BBC Worldwide Launches Three More Channels on Hong Kong Cable

Starting 22 December, subscribers of Hong Kong Cable, one of Hong Kong's largest pay-TV operators, will have access to BBC Lifestyle, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies. The three channels will join BBC Knowledge, which launched on the platform less than two months ago, and BBC World News.

All five channels will be available free of charge to all Hong Kong Cable* subscribers from 22 December to 21 January 2010, after which they will be part of the BBC Family Pack. During the freeview period, viewers who purchase a 12-month subscription to the BBC Family Pack will get the channels free for an extra month.

Mark Whitehead, Senior Vice President and General Manager, BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, commented on the launch of the three channels: "We are excited to be expanding our distribution and that the full portfolio of channels encapsulating the quality, breadth and depth of our programming, will be available to Hong Kong Cable subscribers."

"Hong Kong is an important market for BBC Worldwide and our partnership with Hong Kong Cable builds on our commitment to bring great quality programming to more viewers in Asia," he added.

Said Vincent Cheung, Vice President, Subscription Services of Hong Kong Cable, "BBC Worldwide's channels enjoy wide acclaim, and are already household names in Hong Kong. We are confident that the channels’ high quality programming across a range of genres, available on the BBC Family Pack, will be welcomed by our viewers."

In Hong Kong, the BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Entertainment are subtitled in Chinese.

BBC World News is available on channel 75 and BBC Knowledge is on Channel 49.

The new BBC channels on Hong Kong Cable

BBC Lifestyle offers inspiration for home, family and life. The channel dishes up six strands of programming to entertain engage and inspire viewers - home and design, food, personal development, fashion and style, health and parenting. Popular programmes on the channel include How to Look Good Naked, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Grand Designs.

BBC Lifestyle will be available on Channel 131.

CBeebies, the UK's number one children's channel, provides a high-quality, interactive, entertaining and educational experience for pre-school children, offering them a safe haven in which to learn about, and enjoy, the world around them. CBeebies offers internationally-acclaimed and award-winning household favourites such as Teletubbies, In the Night Garden and Charlie & Lola.

Programmes on the channel emphasise educational entertainment and are supported by the core BBC values, ensuring they are trustworthy, reliable and informative. CBeebies is advertising-free and provides a safe, non-violent environment for the channel's viewers.

CBeebies will be available on Channel 140.

BBC Entertainment showcases the best comedy, drama and light entertainment from the BBC and other UK production houses. Some of the programmes premiering first and exclusively on the channel in January include long-running favourite, Dr Who (series four), the award-winning The Graham Norton Show (series five) and Waking the Dead (series seven).

BBC Entertainment will be available on Channel 130.

* except for Bonus Pack and Cable No. 1 subscribers