Play UK

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Play UK

Launched	10 October 1998
Closed	30 September 2002
Owned by	UKTV (BBC/Virgin Media Television)
Audience share	N/A (Channel, Closed)
Formerly called	UK Play (until Nov 2000)
Availability At time of closure
Terrestrial
ITV Digital (until platform closure in May 2002)	Channel 37 (Multiplex D)
Satellite
Astra 1E analogue (Between 1am and 7am, until 31 March 2001)	Astra 1E, 10.832V
Sky Digital	217 (previously 452)
Cable
NTL	Channel 100
Telewest	Channel 151

Play UK (formerly known as UK Play) was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom, as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was launched (as UK Play) on 10 October 1998. The channel was aimed at playing (for most of the time) music in the morning and afternoon while broadcasting comedy in the evening.

Play UK broadcast all day on the digital platforms but on the Astra 1 (Sky Analogue) satellite system, it broadcast between 1am and 7am when UK Horizons was not broadcasting.

It closed on 30 September 2002 due to low ratings because of the closure of ITV Digital in May 2002 also it could not compete with MTV. Play UK's comedy programming was then moved to UK Gold (now UKTV Gold).

1 Music Programming
2 Comedy Programming
3 Logo history

[edit] Music Programming

The majority of the music programmes broadcast (quizzes, interviews and compilations) on Play UK were produced by themselves. Play UK also repeated TOTP2, which was originally broadcast on BBC Two.

The Joy of Decks
Mental! - The Music Quiz
The Phone Zone (music request program using The O Zone branding)
The Sound of Play
Too Mashed To Remember?
Top of the Pops @ Play (succeeded The Phone Zone but using Top of the Pops branding)
Westwood Presents

[edit] Comedy Programming

Most of the comedy programming on Play UK had already been broadcast on the BBC's channels. Play UK also produced original comedy programming as well as those already broadcast on the BBC's channels. Later on, Play UK also broadcast American comedy and animation.