BSB Channel lapel badges

Three British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) Channel lapel badges, c.1989

BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting) launched 25 March 1990 with five channels: Galaxy, Now, The Movie Channel, The Sports Channel and The Power Station. Following a merger with Sky all BSB channels and branding were phased out.

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.