The Bavarian Media Authority BLM announced it has issued a licence for The Biography Channel HD/Crime & Investigation HD to The History Channel (Germany). The channel received a licence for an eight year period.
The Biography Channel HD/Crime & Investigation HD will be a single HD channel for the German language market with selected programmes from the two SD channels, Biography and C & I, in HD quality.
The licence needs final approval by the German authority for media monopolies, the Kommission zur Ermittlung der Konzentration im Medienbereich (KEK). the German History Channel is a joint venture between – The History Channel (Germany) Beteiligungs (50 %), fully owned by AETN Germany Holding LLC and NBC Universal Global Networks Deutschland 50 % (fully owned by Universal Studios).
A few days ago, the BLM also issued licences for two new Sky Deutschland channels, Sky C and Sky Sport HD 3. Sky C is the working title for a new channel, that aims to bring “fiction and nonfiction formats for all ages”. Sky Sport HD 3 will further augment HD sport coverage by Sky Sport HD 1 and Sky Sport HD 2. Again, these two licences also need final approval by the KEK.