Shortlived TV channels

[Mateus Honrado]

Does it count if the channel had an EPG position and (i think) broadcast capacity, but never materialised

In the early days of Freeview I seem to remember a Christian channel that was in that state, but only ever showed “coming soon” until it disappeared

Yep and there's another example of that with CBM TV.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBM_TV

[i.h]

That’s actually the one I was thinking of. I guess I thought it was “CBN” as in the Christian broadcaster

[JAS84]

On topic, Sky2 in its original format lasted less than a year, before it was revived with about four different names before settling on Sky2 again and then morphing into Sky Replay.

I mentioned Sky 2 earlier. It was exactly a year. The new version doesn't count as it lasted 15 years under that name and 18 years total (it was Sky One Mix for two years and then Sky Mix for one year) before becoming Sky Replay.

[KK!]

"Dot TV" is my vote. Real loss, too, although probably a product of its era and would have been gone anyway with YouTube etc replacing.

[Aplus1]

Possibly one of the earliest shortest-lived channels would surely have to be The Comedy Channel, which lasted exactly one year on air.

Almost more of a pop-up channel really, in that it was launched to make use of unexpected availability of rights to some BBC comedy shows in the wake of the BSB merger, although it did try to survive on a more American-led schedule when the British programming went away, and probably would have stuck around if that had been successful enough at the time. Sadly didn't quite make it.

[johnnyboy]

I believe Sky Sports Xtra HD lasted for one football match and that was that.

[JAS84]

Ah yes, [.tv], originally named The Computer Channel. Wasn't actually that shortlived, it lasted five years, 1 September 1996 to 2 September 2001.

[Bennyboy84]

Ah yes, [.tv], originally named The Computer Channel. Wasn't actually that shortlived, it lasted five years, 1 September 1996 to 2 September 2001.

Oh yeah good old [.tv] i first heard of this when we had analogue cable (Videotron then Cable & Wireless) but it was not carried by them in our area. So when i discovered it was on Sky when we moved to them in March 2000 i used to watch it up until the day it closed.

[Spencer]

When I first got Sky Digital, around 2000, I remember there was a rival to Sky Movies called, if I remember rightly, U Direct. I don’t think it lasted very long. I think though, that unlike Sky Movies, all their channels at the time were in full 16:9 widescreen.

[Kojak]

When I first got Sky Digital, around 2000, I remember there was a rival to Sky Movies called, if I remember rightly, U Direct. I don’t think it lasted very long. I think though, that unlike Sky Movies, all their channels at the time were in full 16:9 widescreen.

Yes, U Direct. Though it was more of a Sky Box Office rival. Only lasted a year or so before going bust. From memory, it was a mix of films, sport and, erm, smut.