Sky Multichannels
Sky Multichannels was a package of analogue television services offered by BSkyB on the Astra satellites at 19.2° east from 1 September 1993 to 27 September 2001, which started off with 15 channels before expanding to over 40.

History

Overview
The service started on 1 September 1993, based on the idea from chief executive officer Sam Chisholm and Rupert Murdoch, converting the company business strategy to an entirely fee-based concept. The new package included four channels formerly available free-to-air broadcasting on Astra's satellites, as well as introducing new channels. Within two months of the launch, Sky gained 400,000 new subscribers with the majority taking at least one premium channel, which helped BSkyB reach 3.5 million households by mid-1994. The service continued until the closure of BSkyB's analogue platform on 27 September 2001, due to the expansion of Sky Digital after its launch three years ago on 1 October 1998. Some of the channels did broadcast either in the clear or soft encrypted (whereby a VideoCrypt decoder required without a subscription card) prior to their addition to the Multichannels package.

Some new channels were not launched on this package with two more added later include QVC (1 October 1993) and VH1 (1 October 1994), as well as Nick at Nite was originally part of the Multichannels plan is also scrapped. When the German version started on 10 March 1995, VideoCrypt decoders would blank out the service to British viewers and prevent them from watching the channel free.

Channels which joined the package were paid a fee of 15 pence per subscriber per month. A European Multichannels package run by BSkyB also using the VideoCrypt encryption system was planned to be launched soon afterwards but did not come to fruition, and a package of channels called MultiChoice Kaleidoscope launched on 1 November 1993 using VideoCrypt 2 encryption. The MultiChoice service was run by South Africa-based Network Holdings separate from BSkyB, initially included Filmnet and The Adult Channel as premium channels, and The Children's Channel (in Benelux only), Discovery, MTV, Country Music Television and QVC as basic channels. Sky Soap and Sky Travel also launched on 3 October 1994 as part of the package, Sky News and CNBC Europe were remained free-to-air. QVC however, which was later switched to free-to-view broadcasting on 7 March 1995.

The launch of Astra 1D allowed Sky to expand the Multichannels package further, including the pay-per-view Box Office channels on 1 December 1997, as well as used to begin utilized space on the Astra (1A, 1B and 1C) satellite systems.

Promotion
BSkyB ran television advertisements prior to the new service launching, the Independent Television Commission ruled against after ten complaints regarding a number of false claims involving some of the channels which were due to be part of the package, as well as further complaints about the commercials were failing to show that a one-year contract needed to be taken out for any special introductory offer. In conjunction with the launch of the Multichannels package, all Sky networks adopted a cohesive graphical and music appearance as idents were featured the logo's newly-added "ring" forming out of swirling energy streaks while the text formed out of glass copies. The graphics were produced by American graphical firm Novocom, the look for Sky News resembling their earlier work for the CBS Evening News from 1991. A new music package from composer Frank Gari dubbed the Sky Symphony was also used, with differing arrangements per channel (Sky News utilized a variant with the signature of Gari's pre-existing "Great News" package in 1989, which had been used since launch and received a slight update with the new look). The full package was used in promotional spots for what was termed as "the brand new Sky" and during periods where BSkyB channels off the air.

To promote the Sky Multichannels package on the Astra satellites, a selection of channels was placed on Sky's preview service on transponder 47 of Astra 1C in the clear, comprised promotional material in the centre of the screen and 12 channels around the edge, including some English services which were not part of the package. During sports programming on Sky One prior to the launch of Sky Sports 2, services which also part of the Multichannels package were made available free-to-view, allowing subscribers who did not take up to watch other coverages, but it was used to promote as viewers who had not signed up to the Multichannels package, until the service started on 19 August 1994.

Closure
Due to the growth of digital television and the Sky platform, alongside greater choice and the removal of channels having to timeshare due to bandwidth constraints, BSkyB soon announces that its analogue service would cease transmission for good with all the channels in this package closing down by 2001. BSkyB started to cease analogue with TV Travel Shop becoming exclusive to digital in late 1999, it then continued into February 2000 with many of the channels on Astra 1D being discontinued.

On 9 May 2001, it was announced that due to the possibility of lost revenue from the existing 242,000 analogue subscribers within the closure of the remaining analogue would be delayed until September from its original plan of June. BSkyB closed down the last remaining service in the Multichannels package was Sky One for the final time on 27 September of that year.

Channel list

1993
The original subscription charge was £6.99 a month at launch, although those who signed up before 1 September 1993 could get the channels for the discounted price of £3.99 a month until the start of 1994. Additional packages including the multiple channels alongside one or more of Sky's premium channels were available from £11.99 to £19.99. The channels were encrypted using NDS Group's VideoCrypt system, and requires a monthly subscription payment, decoder and valid viewing card to receive the channels:

1995
In 1995, the number of Sky customers exceeded five million. Sky Sports 2, Sky Soap and Sky Travel which launched on 3 October 1994 to joined the package. By October and November 1995, the launch of Astra 1D allowed Sky to expand the Multichannels package further with the Sci-Fi Channel, Paramount Channel, Sky Sports Gold and History Channel, as well as the Disney Channel, Christian Channel Europe, European Business News, Television X and Playboy TV were also used on the Astra 1C system. QVC however, which launched as part of the Multichannels package, switched to free-to-view broadcasting on the same year:

Channel 11 notes (up until October 1995):
 Midnight to 6.00am: Chinese Channel — daily entertainment and news service (PAL/Clear)
 8.00am to midday on weekdays: Sky Soap (PAL/VideoCrypt/Multi channel)
 Midday to midnight on Mondays to Thursdays, and midday to 6.00pm on Fridays: Sky Travel (PAL/VideoCrypt/Multi channel)
 6.00pm to midnight on Fridays, and 8.00am to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays: Sky Sports 2 (PAL/VideoCrypt/Sports subscription)

1996
In 1996, Sky reached six million subscribers. Launch of a further ten new channels include Sky Sports 3 (replacing Sky Sports Gold) and extended its Premier League rights, along with Sky 2, Computer Channel, Warner TV, Granada Sky Broadcasting (with Plus, Men & Motors, Good Life and Talk TV), Weather Channel UK, HSN Direct, Fox Kids, Sky Scottish and Trouble (from early 1997) were also added:

1997
During 1997, but same as above:
 National Geographic Channel launches on 1 September, replacing Sky 2 as time shared with Fox Kids.
 Christian Channel Europe (4.00am to 11.00am), Sky Soap (11.00am to 4.00pm), History Channel (4.00pm to 8.00pm) and Sci-Fi Channel (8.00pm to 4.00am) moved to a new service to allow Sky Sports 2 and Sky Travel to broadcast longer, while European Business News, Trouble and Bravo continued to share a single channel.
 UKTV network launches on 1 November, adding three new channels (UK Horizons, UK Style and UK Arena) which share a single service.
 Pay-per-view movies launch on Sky Box Office from 1 December 1997.

For further details can be seen here below:
 https://web.archive.org/web/19961114121936/http://www.satcodx.com/astra.html
 https://web.archive.org/web/20110524023135/http://reocities.com/Heartland/4407/uksw.htm
 https://web.archive.org/web/20130618202239/http://www.selkirkshire.demon.co.uk/analoguesat/historiclists/Sky97.html

References

Direct broadcast satellite services
Sky Group
Telecommunications-related introductions in 1993