article

The Wrestling Channel, also known as TWC, is the world's first dedicated professional wrestling television channel that launched on March 15, 2004. It shows many different promotions from the wrestling spectrum, with daily new content. The channel is Free-To-Air from the Eutelsat Eurobird 1 satellite and carried via the Sky Digital platform on EPG channel 427 for viewers in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It does not require any subscription to view this service. The channel is produced for Dolphin Television by Maxtron Media, a Dublin-based production company.

Programming

Current

Previous

Overview

2003

December 2003
Starting on December 1, the channel aired preliminary television programming on Friendly TV (channel 268) to establish the audience reach and engage feedback. The one-hour shows transmitted at 7AM, 4PM and 7PM on weekdays, with an additional two-hour slot for weekends at 9AM and 6PM. New shows were aired daily.

2004

January 2004
The Wrestling Channel revealed their intentions on running live shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland to complement their programming. They would not be a promotion but merely running live events that involved the promotions featured on the channel. Elsewhere, talk of a muted weekly news show was first mentioned.

February 2004
The Mediabullet web site stated that The Wrestling Channel would be renamed as Wrestling TV. There appeared to be no truth on this what so ever. Mediabullet continued to refer to the station as Wrestling TV in the coming months, when clearly it was not.

Due to positive feedback, the preliminary Friendly TV broadcasts was extended for another month starting on February 2, leading up to the official channel launch where selected programming would be simultaneously broadcast on both channels.

On February 28, The Wrestling Channel stated they would launch on March 15 on the Sky Digital platform on channel 432. Broadcast hours would be from 10AM until 3AM, seven days per week, with new daily content.

March 2004
After a week of testing and several hours of programming previews through the day, the worlds first ever wrestling channel - The Wrestling Channel (TWC) - launched on Sky Digital on channel 432. The first show was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Xplosion at 9PM. A few hours of selected programming would be simultaneously played on Friendly TV each day.

April 2004
The Wrestling Channel web site is now viewed by 2,000 people everyday. Viewing figures have ranged from zero to 20,000 over the last three weeks since the channel launched. They stated that for the channel to be a success, 10,000 viewers would need to be watching at any one time.

May 2004
The Wrestling Channel stated on May 8, that 37,000 viewers watched the Total Nonstop Action Super X Cup tournament that was transmitted via the Friendly TV tests. Elsewhere, approximately 14,000 regularly watched Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Ring of Honor and World of Sport programming on the channel.

On May 11, The Wrestling Channel invited fans to apply for the job of presenting their new weekly news show. A videotape of yourself presenting a mock news type show was requested from applicants.

Due to general channel expansion of the Sky Digital platform - The Wrestling Channel moved from channel 432 to channel 427, on May 18.

In the first of The Wrestling Channel's irregular e-mail newsletters, it was reported that over 1,400,000 had tuned in during the launch period. Audiences had peaked at almost 50,000 viewers for programming such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Frontier Wrestling Alliance and Combat Zone Wrestling.

July 2004
The world's first wrestling television based talk show and The Wrestling Channel's first in-house produced programme - The Bagpipe Report (originally with working title Inside Wrestling) - launched on July 9. Hosted by Blake Norton, it brought fans the latest insider news and guest interviews; the first interview was with Diamond Dallas Page.

In their July newsletter, it stated the channel would not be broadcasting any new Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre due to poor ratings for this programme; the first programme to be dropped on the channel. NWA Wildside was however to be added to its programming line-up.

September 2004
Jimmy Hart discussed in Slam Wrestling that he would hopefully be hosting an exclusive special show around his defunct X Wrestling Federation promotion for The Wrestling Channel. This was also later reported in The Wrestling Channel's September newsletter.

October 2004
On October 10, The Wrestling Channel announced they would be launching the world's second wrestling channel called The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded). It would feature action from their library whilst experimenting with new shows, promotion screen testers and schedule formats. Interactive SMS games would be introduced during selected programming. One possible idea was for fans to choose matches via SMS. Also Mixed Martial Arts would be introduced at some stage on the new channel.

On October 22, the channel hyped a major announcement as the biggest since the launch of the station itself, for their October 29 edition of The Bagpipe Report.

The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded) was launched on October 25, starting at 9AM with GAEA Japan.

For their October 29 major announcement - to mark their first anniversary - The Wrestling Channel would host the world's first interpromotional pro-wrestling supershow for March 2005 at Skydome Arena, Coventry, England.

December 2004
December 22: Former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Mick Foley was unveiled as the "international superstar" who had signed up to be part of the supershow - now called International Showdown. Foley was involved with Ring of Honor, a promotion featured on the channel.

December 5: The Wrestling Channel was represented by TNA:UK webmaster Kurt Higham at the December Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view event, TNA Turning Point 2004.

2005

January 2005
January 24: The Wrestling Channel Reloaded was reduced to a minimum level of programming due to a number of potential partners seeking to re-programme and develop the slot. The channel would thereafter run for three hours per day, starting at 3AM.

February 2005
February 24: The Wrestling Channel moved satellite frequency from 11.623 GHz Horizontal to 11.680 GHz Vertical.

According to the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) - for the week of February 27, The Wrestling Channel recorded its biggest ever rating with 811,000 viewers (2.2% reach). This was higher than several other established entertainment and sports channels.

March 2005
The Wrestling Channel's sister station—The Wrestling Channel Reloaded (TWC Reloaded)—ceased on March 3. None of the anticipated innovations or experimental programming came to be. This was replaced by Movies 333 that occupied their 428 channel number slot before moving to channel 333 on March 21.

On March 19, The Wrestling Channel presented International Showdown, a live wrestling event with various superstars featured on the channel in competition. The event at Skydome Arena, Coventry, England, was a phenomenal success with a reported attendance of 3,401—only 93 people short of a venue sell-out.

April 2005
After numerous schedule changes since its launch, The Wrestling Channel transmitted continuously 24 hours per day for its first time, on 4 April.

May 2005
May 26: The Wrestling Channel moved frequency from 11.680 GHz Vertical to 11.264 GHz Horizontal.

July 2005
July 26: The Wrestling Channel moved frequency from 11.264 GHz Horizontal to 11.260 GHz Vertical.

August 2005
August 14: The Wrestling Channel was represented by TNA:UK webmaster Lee Cherry at the August Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view event, TNA Sacrifice 2005.

November 2005
The first non-wrestling programme - Big Brawl, a boxing competition for the general public - started on November 18 at 9pm.

December 2005
After a press release at the start of the month, Cagewarriors Fighting Championship - a mixed martial arts organisation—starting broadcasting from December 2 on the channel. As well as new weekly programming, the deal included Cagewarriors back catalogue of events. Also released was the news that The Wrestling Channel (TWC) had brought viewers the perfect Christmas gift by signing a deal to broadcast up-to-date TNA Wrestling shows just seven days after their original US airdates.

The deal took effect from Saturday 21 January 2006 with TNA Impact, while the Final Resolution pay-per-view aired the following evening, both on just a one-week delay. All Impact shows and pay-per-views from that point on would continue to air just a week after their original US broadcast.

Although TNA programming then currently aired on a five-week delay on TWC, viewers did not need to worry about missing any shows because of the new deal. TWC would broadcast a double-bill of Impact on Saturday 7 January, while the usual Sunday Supercard slot on Sunday 15 January would feature four episodes to bring viewers up to date.

Sean Herbert, director of programming at TWC, said viewer response was the driving force behind the deal. "When we ask viewers what changes they'd like to see at the channel, the most common response is up-to-date TNA. This deal means fans will now find it far easier to avoid reading results or reports from the shows before they air on TWC, meaning they can enjoy TNA programming with an 'as live' feel."

March 2006
1 Pro Wrestling was pleased to announce that they had signed a deal with The Wrestling Channel. The deal came just weeks before 1PW’s biggest show (at the time); All or Nothing, where an 8-man single elimination tournament would declare 1PW’s first ever World Champion.

Towards the end of March, TWC would air a 4-hour 1PW "Supercard Special" featuring the stars of 1PW, including highlights from previous 1PW events, including the crowning of the 1PW World Champion, as well as special guest interviews and exclusive promos.

All new star promos, would appeare on TWC during the month. These would air at the beginning and end of commercial breaks on the channel.

Also The Wrestling Channel celebrated it's 2nd Birthday, quite an achievement considering many people predicted the Channel would not survive past 6 months.

April 2006
Though TWC would originally air TNA iMPACT! at a one week delay from Spike TV in America in April 13 this would change as TNA iMPACT! would change timeslots in America so that the show would be aired on Thursdays at 11pm EST. TWC would continue to broadcast TNA iMPACT! on Saturday nights at 9pm, as of April 13th, there would be a 9 day delay.

See also

External links

Irish television | Professional wrestling | Television channels in the United Kingdom

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "The Wrestling Channel".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world