Sky axes Curren TV

Current TV channel is under the threat of closure in the UK after Sky axed the network from its Pay-TV platform. The satellite broadcaster, part-owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, took the “commercial decision” to no longer offer the liberal current affairs channel to its more-than-10m UK subscribers.
The move comes just months after Sky Italia also controversially dropped the network in Italy, leading to claims that Murdoch was victimising Current TV on political grounds.
Current’s Pay-TV contract with Sky was due to end in two months’ time, but Sky had already informed the company that it will be cut from its Pay-TV line-up.

Current TV is still available on Virgin Media and online, plus it can continue to operate as a free-to-air channel on Sky. But the network has already been hurt by low ratings, while the majority of its UK funding is understood to come from the Pay-TV deal with Sky.
Staff at the channel and independent producers were informed today that Current TV risks closing as early as March, although the broadcaster is exploring options to remain widely available.