Televised sex line

The televised sex line (also described as babe shows/channels^[1]) is a style of pornographic television programming that has developed in Europe since 2001. Broadcast live from a studio, the shows usually feature female presenters advertising a phone sex line at a premium rate, through which callers can also see the woman they are talking to on the screen. Viewers can rarely hear the phone conversations, although some programmes have presenters talking, unscripted, to the camera, and responding to viewers' text messages and camera phone photos.

Many almost-identical programmes have established themselves in Europe (mainly on Hot Bird) since 2001, and in the United Kingdom (mainly on Sky) since the beginning of Babestation in 2002. These mainly aim for profits, at the expense of production values, which are rarely high. The presenters of shows are often glamour models, fetish models or porn stars, and have included Lexi Lowe, Lolly Badcock, Cathy Barry, Michelle Moist, Bexsi CW, Dani Thompson, Alice Goodwin, Paige Green, Lucy Summers, Letesha Collins, Sammi-Jo Wilson, Darcy Palmer, Ashley Emma, Tori Lee and Sophia Knight.

In the UK Ofcom classes TV programs which encourage viewers to call presenters live on a premium rate telephone number as advertisements and the regulations applicable to advertisements apply to these channels rather than the rules for editorial content. This restricts what may be said and shown on-air on unencrypted channels more stringently than if the content were a normal program. However regulation of adult TV channels has not been devolved to the Advertising Standards Authority. Ofcom regulates these channels directly.^[2]

History

1995

In the US, Playboy TV started Night Calls, a phone-in show where viewers could 'direct' the presenters (all female porn stars) in sexual acts on the air. However, this was not quite the same format as the one currently used in Europe, where the focus is more on the phone calls, and profit made from them.

2001

SexySat TV, claimed to be "the first European liveshow channel on satellite",^[3] began in the Netherlands, broadcasting from 14:00 to 02:00.^[4]

2002

• December 3: Babestation was first broadcast from 11pm-1am on Game Network UK,

2003

• Other programs such as Babecast (on Friendly TV) and Fast Girls (Motors TV UK) began in late-night timeslots. These were usually on channel nos 150–250 on the Sky EPG, and gradually became more daring in portraying nudity and masturbation (although they were by no means hardcore).
• Babestation's running time was extended to include a "late babe" hour, with only one girl taking calls on full screen; to avoid the conversation being heard by viewers, background music was played, as continues to be the case on other programs.

2004

In the UK:

• A number of the "true" or dedicated adult channels (whose channel no. was around 900, such as Live XXX TV) started to run up to 2½ hours of free-to-view live phone-ins, encouraging viewers to sign up to the subscription for the channel, before becoming encrypted. Then, the porn stars from the earlier show would engage in acts including oral sex, and use dildos.

Outside the UK:

• August 4:^[5] SexySat TV moved from the Netherlands to Prague, Czech Republic, which reduced the explicitness of broadcasts.
• August: Diva Futura went on-the-air in Italy.^[6]
• October 22: eUrotic TV began in Austria, with production site and models based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Its role was "to sell subscriptions for encrypted channels including Inxtc.tv and Xplus tv".^[7]

2006

• By this time, Game Network had allowed Babestation (and other profitable non video game-related programs like Psychic Interactive) to dominate its schedule. On February 20, Game Network ceased to exist, and the channel was renamed "Babestation". On February 28, Sky moved all adult or predominantly-adult channels to channel nos 900–970, so all channels showing late-night babe shows are now alongside established adult channels such as Television X.
• During the daytime, some channels show teleshopping or quiz channels, while many of the newly moved channels decided to start showing "softer" daytime babe shows, with some of the same presenters as at night (e.g. Babedate). They still take premium-rate phone calls, but usually wear bikinis (and keep them on), and cannot make sexual gyrations.
• Television X's TVX Callgirls Live became the first "babe show" to introduce male porn stars on-screen. They co-presented a free-to-view preview for two hours, with an alternating female presenter (two other girls take calls), then, in the live finale for subscribing viewers, had sex with one of the female presenters on air after encryption.
• November 9: ICSTIS fined a variety of daytime chat-line service providers for breaches of phone line regulations – LiveLines UK Ltd, who ran daytime show Housebabes Live (and Office Babe and Hospital Reception until September 28, 2006) were fined a total of £85,000;^[8][9] Datapro Services Ltd, £3,000 for Office Babe;^[10] Com & Tel Ltd, £25,000 (lowered after appeal) and 2ergo, £5,000, for Babedate and Mobibabes;^[11] and Eckoh Technologies, £10,000 for Babeworld (daytime version, which still contained sexually-explicit phone conversations).^[12]
• November 24: British television regulator Ofcom imposed a £175,000 fine on Look4Love, owners of Babestar TV. In 2006, Babestar had become one of the more explicit free-to-view nighttime channels, containing use of sex toys and oral sex between female presenters, although the content could still just be considered "softcore". Ofcom's problem was actually with Babestar's concentration on the "barely-legal" status of an 18-year-old presenter.^[13]

2007

• SportXXXbabes and House of Fun TV introduced 'live pixelisation' – blurring of a part of the screen. This allowed them to feature explicit content (masturbation and oral sex between presenters) without breaking rules, because aroused genitals were not seen.
• February: House Of Fun TV also introduced Boys Next Door, the first all-male gay porn on a British televised sex line, broadcast only twice (on Tuesday nights). This featured simulated anal sex, and (pixelised) real masturbation and oral sex between three male presenters.

2008

• The websites of Babestation, Babecast and Sex Station began to simulcast content. Although most of this was repeated material previously televised on Sex Station, there was also the introduction of a daytime webcast from 11:00 until 20:30, with sexually-explicit content and language that would be too strong to be televised, featuring up to three female presenters.
• 3G technology was introduced to televised sex lines, which allows some presenters to see some of the callers who are talking to them.

2011

• Sex Station extended its web show to 24 hours a day.

Bisexuality

Bisexuality (or pretended bisexuality) has a strong presence on the shows, because the girls are usually taking calls from men but many perform girl-girl porn on-screen, and some have had relationships off-screen; Dani O'Neal said "we're all bisexual here [on Babestation]".^[14]

Daytime chat lines

Austria

Eurotic TV, a channel operating under an Austrian licence on Astra and Hotbird, had been allowed to broadcast large amounts of female nudity, softcore porn and moderate sexual content with female models from 2004 to 2008. Regulations forced the channel to remove nudity from its daytime shows from 2008–09 onwards; the adult program now begins at 11 pm CET and lasts until 3 am.^[15]

United Kingdom

During the daytime, most Sky adult channels broadcast "chat line" or "date line" programs, where viewers can call female presenters, still at the premium rate, but rarely including sexual content or conversation so they cannot be classed as "sex lines". The presenters are sometimes the same as on nighttime sex lines; some, like French Bangbabes presenter Chloe , made the 'transition' from daytime to nighttime.

The 8–9 pm hour (before the watershed) features fewer phone-ins on the adult channels.

List of televised sex lines

Austria

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
eUrotic TV	Astra 1H Hot Bird 3 Hot Bird 6	See Liveshow TV website[16]

Czech Republic

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
SexySat TV	Astra 1H Hot Bird 3 Hot Bird 6	See description[17] & de.Wikipedia

Defunct:

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
FullX4Free / ALLOVE TV	Hot Bird 3	Broadcast from Czech Republic via transmitter in Netherlands Established Feb 2006; changed name Nov 2007. Ended in (European) autumn 2008	See description[18] &

France

Channel	Show title	Format	Website
Canal Star (Canal 160)[19]	Sex Station (France)	Began broadcasting (from London?) February 2006 Had a Dailymotion videos page Presumedly no longer running	(old?)

Germany

Defunct:

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
Red Lips TV	Internet[20] 3A TV (Astra 1H),[21] DHD24[22]	Broadcast first on internet, and occasionally TV Features some former eUrotic TV models

Italy

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
SexyChannel TV	Hot Bird	Description[23]
Sensuality TV	Hot Bird	Description[24]
Diva Futura Diva Futura Plus	Hot Bird	Company has existed since 1983[25] Founded by Ilona Staller & Riccardo Schicchi[26] Original channel began August 2004[6] Diva Futura Plus began September 1, 2006[27]

Netherlands

Defunct:

Channel	Satellite	Format	Website
SexySat TV	Hot Bird	c 2001 – August 4, 2004 Moved to Prague	Description[17] & de.Wikipedia
FullX4Free / ALLOVE TV	Hot Bird 3	Broadcast from Czech Republic via transmitter in Netherlands Established Feb 2006; changed name Nov 2007. Ended in (European) autumn 2008	Description[18] &

United Kingdom

• On Sky:

Channel (no.)	Show title	Format	Website
Adult Channel (901)	Chat Girl TV	6am-10pm, 3 or 4 girls rotating, presenting varied sets with themes
Babestation (906)	Babestation	1 or 2 girls rotating, presenting Split-screen
Friendly TV (907)	Bang Babes	As Babestation
Babeworld TV (908) Babeworld XXXtra (949)	Babeworld	3 or 4 girls presenting All on same bed
Get Lucky TV (909)	Babestation 2	As Babestation
Lucky Star (910)	Sex Station (formerly LiveXXX)	2 or 3 girls taking calls on same bed Rotating with XXX 4 U' Sometimes features "strips" if enough viewers text
Tease Me (912) Tease Me 2 (948)	Bangbabes	2 girls taking calls on same bed
Television X4 (913) Dirty Talk (964)	TVX Callgirls	2 girls taking calls on same bed
Over 18 TV (914)	Hotel Voyeur (formerly McQueen's Angels)	4 girls taking calls on same bed
sportXXXbabes (918) Northern Birds (954)	Live & European	2 or 3 girls taking calls Formerly featured sex (pixelised) and was encrypted at 0:00	(old)
Live XXX Babes (950) Blue Kiss TV (951) The Other Side (952) Babe Central (953) Essex Babes (955)	Live XXX Babes, Real Wives Live, etc.	Female presenters taking calls
HappyHourGirlsTV (956)	Happy Hour Girls
Studio 66 TV (912, 940, 941)	Studio 66 Nights

On Freeview:

Channel	Show title	Format	Website
Smile TV2 (94)	Babestation	"TV dating/chat line", runs 0:00–5:00 Features non-sexual content Viewers can talk to presenter(s) Previously, callers apparently arranged dates
Smile TV3 (95)	Partyland Live	"TV dating/chat line", runs 01:00–5:30 Features non-sexual content Viewers can talk to presenter(s)
Babestation (96)	Partyland Live	"TV dating/chat line", runs 01:00–5:30 Features non-sexual content Viewers can talk to presenter(s)
Partyland (97)	Partyland Live	"TV dating/chat line", runs 01:00–5:30 Features non-sexual content Viewers can talk to presenter(s)
Bang Babes (98)		"TV dating/chat line", runs 03:00–09:00 features non-sexual content viewers can talk to presenter(s)

Daytime chat lines:

Channel (no.)	Show title	Website
Get Lucky TV (909)	Babestation Daytime
Babestation (906)	Masti Chat
Northern Birds (954) Essex Babes (955) SportxxxGirls (967)	Bluebird TV
Studio 66 TV (912, 940, 941)	Studio 66 Days
Lucky Star (910)	Cheeky Telly TV
Storm (966)	Storm Daytime
xxXPanded TV (931)	FlirtxChange
Red Light TV (911, 948, 950)	Red Light Lounge
Playboy TV Chat (902)	Playboy TV Chat

Defunct televised sex lines:

Channel (no.)	Show title	When active	Format	Website
Motors TV (now 413)	Fast Girls	2003	Operated from same studio as Babestation 2 girls took calls, 1 presented Split-screen (plus text-messages)
Television X 3 (905)	TVX Callgirls Live (first incarnation)	2006	2 girls took calls, 2 presented Featured 1 male presenter on Fridays After 23:10 encryption, they had sex Still exists on encrypted Television X (as TVX Callgirls)
Gay TV (940)		2005–06	2 boys presented and took calls Encrypted at 22:00
Adult Channel (901) Spice Extreme (902)	SX:TV Live	2001–?	On encrypted channels Featuring already-famous porn stars (usually all girls) More explicit content, see Released on DVD as SXTV Live Volume 1 List of SX:TV Live episodes at the Internet Movie Database
You TV 2[28] (913)	XXX 4 U	2006–07	1 girl from Sex Station taking calls Not to be confused with DVD retailer XXX4U
You TV 2 Extra (914)	XXX 4 U	2006–07	Always simulcast with You TV 2 The channel no longer exists
Babestar+ (960)	Babestar XXX	c 2006–07	2 girls taking calls on same bed
House of Fun TV (949)	Just Girly, Boys Next Door	c 2007–08	2 or 3 presenters (all female or all male) taking calls Also featured sex and masturbation (pixelised)

References

1. Several shows' titles start with "Babe..."; this phrase was used by Sysmedia teletext on the Babestation channel in 2006.
   "'Babe' channels" used in Guardian article The Guardian, “Babeworld fined after mum complains” Retrieved March 31, 2008
2. http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/bcap-guidance.pdf
3. Liveshow TV website, July 12, 2007
4. Sexysat.tv, July 12, 2007
5. Liveshow TV website, "Sexysat-TV" article – Retrieved July 13, 2007
6. Sat-erotik.de – Diva Futura page, July 13, 2007
7. Liveshow-TV.com "eUrotic TV" article – Retrieved July 13, 2007
8. LiveLines UK £60,000 fine
9. LiveLines UK £25,000 fine
10. Datapro Services Ltd £3,000 fine
11. Com & Tel Ltd, 2 Ergo Ltd, £30,000 total fine
12. Eckoh Technologies £10,000 fine
13. Ofcom fine Look4love
14. Babestation, August 2006
15. Liveshow-tv.com, "eUrotic TV" article, Retrieved December 14, 2011
16. Liveshow TV website, "eUrotic TV" article
17. Liveshow-tv.com, "SexySat-TV" article
18. Liveshow-tv.com, "ALLOVE-TV" article
19. La Cochonne forum – Sex Station .fr (Fre.) "Canal 160 du bouquet Canal Satellite, de 22h30 à 01h30 du matin", retrieved July 13, 2007
20. Original live stream page German English
21. 3A TV,free channel broadcasting from Germany retrieved August 6, 2008
22. DHD24.com retrieved August 8, 2008
23. Liveshow-tv.com, "Eros-Live-SexyChannel-TV" article
24. Liveshow-tv.com, "Sensuality-TV" article
25. Diva Futura page on Italian Wikipedia, July 13, 2007
26. Diva Futura – history section (ita.), July 13, 2007
27. TGIM-Forum "Diva Futura Plus startet am 01.09(.06)", (Ger.), July 13, 2007
28. Note: You TV (ch. 146) was replaced by Sumo TV and no longer exists, making "You TV 2" a redundant name

External links

• Sexstation TV Live 24hr broadcast channel simulcast online
• Rampant TV Live 24hr show
• Elite TV Live stream
• UK Babe Channels, Forum for discussion on televised adult telephone services in the UK". (sexual content)
• Babe Video UK, Video site with samples and footage from televised adult telephone services in the UK". (sexual content)
• LiveBabeShows All the UK babe channels live
• Live Babe Videos All Adult Telephone Channel Videos (sexual content)
• Live Babe Shows Adult Telephone Video Channels (sexual content)