PBS Launches Channel in the UK

America's Public Broadcasting Service is launching a dedicated TV channel in Britain, marking the public television company's first major foray abroad since it was founded more than four decades ago.

The channel, known as PBS UK, is set to air on Britain's two biggest pay-TV platforms, British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC and Virgin Media Inc., which together reach about 14 million U.K. households, or more than half the country's television audience. So far, the British channel's lineup includes PBS's flagship news programs, "PBS News Hour" and "Frontline"; the popular science series "Nova"; the U.S. version of "Antiques Roadshow"; and documentaries from director Ken Burns. Because of the time difference, "PBS News Hour" will air at lunchtime the day after its U.S. broadcast. The U.K. PBS channel plans to air ads, unlike PBS in the U.S., which is delivered to its audience thanks to federal funding, corporate sponsorships and "viewers like you." The channel is one avenue PBS is pursuing as it looks for new sources of revenue in a challenged TV market. PBS UK is owned jointly by investment company Quadra Group and PBS Distribution LLC, the venture tasked with exploiting the rights to the PBS library. Quadra has invested millions of dollars to create the U.K. channel. PBS Distribution, meanwhile, put up the rights to the programs.