently."
Citing complications involving the availability of HD shows such as Torchwood: Children of Earth, which only just aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom with big ratings, the network did not announce the HD launch date until June 1. As a result, it has taken a while for BBC America to line up launches. The standard-definition version of the channel, featuring shows such as Top Gear (pictured), has about 64 million subscribers. (This story was corrected on July 22.)
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Using Torchwood to promote your HD channel was a great idea having nobody signed up on day one was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of. WHAT were they thinking over there!?
Rod Stffington - 7/23/2009 7:41:28 AM EDT -
DirecTV CSR told methe launch date will be Nov 20th, 2009.
It's going to be a long wait!!! :(
JW vanLohuizen - 7/22/2009 5:59:04 PM EDT -
As good as BBC AMERICA looks in standard definition on directv i can only imagine how it would had looked in HD! BBC blew this BIG TIME!!!!, iv'e already set up my HD DVR to record humin beings and DR.WHO,and torchwood ,Ican only hope directv gets BBC AMERICA in HD before all these new series end !
frank valdivia - 7/22/2009 12:04:19 PM EDT -
I figured they must have had a lot of complaints as Tuesdays ep of Children of Earth had the crawl underneath telling veiwers to call and request BBCA-HD from their providers. BBCA had been awful with the whole promotion and timing of their HD channel. They started last year stating promoting HD last year and it never happened. Then this whole blitz around Torchwood: Children of Earth, Planet of the Dead and Being Human KNOWING they weren't going to be up and running?
Russell Reinke - 7/22/2009 9:16:26 AM EDT -
They endlessly promoted the HD launch on BBC-America and even ran ads on other channels knowing full well they didn't have a single carrier lined up. They also ran a BBC America HD logo in the corner on programming and promotions that weren't being broadcast in HD.
I was looking forward to the new shows but I have no interest in being jerked around with like this.
Ray Dragon - 7/22/2009 7:09:22 AM EDT
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