BBC World Service Television

This article is about the BBC's international television services. For the radio channel, see BBC World Service.
BBC World Service Television
BBC WSTV (Asia)
CountryUK
Broadcast areaWorldwide
NetworkBBC
HeadquartersBBC Television Centre
Programming
Picture format576i (4:3 SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerBBC
History
Launched11 March 1991; 33 years ago (1991-03-11)[1]
ReplacedBBC TV Europe
Closed26 January 1995; 29 years ago (1995-01-26)
Replaced byBBC World
BBC Prime

BBC World Service Television, often abbreviated to WSTV (World Service Television), was the name of two BBC international satellite television channels between 1991 and 1995. It was the BBC's first foray into worldwide television broadcasting. In Europe, it was the successor to BBC TV Europe, which it replaced on 11 March 1991.[1] The service was also launched in Asia as a 24-hour news and information service with minor differences, a precursor to BBC World News, launched on 14 October 1991.[2]

Unlike the BBC World Service at the time, it was not funded by the British government through a grant-in-aid.[3] Instead, it was funded either by subscription or by commercial advertising, with advertisements inserted locally by individual cable or satellite providers. News headlines, trailers and other updates, known as "break fillers", were inserted to fill gaps in cases where no commercials were broadcast by the local provider.

  1. ^ a b Broadcasting in the United Kingdom: A Guide to Information Sources, Barrie I. MacDonald, Mansell, 1993, page 84
  2. ^ Cain, John (1992). The BBC: 70 years of broadcasting. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. pp. 142, 143 and 151. ISBN 0563367504.
  3. ^ Territoriality in the Globalizing Society: one place or none? : with 5 figures and 8 tables, Stefan Immerfall, Springer Science & Business Media, 14 May 1998, page 112