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Where does the 1 come from?
PlatinumSteve
Posts: 4,295 Forum Member
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You guys are very knowledgeable and I had a question my English friend the other day couldn't answer. He mentioned something being on Sky Sports 1, and it got me to thinking like BBC-1, ITV-1, when the second network opens does the first network automatically assume the 1?
We have things like HBO, Showtime, ESPN, all have second and third networks opened under the brand but, the first channel doesn't assume a 1 on the end. So for instance ESPN started ESPN2, but didn't call the original network ESPN1. Is that a carryover from some radio tradition, or something I'm just not aware of as a foreigner?
We have things like HBO, Showtime, ESPN, all have second and third networks opened under the brand but, the first channel doesn't assume a 1 on the end. So for instance ESPN started ESPN2, but didn't call the original network ESPN1. Is that a carryover from some radio tradition, or something I'm just not aware of as a foreigner?
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There are exceptions like Sky 1, and Virgin 1, but both of those launched as part of a multi-channel lineup.
"You can see that on Sky Sports HD One and One" instead of "Sky Sports HD One and Sky Sports One". It just sounds odd to me.
I know, I'm just curious where the 1 came from. Say for instance BBC, why not just call it BBC Television, then BBC2, BBC3, it keeps the BBC Television brand, and identifies second, third, and fourth iterations. I guess it's just a different way of branding, I thought it might be a tradition transition from radio type thing. But I guess it's just different places marketing their brand differently, another instance the brand is HBO, the original network is HBO not HBO1, second iteration HBO2, HBO3 third iteration although rebranded and morphed into HBO Signature.
When BBC2 started and BBC Television became BBC1, the BBC's national radio services were named The BBC Home Service, The BBC Light Programme and BBC The Third Programme. Radio stations didn't get numerical names for another three years.
Sky1 originally was called 'Sky Channel' but renamed Sky1 after Sky bought British Satellite Broadcasting. it remained as this despite a lack of a Sky2 for many years
I think Paramount Comedy remained without the '1' for years despite the launch of Paramount comedy 2, but it later gained the '1'. These channels subsequently rebranded to Comedy Central and Comedy Central Extra
other channels without a 1 despite a 2nd channel:
Living and Living 2 (which has now been renamed Living it, reportedly because people thought Living 2 was in fact Living+2)
Bravo and Bravo 2
Sky Real Lives and Sky Real Lives 2
TCM and TCM2
True Movies and True Movies 2
Movies for Men and Movies for Men 2
Eurosport and Eurosport 2
There may be more but can't think of any
So in conclusion, it's not always the case that the launch of a 2nd channel leads to the original to gain a 1, but where it is done, it's done to help distinguish between the channels.
It was changed to ITV1 to coincide with the launch of the ill fated ITV Digital, the ITV Sport Channel, and the many ITV spin-off's that were on the service, such as ITV Select.
I think if ITV was still using regional branding then ITV would sound better, but as they're focusing more on the ITV side of things nowadays, then ITV1 makes more sense IMO.
Think it was MTV One for a while but on my TV's EPG it just says MTV. We used to have MTV2 but I think that has been renamed?
I have no idea what happened to VH2 though!
VH2 was a decent music channel, shame it was so short lived, as for what happened to it...
VH2 became MTV Flux which became MTV One +1 which became MTV +1.
ITV1 - changed in 2001 by which time the ITV brand was also being used on ITV2, ITV News, and ITV Sport channels.
Sky 1 - rebranded from Sky Channel in 1989 (a year before the BSB merger) because of the launch of Sky News and Sky Movies.
Like anyone could confuse them(!)
I still call the main one ITV, but then the number of times I watch it each week is generally zero.
Same in our house, my mum tends to watch quite often (more than me anyway!)
Once we had Central, Granada and Meridian to name only a few but then things became very national, would re-branding it's main channel make major changes obvious publicly?