“What do you want to watch?” Sky asked as part of last year’s high-profile advertising campaign that reeled my husband in hook, line and sinker. As an Aussie living in London getting up at 6am and dragging his carcass to the nearest Walkabout Bar for a morning of Southern Hemisphere sport started to lose its appeal as the English winter hit. His flippant remarks of ‘maybe we should get Sky’ turned into something more immediate and solemn. I, however, have yet to relent. Do I really want my weekends underscored with grunting Wallabies and the drone of Formula 1 cars? Do I want my Friday night viewing to consist of second-rate movies that weren’t worth going to the cinema for or those dreadful reality TV shows starring Jordan and Peter Andre? Lastly, do I really want to pay £40 a month for the privilege? My answer has always been a big resounding “no” but now I’m starting to soften, thanks to Sky digital channel 267, otherwise known as Artsworld.
Artsworld is a dedicated channel offering classical music, opera, ballet & dance, film, literature, art & architecture, theatre & drama and jazz & world music 18 hours a day. It launched in Autumn 2000 as a private venture: the brainchild of Sir Jeremy Isaacs (Channel Four’s first Chief Executive) and John Hambley (former Thames Television Managing Director), and its story reads like a fairytale. Facing severe financial difficulty in July 2002 the then independent channel threw its own farewell party, only to find an eleventh-hour angel offering a monetary reprieve. In 2003 it yet again faced closure but this time BSkyB arrived as the knight in shining armour purchasing a 50% stake. Last year, that increased to a full shareholder buyout and BSkyB took complete control, initially offering the channel as a £6 per month Sky premium subscription. It now comes as part of the ‘style & culture’ entertainment package although still at quite a price, especially if you decide to jump on the High Definition (HD) TV bandwagon: £299 for the Sky HD box, £60 installation plus £15 per month for the minimum two entertainment packages and a £10 per month HD subscription fee. All up that’s a one-off payment of £359 and £25 per month thereafter, and we mustn’t forget the compulsory £131.50 per year television license courtesy of the Beeb. At £300 per year in subscription fees alone, it does beg the question what does Artsworld offer that free-to-view television does not, and is it really worth it?
HD TV is worth a second mention, with picture quality four times clearer and in more detail and colour than ever before. Sky currently has the best selection of HD TV programmes including those broadcast on Artsworld. “Opera, ballet and classical music all lend themselves to high definition. It enhances everything, the intricacies of the costumes, the movement of muscle – even the strain of concentration on artists’ faces,” Adrian Zak, Head of Programming for Artsworld told The Stage. The BBC is unfortunately trailing a long way behind with this digital development, running trial HD broadcasts for just a few hours each day. They hope to have all peak-time programmes in HD format by 2010, but the current limited trial is scheduled to continue well into next year.
Another point must be awarded to Artsworld for the sheer quality of programming and quantity of broadcasting hours. From 8am – 2am one can indulge in 2 ½ hours of Aida (directed by Franco Zeffirelli) or 10 minutes of Ballet Rocks (classical ballet to music by Bloc Party) or even a spot of late night jazz. Artsworld is serving up full-sized complete performances whilst the terrestrial channels seem stuck in critiques, Melvyn Bragg-style interviews and political documentaries all masquerading under the ‘arts’ banner. BBC4 might well stand out from the crowd in this respect, but in truth it is not an arts channel and I can’t see myself tuning into Sounds of the Sixties on a Thursday night when Mariella Frostrup’s Book Show is on Artsworld.
It’s not only Frostrup’s presence that has me hunting for the AMEX card. Clive James is on board with a new chat show Talking In The Library presented from his London home. He invites famous friends ‘round for a drink, a takeaway and a chat about life and art. Richard E Grant has already featured, as has screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and playwright Michael Frayn. “This was one of my dream scenarios for my retirement and here it is, coming true” James comments. It’s a far cry from his BBC travel series Postcard from and provides a welcome prelude to Neil Young and Crazy Horse on a Monday night.
Sky claims to be committed to supporting the arts following the Artsworld buyout, and is putting its money where its mouth is. Sky recently renewed its tenure as the English National Ballet’s (ENB) National Tour Sponsor and has secured a £1 million sponsorship deal with the National Trust. “This important partnership with Sky allows us to talk to new audiences about our work and will help fund creative, educational and entertaining activities for families – the fastest growing category of new members and visitors,” Anne Dixon from the Trust commented. The ENB are equally grateful, crediting Sky’s artistic and financial support with their ability to “bring the best of classical dance to a large and diverse audience.” However, it would be naïve to think this was a one-way street. Sky desperately needed a channel like Artsworld to break away from the ‘football and films’ image and attract a wider audience of pay-to-view customers.
So far it seems to be a win-win situation for all: BSkyB, the arts industry and the discerning viewer…and three guesses what I’m getting Mr Davidson for Christmas this year!