BSkyB plans Euro rival to MTV

BSkyB is understood to be planning the launch of a rival music channel to MTV across Europe. Departing Zenith chief executive Christine Walker has been approached to head the new venture.

A BSkyB source says the com–pany intends to launch a European rival to MTV to pick up BSkyB’s youth profile for advertisers.

BSkyB carries MTV as one of its stations. It also has a partnership with MTV’s parent company, Viacom, in children’s station Nickelodeon and Paramount Channel.

BSkyB has three movie channels and two sports channels as well as Sky News, Sky Soap and Sky Travel.

Virgin and Sony have been rumoured to be planning music channels in competition with MTV.

Meanwhile, BSkyB founder Rupert Murdoch is understood to be on a recruiting drive in New York for journalists who will staff a worldwide rival to Ted Turner’s CNN.

A spokeswoman for BSkyB says she is unaware of any plans to launch a new channel.

Walker says: “I have not yet made a decision about my future. Nothing concrete has been offered to me.”