It has been known that the UK was a laggard compared to the US in terms of cable TV subscriptions, much of it due to the national subscription fee for the broadcast networks (BBC 1/2/ITV/Channel Four), as well as the Thatcher administration  that wasn't supportive for funding. In 1986, only about 130,000 people were subscribed to any cable service, just around a quarter percent of the total population. As a result, a lot of the early cable programming is lost to obscurity over there, with most people still excited about Channel Four in 1982 becoming the fourth TV channel over there. As of the summer of 1986 there were nine cable services (channels) that were available:

1. Sky Channel: By far the most famous of all cable services from Britain, going today stronger than ever, with its general purpose entertainment format, and was rapidly growing, and helped to make the NFL popular in the UK. It was also relayed across continental Europe, strengthening its reach, which had nearly six million subscribers throughout the EU at the time.
2. Premiere: Similar to HBO in America (of which it was one of the owners), it had about 46,000 subscribers at the time
3. Music Box: Similar to MTV, airing music videos 18 hours a day. I'm surprised not much about it exists given the strong pop  music culture over there.
4. Screen Sport: Similar to ESPN (of which it was one of the owners), and was also available in continental Europe as a pay service.
5. Lifestyle: Similar to Lifetime, targeted toward a female audience with glossy drama, movies, and lifestyle-oriented shows like fitness.
6. Children's Channel: Similar to Nickelodeon. Since relatively little Nick footage from 1986 exists, I'd imagine that any content to be discovered would be found in fantasyland.
7. Home Video: Similar to TNT in its early days, with lots of archived and vintage theatrical movies, supported with advertising.
8. Bravo: Similar to its American cousin at the time focusing on "upscale" and highbrow movies
9. Arts Channel: Similar to ARTS/A&E with a lot of performing arts-oriented programming.

I just find in interesting though how little the cable penetration was in Britain at the time, since the cable penetration rate in a low-performing American city like Minneapolis was already at 28%.

Cable Television in the United Kingdom was limited in the 1980s, but please read http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cable/news/a10165/history-of-cable-tv-in-the-uk/

I wouldn't ask questions about foreign countries on this forum, it's mainly Americans on here, and you know how useless they are with geography.


Doesn't mean the Brits don't want to discuss things.

Plus it is useful to remind americans there is life outside the USA

We never had cable in the 80s. I remember some school friends did though in the late 80s / early 90s. I was kinda jealous.

Anyway we finally got cable (Nynex) in the mid 90s. That was amazing! Was glued to that.

I wouldn't ask questions about foreign countries on this forum, it's mainly Americans on here, and you know how useless they are with geography.


We have a lot of people from England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands,  & Germany. There was a time when we had someone from Spain & Brazil.

By having threads about other countries, it helps ALL of us to learn about the world.


Cat