Showtime movie channels

For the American service, see Showtime (TV channel).
showtime premiere
Launched 3 March 1995[1][2]
Closed 31 December 2012
Owned by the Premium Movie Partnership (PMP)/Foxtel
Picture format 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Country Australia
Language English
Formerly called Showtime (prior to 15 November 2009)
Replaced by Foxtel Movies
Sister channel(s)
Showcase
Showtime Action
Showtime Comedy
Showtime Drama
Showtime Greats
Timeshift service showtime two
Availability (at time of closure)
Satellite
Foxtel Channel 219 (HD)
Channel 401
Channel 402 (two)
Austar Channel 219 (HD)
Channel 401
Channel 402 (two))
Cable
Foxtel Channel 401
Channel 402 (two)
Channel 219 (HD)
Austar Channel 401
Channel 402 (two)
Channel 219 (HD)
Optus Channel 401
Channel 402 (two)
IPTV
Xbox 360 Channel 401
Telstra T-Box Channel ???

Showtime Movie Channels was an Australian pay-TV movie service, available on the Foxtel, Optus and Austar TV platforms. The service consisted of five original channels (showtime premiere, showcase, showtime action, showtime comedy, showtime drama), three HD simulcasts (showtime premiere HD, showcase HD, showtime action HD) and two timeshift channels (showtime two, showcase two). It was owned and operated by the Premium Movie Partnership (PMP), a joint venture in which Sony Pictures Entertainment, NBCUniversal, Viacom, News Corporation and Liberty Global had equal shares. Foxtel took over managing and producing the Showtime channels as of 31 October 2012, with it purchasing assets of the PMP.[3] On 9 December 2012, it was announced that Movie Network and Showtime (with the exception of Showcase) would be replaced with a new line-up of Foxtel branded movie channels to be named Foxtel Movies[4] The main competitor to Showtime is Movie Network.

History

Formed in late 1994 through a joint partnership between Australis Media, Columbia TriStar, MCA, Viacom and Tele-Communications Inc.,[5] Showtime started broadcasting in 1995 as part of the basic package on the now-defunct Galaxy service, showing first-run films. At the same time its sister channel named Encore was launched, showing older 'classic' movies. Until their launch in March 1995, trailers and previews were broadcast in their channel slots. Both channels were originally programmed in Burbank, California, until local operations commenced in October 1995.[6] It later became available as part of the Austar and Foxtel services when they were launched. In December 2002, the Showtime channels also became available on Optus Television. Encore was renamed Showtime Greats on 1 March 2004, with a move to more contemporary films.

Showtime logo prior till 14 November 2009 rename as premiere

In September 2007 it was announced that a premium channel called showcase would be launched on 1 December 2007 as part of the suite of Showtime channels, ahead of changes that would allow Movie Network to compete directly with Showtime for subscribers.[7]

showcase screens movies (mainly independent, arthouse and documentary features),some comedy programs as well as a number of television series.

On 15 November 2009, Showtime Greats was replaced by showtime action, showtime comedy and showtime drama.[8] In addition, Showtime was renamed showtime premiere.

On 11 October 2012, Foxtel announced they would acquire certain assets of the Premium Movie Partnership, which would result in Foxtel managing and producing the Showtime channels as of 31 October 2012.[3][3]

Channels

All showtime channels area available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus, unless otherwise noted. showtime premiere and showcase are also available through Xbox 360's IPTV service.

Channel SD Service Timeshift HD service
Not available on Optus 		Notes
showtime premiere Launched 3 March 1995[1] Launched 2 December 2000 as Showtime 2[2] Launched 15 December 2009 Branded as Showtime until 14 December 2009
Channel 401 Channel 402 Channel 219
showtime action Launched 15 November 2009
Channel 406 Channel 221
showtime comedy Launched 15 November 2009
Channel 407
showtime drama Launched 15 November 2009
Channel 408
showtime greats Launched 3 March 1995 Branded as Encore until 1 March 2004
Closed on 14 November 2009
Channel 404

showcase

Showtime Greats

Main article: Showtime Greats

Internet download services

Launched on 1 October 2009 were two exclusive channels to Foxtel Download. These were:

Showtime Australia

Showtime Australia is unrelated to the American Showtime service, but pays a licence fee for the use of the name and trademark. It also produces some Australian movies, such as Bad Eggs, in conjunction with other companies.

Trademark and branding

Despite the name being Showtime, for branding purposes it is usually spelt in all capitals to match the channel logo. Similarly, Showcase is usually spelt in all lower case. As a matter of fact, the branding for Showtime uses the former logo from the American cable service until 1997.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Oliver, Robin (6 March 1997). "Galaxy of stars but light on hard info". Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). p. 8. Retrieved 27 December 2009. In addition to its sports network, already operating, Galaxy trebled the choice on Friday when Showtime, a premium movie channel, and Encore, a movie favourites channel, got under way.
  2. 1 2 Murdoch, Blake (28 November 2000). "New pay TV offerings from Australia's Foxtel.". Hollywood Reporter 365 (43): 10. ISSN 0018-3660. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 "Foxtel to acquire Showtime channels TV Tonight". David Knox. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "New movie channels for Foxtel TV Tonight". David Knox. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Potter, Ben (22 November 1994). "Australis Gets Film Rights". The Age. p. 43. Retrieved 17 October 2010. |section= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ McCutcheon, Marion (2006). Is Pay TV Meeting its Promise? (PhD thesis). Murdoch University. p. 207. OCLC 225581080.
  7. ↑ Meade, Amanda (13 September 2007). "Channel a gift for devotees of drama". The Australian. p. 33. Retrieved 30 August 2010. |section= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "Optus TV Packages". Optus Television. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
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