BBC sweetheart deal that costs competitors dearly: the BBC, thanks to a friendly Government, has been allowed to launch yet another channel through UKTV. So why no special taxes on Auntie? (Business).

Marketing Week, October, 2002 by George Pitcher

The recent revelation that, in November 2000, the Government somewhat discreetly gave BBC-Telewest joint venture UKTV permission to launch as many channels as it wants to--it had previously been restricted to eight--is truly awesome in its implications.

For one thing, it means that the BBC can launch channels endlessly on the back of its gargantuan programme archive, funded by licence-money. I fear that we can look forward to East Never-Enders, More of the Summer Wine and Match of the Yesterdays.

This week, UKTV launches its ninth channel, on the Freeview platform operated by the BBC, BSkyB and Castle Communications as a terrestrial replacement for ITV Digital. The channel, UK History, appears to offer direct competition to the independent History Channel....