{"id":116,"date":"2010-05-05T13:46:09","date_gmt":"2010-05-05T13:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/productionbase.wordpress.com\/?p=116"},"modified":"2016-02-29T13:07:59","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T13:07:59","slug":"is-sky1-still-millwall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.productionbase.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/05\/05\/is-sky1-still-millwall\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Sky 1 Still Millwall?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Is<\/p>\n

Steadfast TV’s Paul Crompton tackles the changing formation of Sky’s brand and programming.
\n<\/strong>
\nOther than the tag line, I always sensed there were other comparisons between Millwall and Sky. They’re both based in unfashionable parts of London. Each business has strong links to newspaper giants; Sky has Murdoch (huge globally) and Millwall has Rod Liddle (huge personality) and yet the most obvious, they both suffer class snobbery.<\/p>\n

Like Sky, Millwall work hard at brand perception. When they recently offered a load of free tickets to primary schools in south east London, I took my 9 year old son and some of his mates to the New Den. It was hardly a grudge match, Millwall were against lowly Hartlepool who mustered around 80 fans and were hapless at football. However, the Millwall regulars generated enough anger to melt a satellite dish, even after they took the lead. I was in earshot of several blokes bellowing C-word rants every 20 seconds or so, for the entire 90 minutes. And this was in the “family stand”. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t unsafe, I’ll credit the Millwall stewards with that, but there was a frisson of 1980s menace in the air.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In the years since Airey made the “no-one like’s us, we don’t care” speech, I’d say Sky has moved ahead of Millwall in the branding league. Whether it’s the work of Sky’s ultra-smart PR people, advising Sky to buy into middle class sports of sailing, horse jumping and cricket or the success of the HD and Sky Plus boxes, Sky seems more widely accepted, and acceptable, to the broader public than ever before.<\/p>\n

Sky1’s commissioners have upped their game too. A channel that struggled to peel off its Ibiza Uncovered swimsuit (and its many spin offs) now makes programmes that wouldn’t have been dreamt of just a few years ago. Most noticeably commissioning new dramas by some of the best British writers, producers and actors, such as last December’s 12 Days of Christmas , a series of 12 short silent films. This is groundbreaking stuff, shame it’s only once or twice a year.<\/p>\n

Which begs the question: would Airey still compare Sky1 with Millwall today? I doubt it. Maybe she’d say they’re now closer to Everton or Bolton Wanderers; Premier League teams that once or twice a season provide the big guns with a shock or two. (And I don’t mean Michael Jackson’s Live S\u00e9ance.)<\/p>\n

And which football team might Airey compare her current employers to at Five? Answers on a postcard.<\/p>\n

Paul Crompton, <\/strong>Executive Producer and Director at Steadfast TV
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steadfast TV’s Paul Crompton tackles the changing formation of Sky’s brand and programming. Other than the tag line, I always sensed there were other comparisons between Millwall and Sky. They’re both based in unfashionable parts of London. Each business has strong links to newspaper giants; Sky has Murdoch (huge globally) and Millwall has Rod Liddle […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[143,144,147],"series":[],"class_list":["post-116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-word-of-mouth","tag-sky-1","tag-snobbery","tag-steadfast-tv"],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.productionbase.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/TOTI-Podcast-Artwork.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":[],"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.productionbase.co.uk\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/turn-on-tune-in-2","embedCode":"

Is Sky 1 Still Millwall?<\/a><\/blockquote>