Current UK: Final Countdown

why are you off air in the UK?

WE MUST NOT SIT BACK AND JUST ACCEPT THE END OF CURRENT TV!!
Current TV, please tell your viewers what we need to do to reverse this decision!
1. My plan (and I hope others will follow) get 5 + people you know to telephone Sky/Virgin and register a complaint and for the channel to be re-instated.
2. If you are on Twitter/Facebook drum up support.
3. Obtain email/contact of the top dogs at Sky and complain to them directly and repeatedly.
4. Everyone email the radio station LBC ((Londons Biggest Conversation) 97.3, because they have in the past got behind initiatives and I have seen a u-turn, for e.g after their involvement Westminster borough council did not implement their new parking charges!

I have to say as a younger viewer that I am utterly disappointed that Current Tv is going off air. I discovered 183 over a year ago and can honestly say that it has changed my life in some way. Your documentaries have been entertaining, enlightening and inspiring. They have opened my eyes to what's going on around me and the world. It's sad to see you go.

So the powers that be (read The Murdochs) seem to have won this battle, but we can still win the war over those that want to continue to dumb TV down with their (fake) "reality" TV bullshit.

One thing we can collectively is to do what Henry Rollins suggests in the wonderful 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die series - don't just buy one copy of a documentary you like, buy 2 or 3 and give them to friends. Introduce them to critical thinking, something I was introduced to by listening to Bill Hicks. Help your friends squeegee their third eye.

So, bye for now Current TV. We'll see you somewhere along the road. Until then, we'll continue to spread the word of documentaries.

im on the phone to sky now!!!! not happy!! :-(

You've got to keep going... where there's a will, there's [most definitely] a way.

Do you have the will?

I am appalled. There is so little relevant , intelligent topical television that is also interesting and original. I fail to understand why corporate greed is so threatened by anything that fails to pander to popular mindless dross - I certainly have not noticed a sudden outbreak of people thinking for themselves that we might blame you for causing (but accept my thanks for those you have influenced)

Is there really no way of saving the channel?

I am absolutely devastated and I can't express how I feel in words. If there really is no way of saving Current then I would just like to convey to the geniuses behind the incredible channel, my sincere gratitude for reporting the truth and providing me with an escape from modern tv bullshit. Thank you so much, you will sincerely be missed :'(

Current TV is the only channel worth looking at, I'm totally devastated it's going, I've learned so much. Now the suits have decided that the public are beginning to know too much and have decided to shut the reporters up. Even more tragic are the amazing young people who will lose their jobs at this fantastic channel. I've been a customer of Virgin Media for 7 years and I'm seriously reviewing whether to stay or just get a freeview box, I'm sick of so many repeats and other 'entertainment' shows with so called self-absorbed 'celebs' talking shit with their inane reality shows, why don't they close down that stupid E channel? Number one channel of cack!

I'm not a bit happy about this - intelligent programming is getting harder to find.

So sad . I hope you find another home ...

Now complained to virgin also. They offered me a discount! I refused as it tied me into a new contract and I repeatedly told them it would not be worth it without Current TV. Not much they can do as its not them who've cut the funding but he is passing the info on and saying that we'll be leaving virgin because of it. Bring it on!!! Who else can I rant at on your behalf Current??! X

Complain people. I have just contacted Sky. If you ate not a customer with them just ignore all the options and you'll eventually get through to someone. The lady hadn't even heard of the channel but I told her how amazing it was and how it's folding because if BSkyB removing their funding. Someone is calling me back... This is the number 0844 545 6511. Current tv is worth a little phone call right? Will probably change nothing but at least we' ll know we did something. And sky will know how loved Current is. Please call today. Big Love Annie x
by annie12 (+10p) | just now

wow - just spent an hour writing an awesome complaint email to Virgin but their website won't actually let me send it!!! Seriously! Starting to feel like a conspiracy theorist....and Sky won't let you complain by email unless you are an actual customer??!!! Crazy. Phone it is... here's the email anyhow in case anyone can use the words!

Hello,

Although I am not the named account holder, I share the bill with my husband. I would like to register my disgust at the closing of Current TV on Channel 155.
Current is undoubtedly the best TV station in the UK. Over the last few years I have watched some incredibly moving, informative and educational documentaries that have not only kept me spellbound but have improved my awareness of the world and the way I live my life. Food Inc made us change the groceries we buy. Richard Corrigan's documentary on Hunger made me start to think about how much food we waste and encouraged me to plan our meals and use what we have. Shed Your Tears And Walk Away raised my awareness of how desperate our country is becoming and Occupy Wall St made me join fb pages for Occupy London & UK Uncut to see how I can get involved. Oh and Supersize Me made me stop eating McDonalds!!

To lose this channel is a tragic sign of where our society is heading with people preferring to watch endless hours of reality TV mainly filled with utter morons instead of being entertained and learning about the world they live in. I realise that the decision has come about because Current have lost their main source of funding from BSkyB and that you are not connected but I implore you to think about the effect losing this channel will have on the landscape of British television. Is it not worth saving?

Surely everything cannot be just about money, as naive as I may sound I would like to believe that education is still of paramount importance and Current does this eloquently and without fear. I hate that my kids will grow up in a world of TOWIE and Geordie Shore. These people are not role models. The guys on and behind Current TV are....

I will be encouraging my husband to cancel our sky sports and movie package as I will not support them in anyway. I also hope that he cancels our whole contract with you as to be honest without Current there is little point and I feel reluctant to pour more coppers into a massive corporation that is standing by and watching this abomination.

I realise this may be a strongly worded email to write about a TV channel, but it really does make a difference to the world. And how many things can you say that about?? If there is anything that can be done to save this channel I would be a lifelong customer and you as a company would be doing a great service to the UK. And how many times do you get to say that huh??

Yours Sincerely

Annie C.

Consider it done ( as soon as I can put my baby down!!!) I will post the numbers on fb as well as already a few mates who watch have said they are annoyed about losing the channel. Feel a bit helpless. And bad for you guys losing your jobs.

http://Current.com

Thank you all for your amazing comments. For us who work here at Current UK it means a lot to hear you all express your disbelief and disappointment that our channel is being shut down. We sincerely wish this wasn't the case. We believe that the UK media landscape needs a channel like ours as we were offering something unique, but because we have lost our core funding we can't continue broadcasting.

If you want to tell Sky and Virgin what you have all expressed so eloquently here on Current.com these are the numbers to call.

Sky 0844 545 65 11
http://www.sky.com/helpcentre/contact-us/

Virgin 0844 995 95 22
http://bit.ly/8vnata

Thank you for all your support,
The Current UK team

Ok I've already posted my disgust on fb. I will be emailing bskyb and cancelling my sky sports and sky movies subscription with virgin. And I will email virgin and suggest they support Current tv. I realise this won't achieve much but I need to do something. Be the change you want to see in the world.

So totally gutted. I have learnt so much from Current tv. Because of your 50 best docs programme I went out and brought 10 of them. It is without doubt the best channel on tv. Who will air films like Shed You Tears And Walk Away or Jesus Camp?? No one. How can this be ok? In a country where X Factor gets millions watching it people dont care enough about what's happening in the world to even learn about how we are brainwashed by big corporations and the richest 1%. Don't feel like I'm making much sense - my anger is too great! Surely there is something that can be done?? Emails? subscription charge? Go online. Please don't disappear. I am an incredibly busy working mum with 2 little kids and Current is the best way for me to not only educate myself but my kids. What can we do?!?

I just saw the 'closing down' trail on the telly and i was horrified. Why are you going off air in the UK?? Current is my most-watched channel- I've been watching since it all were fields, when the programmes were all short 'pods' with presenters in between! Since then the channel has only got better and better. '50 documentaries...' was my favourite programme/series of recent years, i've had it taped on my Tivo box since it first aired. Current is the only channel where my online world (...my real world) bleeds out into the broadcast tubes, where I can actually see someone I listen to on a podcast appearing in person.
Why are you leaving us? All the other channels show is junk and nonsense! (...for the most part)
Is there anything that can be done? Or just anyone I can aim a strongly-worded email at in complaint?

yours, dismayed

The future of TV lies in the Internet. The Dish network allows their
subscribers to watch the TV station broadcasts they carry over their
private monitors. I sincerely hope Current TV U.K. comes back even
if you have to downsize to make it economicly feasable for you folks
to work at what you love to do. Best of luck to you on that score,
Current is tops. We'd have to go a long way to find anything better,
than Current if indeed anything of that sort does in fact exist. As the
Beach Boys used to sing Be true to your school, like you would to
your girl or guy. Let your colors fly.

Goodbye U.K. Current...

I live here in the US, but I'm sorry to see Current UK coming to an end. :(

Not usually moved this much to post online. But like all other commentators on here, absolutely gutted that Current is to stop broadcasting in the UK :(

My partner and I often don't agree on something to watch on the old goggle box. But we always managed to find something on Current.

You will be sadly missed :(

Isn't that the same day google and many other privacy settings will go into effect???

I am sad for my British fellow Currenteers... I live in Switzerland, so I have no access to any Current TV at all :(

Its REALLY "gone ", OVER in the ol' US as well.

Discoverd Current TV about 8-9 months ago - watched a couple of short docs about extreme sports in NZ. It seemed that for the first time in a long time, I was watching something new and genuinely... genuine. It was a great feeling as the world of contrived TV melted away. An indepenant channel, making independant shows, and showing independant docs. Brilliant. Perfect even. Current became my first port of call every time I switched on.

And now it's going, probably never to return. I can't help but feel that I personally failed in some way, by either not reccomending Current to more people or by not taking a more active role online. Maybe it never would have made a difference if I had. Either way, I'm gutted, and I'm dreading the return of 'the old TV' options. I'll complain to Virgin, since that's all that's left, except to say that you guys did a great job. I am really going to miss you.

Grrrr! I only discovered Current TV this week and it's going off air in a fortnight! This is a channel I would actually PAY for! No reason seems to have been given yet... Is it because Sky/Virgin don't want you? Is the UK not profitable enough? This just isn't *fair*! There are more 'my wife is ugly' type shows than you can shake a stick at, but finding proper journalism is like looking for rocking horse poop!

My sentiments reflect AngelWarrior's below. I only discovered Current TV in January 2012 during my night time feeds with my twin daughters. I swing from simmering resentment at the decision to close down this channel to a numb bewilderment. Current's schedule is the first that I check whenever I turn on the TV and I'm always looking for what I can record during the day for night time viewing. I am a self confessed documentary junkie but since discovering Current I've all but given up on the core documentary channels on Sky and I'm thoroughly annoyed that Current is going off air: it's one bad decision.

My wife and I only just twigged the shutdown last night and though television should be only a distraction we feel genuinely aggrieved ,that for once a channel that represented the values of journalism, to inform and create discussion, has been seen as superfluous to the cooking, location, reality broth
that is slung on the airways dinning table each day. BBC license payers should request less celeb dancing programming and some kind of affiliation with Current to keep television that CAN matter on the British airways.Or just make another chat show!

The truth will not stay hidden from us. If you're still broadcasting in the U.S, we will still see what you're making, the internet is a wonderful tool for fighting back.

Why don't "they" stop broadcasting nonsense like TOWIE, BB, Geordie Shore (yuck) instead? You guys are so informative and offer the behind the scenes view that is almost never portrayed by the mainstream media. All I can say is thank you for the work you did and for shining real light on the truth. Your piece on the occupy Wall Street movement was so informative! Of all the channels on SKY this was on of my favorite.

I cant believe that SKY are pulling the plug on Current TV!! Its a injustice!!! I only found this channel a few months ago and its the best!! Im considering cancelling my Sky contract and moving over to Virgin now.

Sky you need to rethink this action!

So sad

I'm absolutely gutted that from the 11th of March Current will no longer be broadcasting on the BskyB network, Without doubt the most informative channel that's ever been on TV, It's sad to say but i am looking forward to the final countdown from the 1st to the 11th but only for the chance once again to see some of the most powerful and inspiring documentary films ever made, I do very much hope that this can be resolved and that once again the Current crew are back where they deserve to be' broadcasting from the front lines to to the living rooms of both the UK and Ireland.

Dear Current UK - I have only just found you! Please let me know why you are leaving?

Incredibly sad news. Will miss you Current as you kept me informed, ergo, making me a better person.

There is no good in this goodbye! :(

It`s also ending in South Africa :'( sad news...

also in italy ..... I'm very sad ... very sad. The regime is winning

WHY???????????????????????????????????????? why would you stop broadcasting in the UK? as a seeker of the truth i am soooooooooo upset; this channel was my respite from the horrors of 'normal' TV.

I cannot believe you're going to stop broadcasting in the UK. I love Current TV, it's informative and educational. So sad to hear you're going :(

This is incredibly sad and a terrible day for seekers of the truth. I've been amazed at the quality of the programmes over the last 12 months. I hope you guys decide to carry on letting UK people watch online