Last update - 00:00 11/01/2007
BBC Prime to pull the plug on HOT
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will stop airing BBC Prime in Israel today, if the HOT cable company goes ahead with plans to relocate the British-based entertainment channel to a less accessible station.
According to BBC Prime officials, HOT is today scheduled to retier BBC Prime to channel 170, a significant bump from its current slot. If HOT goes through with its scheduled plan, BBC Prime will immediately cancel the signal from London.
"If HOT repositions the channel on January 11, we will be forced to terminate the service," Darren Childs, managing director of BBC Global Channels, told Haaretz. "Repositioning the channel causes mass confusion and if they go through with it, we will terminate the service and cancel the signal from London."
"They are trying to wean subscribers off the channel before it comes off at the end of January," he said.
Negotiations between BBC Prime and HOT are still ongoing, but BBC officials say they're "not holding much hope" based on progress so far.
HOT has demanded a 30 to 40 percent reduction in the rates they are currently paying BBC Prime. Childs says the company is not prepared to yield to demands for a "massive reduction," and that HOT is "acting like a near monopoly."
BBC Prime was scheduled to be broadcast on HOT until the end of the month, but the ultimatum means it may disappear much sooner.
A spokesperson for HOT would not confirm the report.