Galaxy lapel badge

British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) Galaxy lapel badge. White 'G' on blue diamond with yellow, green red and pale blue edge, on black background.

Galaxy was one of five channels launched by British satellite television service BSB on 25 March 1990. It was the shortest running channel, alongside Now, both closed on 2 December 1990 following the BSB merger with Sky. Original programmes included Sci-Fi soap Jupiter Moon and the controversial satirical sitcom Heil Honey I’m Home which was cancelled after one episode.

Branding for BSB was created by Lambie-Nairn. Each station identity was arranged in a diamond to reflect the distinctive squarial antenna.

BSB won the license for direct broadcast satellite (DBS) in the UK. It struggled with high start-up costs, which included launching its own Marcopolo satellites and delays caused by equipment needed to receive the D-MAC transmission standards. By the time it launched in 1990 it faced competition from Sky, which had started broadcasting in the UK from pan-European infrastructure as Satellite Television in 1983. BSB promoted its higher quality technology and programming but both companies lost money. BSB and Sky merged on 2 November 1990 to form British Sky Broadcasting. The new company marketed as Sky was effectively a take-over that saw the end of BSB with its channels, satellites and assets phased out shortly after.