Current has signed an agreement with British Sky Broadcasting
(BSkyB) to launch a localized version of its pioneering,
viewer-created TV channel in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, it
was announced jointly today by Current Chairman Al Gore and BSkyB CEO
James Murdoch. The agreement provides Current's first presence outside
the U.S. and marks a significant step in fulfilling its plans of
becoming an international media company, while for BSkyB it represents
a first step in a strategy to develop a broader presence in the
fast-growing field of user-generated content.
Current TV is the first TV network created by, for, and with a
young adult audience, enlisting its audience as creative partners. To
tailor its output to the local audience, Current plans to deliver a
channel specifically designed for the British and Irish markets.
Viewer producers from the UK and Ireland will be able to submit their
video segments via Current's website and, if their work is selected
for broadcast, they will also have a chance to have their pieces air
on Current's U.S. network and in other markets into which Current will
expand in the future.
Since its launch in August 2005, Current TV has been a pioneer in
the world of user-generated content, with its "viewer created
content," or VC2, programming model. Rather than a traditional network
with primetime shows and "appointment television," Current offers
short-form, nonfiction programming, called "pods," which are only a
few minutes long and which explore the issues of interest to young
adults, including technology, fashion, music and videogames, the
environment, relationships, spirituality, politics, finance, and
parenting. In the U.S., approximately 30% of the network's content is
created by viewers.
The agreement will allow Current TV to reach up to 22 million more
viewers in 8.2 million households subscribing to BSkyB's Sky digital
service, equivalent to almost one in three households in the UK and
Ireland. Over the past year Current has achieved explosive growth,
expanding its U.S. carriage by 70%, from 17 million to nearly 30
million homes.
"We are grateful to be working with BSkyB in our first
international venture. This is a big step in fulfilling Current's
mission of sparking a global conversation among young adults," stated
Gore. "Bringing our viewer-created content model to the UK and Ireland
will give millions of young viewers the opportunity to not only watch
but also to create television programming that is relevant to them.
We're excited about being able to unleash the creativity of young
people in the UK and Ireland, enabling them to share their stories
with their generational cohort here and around the world."
"Current TV is bringing the web's sense of empowerment to
television for the first time. It has a uniquely collaborative
approach to working with viewer producers that stands out among other
platforms for user-generated video," stated Murdoch. "As a first step
towards Sky's own moves in this fascinating field, we're pleased to
help give a voice to millions of young people throughout the UK and
Ireland."
