Create & Craft Crisis - The Sun: Two channels on Sky risk closure after failing to follow strict guidelines – and they’ve just been removed from TV guide

Story from The Sun:

Two Sky channels have been removed from the TV guide and risk permanent closure for failing to follow the broadcaster's strict guidelines.

The pair now have just four weeks to prove they can meet Sky's rules before disappearing from the service for good.

Create & Craft (Sky Channel 673) and sister service Craft Extra (Sky Channel 680) have been abruptly pulled from Sky after showing a loop of repeated programmes, and no new content.

Sky has hard-and-fast rules when it comes to retaining slots on its channel list.

It will suspend channels within hours should broadcasts stop airing or suffer technical issues.

Channels must broadcast at least six hours of non-repeating programmes to abide by Sky's rules and keep their slot.

The teleshopping channels stopped taking orders from customers earlier this month, amid concerns their parent company is experiencing financial woes.

A banner advising viewers not to call or place orders has been pinned to the bottom of screens.

Sky's rules also mean channels cannot make comments regarding a lack of regular service.

But a channel can only be suspended for a maximum of one month, before it offers the station to another broadcaster.

This means Create & Craft (Sky Channel 673) and sister service Craft Extra (Sky Channel 680) have until 21 November to save their two channel slots.

Brink of collapse:

Several customers have complained that orders made up to six weeks ago have not been fulfilled, according to a report from RXTVInfo.

Suppliers have also started to pull away from parent company Hochanda Global, which is understood to be close to collapse, per reports.

The company, which fell under new management last December, implemented a cost cutting strategy in 2023 that involved dozens of job losses.

Founders Paul Wright and Val Kaye sold their interest in the company to a new investment team last year, under the expectation that new management would grow the Create & Craft channel.

However, Hochanda Global appointed an insolvency practitioner on 4 October.

Both channels remain on-air with repeats on other digital TV platforms, including Freeview and Freesat, which have less strict guidelines for broadcasts.

©News Group Newspapers Limited.