UKTV

Would they have been any different if they were BBC Arena and BBC Horizons as initially planned?

I didn't know that was ever an idea. Although I do remember that one of the channel ideas for BBC Digital was for 'BBC 1 TV' which was a TV version of Radio 1. That became UK Play

Indeed it was. They're referred to in the Lambie Nairn intro to the 1997 brand.

The Board of Governors blocked any use of the BBC brand on a commercial station in the UK, and at the time insisted that they operate in partnership with a commercial broadcaster. I don't think Gold was part of the plan until the BBC arranged the UKTV partnership.

Isn't that what UKTV Bright Ideas was?

No that was only for UKTV Style, Food and Gardens.

I don't think it ever occurred to me that there was a link between the programme names and the channel names.

This might be as good a place as any to mention that there's still a router in CCA which is known as the Style, Horizons, Arena, Gold router. Or, rather, by its acronym.

There was a programme at the time called 'Style Challenge', I suspect there was a connection there too, although of course it's far less a prestigious name

That was a half decent channel IIRC - kind of a cross between Dave and MTV.

Yes, it was a favourite of mine at the time, more for the comedy than the music.

The music content was done quite oddly - they never really just played music videos like something like MTV will. UK Play was scheduled and had the BBC style presentation format in like the rest of UKTV, and the music was all contained within pre-built scheduled programmes. It didn't really have the flexibility that it's rivals did.

I didn't see it until it was PlayUK, but I'm sure by then they had straight forward blocks of music videos (similar to E4 Music I guess) along with the TOTP branded programme and a couple of others.

ISTR they had Top Of The Pops Plus, which was that weeks TOTP rebranded for Play, and then I think it became more of an MTV Select style programme, even Vernon Kay hosted it at one point ISTR.

Play UK was a success in it's own right, it's demise went with ITV Digital's, as MTV was the only competition on DTT. Although they were trying to be MTV like, it all felt very BBC.

I hadn't realised that Play was conceived as Radio1 TV, but it makes sense with programmes like The Chris Moyles Show, which was mainly a sketch show as I remember it.