Rapture MD accuses Sky of unfair treatment

David Henry, MD of Rapture TV, has accused Sky of treating the channel unfairly.

The entertainment station is planning a relaunch in January but has lodged a complaint with TV regulator Ofcom over what it believes are "unreasonable" delays to its restoration on the EPG.

Speaking to the Media Guardian, Henry said that Rapture had applied for a slot on the guide in June but was told that it could take six to seven months to be realised. Such a delay, Henry claims, is costing the broadcaster up to £1,000 a day.

"The delay is unreasonable and is damaging to all other parties," said Henry, "and I believe it is anti-competitive as there is no other provider that has been allowed to operate an EPG service on the platform."

He added: "To leave one broadcaster in charge of an EPG is asking for trouble. It's not an open platform. Sky controls who gets on it, where and how - that's not an open platform. It's glaringly obvious to me that not everybody is being treated the same."

A Sky spokesman said that all channels waiting for an EPG slot were treated equally, insisting: "Sky has treated Rapture TV in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner at all times."