Sky Television Plc - Timeline

Timeline

• 1980 – Satellite Television is set up by Brian Haynes, back by backed by Guinness Mahon and Barclays Merchant Bank.
• 1982 – Super Station Europe (SSE) launched
• 1983 – Murdoch's News International takes control of Satellite Television UK (SATV)
• 1984 – Renamed Sky Channel
• 1986 – Granada, Pearson, Virgin and Amstrad form British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) and win Independent Broadcasting Authority UK satellite franchise
• 1987 – BSB awarded licence from the IBA and complete over £200m funding with additional shareholders Reed, Chargeurs, London Merchant Securities and others
• 1988 – July – Murdoch announces his intention to relaunch Sky Channel as Sky Television on the Astra satellite system
• 1989 – 5 February – Four channel Sky Television package launched
• 1990 – March – BSB begins broadcasts
• 1990 – November – Both companies had suffered heavy losses and a 50:50 financial merger was agreed to form British Sky Broadcasting
• 1990 – BSkyB announces former BSB customers will receive Sky equipment (for Astra system) free of charge, Marcopolo satellite transmissions to cease
• 1992 – July – BSB satellite Marcopolo II sold to Telenor
• 1993 – December – BSB satellite Marcopolo I sold to NSAB