UK TV has shortlisted three agencies to pitch for its 24-hour music
and comedy channel, UK Play, which is aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds.
The company, a joint venture between BBC and Flextech, has picked
Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners, Wieden & Kennedy and BDS Beechwood
to pitch for the account.
The business was previously held by TBWA GGT Simons Palmer, which parted
company with UK TV after it handed Delaney Fletcher Bozell the UK
Horizons brief earlier this year (Campaign, 23 July).
It has yet to emerge which agencies will handle the accounts for the
remaining UK TV channels, UK Gold, UK Style and UK Arena.
A UK TV spokeswoman said: ’We wanted a breath of fresh air and an agency
with experience of the same target market.’
TBWA launched the channel in October last year with a cable TV and
cinema campaign that asked, ’What is life without music and
comedy?’.
The channel claims to be the only music and comedy channel in the
UK.
About 40 per cent of its programmes are original, but it also carries
repeats of well-known shows including The Royle Family, The Smell of
Reeves and Mortimer and Dennis Pennis.
UK TV’s decision to step up its marketing comes as satellite channels
move to raise their public profile while digital companies decide what
to include in their packages.
