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BSkyB alums gamble on Poker A group of former BSkyB executives will lay their cards on the table today with the launch of a new UK digital satellite channel dedicated to poker programming. In a bid to capitalise on the game's increasing popularity, piqued by series such as the Celebrity Poker Club and the rise of online casinos, The Poker Channel officially goes live this afternoon on Sky. The station has been set up by former Sky Ventures commercial manager Crispin Nieboer, former head of Sky Music Chiara Cipriani and Sky producer James Hopkins. The Poker Channel will rely on originated programming, rather than attempting to compete with the likes of Flextech-owned Challenge for rights to Celebrity Poker Club, or Discovery for the World Poker Tour. The company, which is backed by two business angels and an unnamed venture capitalist, has already commissioned several series. In the UK, indie Luckbox is producing three (16x30') series, Bar Beat, Up Close and Poker Godfather. Zeal TV has secured an order for Barney's Home Game (13x60'), featuring Hendon mobster Barney Boatman. US producer Artist Tribe, meanwhile, is behind a fly-on-the-wall documentary series called Beyond the Felt (13x30'). But The Poker Channel's main focus will on live games, according to Nieboer, the company's ceo. "The main problem with what's out there at the moment is that its very samey, not made for the UK market and there's not enough live programming," said Nieboer. "We think we can do as well, if not better than the World Poker Tour. Live is the next big thing to happen in poker." Nieboer said that all The Poker Channel's content would be exclusive to the UK and the company was "keen to form partnerships with production companies" beyond those already commissioned. The Poker Channel also has its own in-house production team dedicated to tournament coverage, with the British Poker Open due to get underway on 12 April. The channel will initially air between 14.00 and 01.00 but Nieboer said playout would reach 24 hours a day by May when the tournament reaches its climax. While heavyweight sponsors and advertisers from the world of online casinos and beyond have already come onboard, The Poker Channel will also look to alternative revenue streams from mobile phones, offering a range of competitions, games, voting and on-screen chat. Jonathan Webdale 23 Mar 2005 © C21 Media 2005 
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