UKTV to launch new channel W

http://www.seenit.co.uk/uktv-to-launch-new-flagship-subscription-channel/

BSB W

Usually UKTV are spot on with their channel naming, but W is just weird.

I guess they went to A-Channel Canada route. Their name became 'A' after CTV bought them. They are now CTV Two.
http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/08/12/a-channel/

Funny how the name shrank, yet the pronunciation didn't. Australia's SoHo, was originally just called W years ago. There's also W in Canada.

I do hope Channel W appears on listings simply as W...

So does UKTV relaunching Watch as W mean it may get a little more funding for new programmes?

I like the logo, but it really isn't a new channel, is it?

I wonder about the EastEnders thing though - it seems a tad risky for the Beeb, in the face of the Murdoch/Tory lot saying they shouldn't be doing soaps and other "popular" programmes, to give an advert-funded channel same day repeat rights. How much are UKTV paying for the privilege, I wonder?

Why the blithering flip do broadcasters always seem to describe one channel "closing" and being "replaced by" another, when to all practical intents and purposes they are simply renaming (and revamping the content of) an existing channel?

The justification for this way of categorising things is probably that the channel's content will also be a bit different from before (and also so that they can disingenuously use words like "launch" and "new").

Well, for example, BBC Two's content has changed after the advent of the BBC Three/Four era, and arguably Channel 4 and Channel 5 each now have content that is far removed from their respective at-launch content.

At yet at no point have these stations been officially regarded as "closed" and "replaced" by a "new channel".

Grr.

So, it's basically a female skewed version of Dave, then.

In which case, why didn't they rename Watch, 'Davina'?

Presumably because there is a well known presenter of that name...

So, is UKTV's intended implication that the W might stand for Woman/Women?

The EastEnders deal is interesting - it's odd to see the BBC working with a commercial channel in 2016 (even if it is part-owned by BBC Worldwide). I would have thought they'd want as much focus on the iPlayer at this point.

I wonder if this might lead to classic episodes being shown again like UK Gold used to (before the Watch/Gold split in 2008). Will they have an omnibus maybe?

EDIT: okay, read the press release properly and they are bringing the omnibus back.