{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox television channel | name = British Muslim TV | logo = British Muslim TV logo.png | logo_size = 220px | logo_caption = British Muslim TV logo used since June 2014 | logo_alt = | image = | launch_date = {{start date and age|df=yes|2014|6|10}} | closed_date = {{end date and age|df=yes|2024|6|28}} | picture_format = | network = | owner = Esplanade Vale Media Limited | parent = | motto = | country = {{Flag|United Kingdom}} | affiliates = | headquarters = Wakefield, England | former_names = | replaced = | replaced_by = | sister_channels = | timeshift_service = | website = {{URL|britishmuslim.tv/}} | terr_serv_1 = | terr_chan_1 = | sat_radio_serv_1 = | sat_radio_chan_1 = | online_serv_1 = | online_chan_1 = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa8VTqb5ZnzZ-thkoS1M6og | 3gmobile serv 1 = }}
'''British Muslim TV''' is a UK-based, digital brand and former free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel.
The company is independently owned by Mr Arshad Ashraf and funded solely by commercial advertising.<ref name="alarabiya">{{cite news |last=Pathan|first=Nabila|url=http://www.english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/entertainment/2014/06/06/Confidently-Muslim-comfortably-British-possible-New-TV-channel-thinks-so.html|title=New TV channel launches for 'comfortably British' Muslims|publisher=Al Arabiya News|date=6 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="onislam">{{cite news |url=http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/473473-british-muslims-get-new-tv-channel.html|title=British Muslims Get New TV Channel|publisher=Biz Asia|date=7 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="islamtelegraph">{{cite news|last=Khan|first=Ahmed|url=http://www.islamtelegraph.com/tv-channel-for-british-muslim-set-for-launch/|title=TV channel for british muslim set for launch|work=Islam Telegraph|date=8 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910034255/http://islamtelegraph.com/tv-channel-for-british-muslim-set-for-launch/|archivedate=10 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="saudigazette">{{cite news|last=Patan|first=Nabila|url=http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140608207770|title=New TV channel for 'comfortably British' Muslims set for launch|location=Saudi Arabia|work=Saudi Gazette|date=8 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101034925/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140608207770|archivedate=1 November 2014}}</ref>
==Premise== British Muslim TV was conceptualised towards the end of 2013 and underwent planning from the start of 2014.
In June 2014, British Muslim TV was launched on Sky describing itself as, "a new Sky channel that provides both Muslim and non-Muslim communities with news, views and insights into how British Muslims live. We will also present content from our community, for our community, with the aim to make British Muslims feel confidently Muslim and comfortably British."<ref name="media247">{{cite news|last=Baddhan|first=Raj|url=http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/british-muslim-tv-to-launch-in-june-on-sky-digital|title=British Muslim TV due to launch on Sky this month|publisher=Biz Asia|date=17 May 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101015742/http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/british-muslim-tv-to-launch-in-june-on-sky-digital|archive-date=1 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The channel added, "viewers will be treated to a range of engaging, entertaining and educational content, aimed at showcasing the best that our British Muslim community has to offer."<ref name="moroccoworldnews">{{cite news |last=Arbaoui|first=Larbi|url=http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/06/132345/british-muslim-tv-to-launch-in-june/|title=British Muslims Get New TV Channel|location=Morocco|publisher=Morocco World News|date=10 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref>
Prominent former advertisers include British Muslim charities Read Foundation and Penny Appeal.<ref name="5pillarz">{{cite news |url=http://www.5pillarz.com/2014/06/06/british-muslim-tv-due-to-launch-on-sky-this-month/|title=British Muslim TV due to launch on Sky this month|publisher=5Pillarz|date=6 June 2014|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Roshan Salih, Editor of 5 Pillars published a web article calling for the channel to be re-named "Penny Appeal TV" due to the brands substantial presence on the channel.<ref name="5pillars">{{cite news |url=https://5pillarsuk.com/2014/08/03/british-muslim-tv-should-rename-itself-penny-appeal-tv/|title=British Muslim TV should rename itself “Penny Appeal TV”|publisher=5Pillars|date=3 August 2014|accessdate=3 February 2024}}</ref> In 2015, Penny Appeal was awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest live broadcast for a charitable event which lasted 11 days 11 hr 11 min on British Muslim TV.<ref name="Guinness World Records">{{cite news |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-live-broadcast-for-a-charitable-event|title=Longest live broadcast for a charitable event|publisher=Guinness World Records|date=February 2015|accessdate=3 February 2024}}</ref>
As the channel celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2024, British Muslim TV relocated its studios to 130 Westgate in Wakefield, distancing itself from Penny Appeal Campus. With Penny Appeal claiming that the charity and the channel had always been separate entities.<ref name="Asian Image">{{cite news|url=https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/business/24418099.british-muslim-tv-come-off-sky-relocates-new-offices/|title=British Muslim TV to come off Sky and relocates to new offices|location=North of England|publisher=Asian Image|date=28 June 2024|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
==Content== Shows broadcast included ''Marriage Made in Britain'', ''Talking Booth'', ''Halal Kitchen'', ''British Muslim Teen Vision''<ref name="media247"/> and ''Women Like Us'', a female-led panel show covering a range of issues relating to British Muslim women.<ref>https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/Comment/2018/9/14/How-British-Muslim-women-are-taking-back-their-narrative https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/Comment/2018/7/27/Women-like-us-British-Muslimahs-resist https://metro.co.uk/2018/09/12/why-this-filmmaker-is-putting-muslim-women-on-mainstream-television-7887414/</ref><ref>https://www.newasianpost.com/muslim-women-lead-the-conversation-on-women-like-us-show/ https://www.browngirlmagazine.com/2018/03/women-like-us-is-the-new-female-centric-british-muslim-show-that-every-country-needs/</ref>
The on-screen talent of the channel included Guz Khan, Lauren Booth and Myriam François.
==Awards== In January 2015, British Muslim TV won the Responsible Media of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.<ref name="wakefieldexpress">{{cite news|last=McKenzie|first=Allan|url=http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/wakefield-based-british-muslim-tv-takes-on-major-media-1-7094015|title=Wakefield based British Muslim TV takes on major media|location=Wakefield|publisher=Wakefield Express|date=8 February 2015|accessdate=13 July 2015|archive-date=13 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713180928/http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/wakefield-based-british-muslim-tv-takes-on-major-media-1-7094015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Growth== In 2016, the channel commissioned the production of British romantic comedy film ''Finding Fatimah'', which was released in UK cinemas in April 2017.<ref name="findingfatimah">{{cite web |url=http://www.findingfatimah.com/|title=Finding Fatimah official website|accessdate=3 February 2017}}</ref>
In 2018, British Muslim TV collaborated with Church Times and Jewish News to publish an interfaith list of young leaders.<ref name="PressGazette">{{cite web|url=https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/18253166.joseph-hayat-announced-new-editor-in-chief-british-muslim-tv/ |title=Joseph Hayat announced as new Editor-in-chief at British Muslim TV |date=21 February 2020 |work=PressGazette |accessdate=3 February 2024}}</ref>
In February 2020, Joseph Hayat was announced as the new editor-in-chief of the channel.<ref name="asian-image">{{cite web|url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/jewish-news-church-times-and-british-muslim-tv-collaborate-on-interfaith-list-of-young-leaders-in-world-first-for-religious-media/ |title=Jewish News, Church Times and British Muslim TV collaborate on interfaith list of young leaders in ‘world first’ for religious media|date=21 February 2020 |work=Asian Image |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>
In October 2020, the channel commissioned 'The Naz Shah Show' hosted by Naz Shah MP, making her the first-ever female British MP to have her own television show.<ref name="Telegraph & Argus">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18842888.naz-shah-mp-tackles-xenophobia-british-muslim-tv-show/|title=Naz Shah MP tackles xenophobia on her British Muslim TV show|location=Bradford|publisher=Telegraph & Argus|date=3 November 2020|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
In Q2 of 2021, British Muslim TV had over 1 million viewers tuned in, in the first two weeks of Ramadan according to viewing figures from BARB, the UK’s industry standard television audience measurement service.
In April 2022, Seyfi Onur Sayin the Turkish Consul General inaugurated British Muslim TV's reportedly £150,000 refurbished studio featuring a 30 square metre video wall.<ref name="YorkshireLive">{{cite news|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/new-150000-tv-studio-broadcast-23702325|title=New £150,000 TV studio will broadcast daily from Wakefield to hundreds of thousands of viewers|location=Wakefield|publisher=YorkshireLive|date=15 April 2022|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
==Exit from Sky== On 28 June 2024, Biz Asia reported that British Muslim TV had been removed from Sky's EPG suggesting that British Muslim TV would continue to operate as a digital-only channel.<ref name="Biz Asia">{{cite news|url=https://www.bizasialive.com/british-muslim-tv-removed-from-sky-epg/|title=British Muslim TV removed from Sky EPG|location=UK|publisher=Biz Asia|date=28 June 2024|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref> This was later confirmed by Founder Arshad Ashraf citing the move as a "revised linear strategy and further embrace of digital."<ref name="Asian Image">{{cite news|url=https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/business/24418099.british-muslim-tv-come-off-sky-relocates-new-offices/|title=British Muslim TV to come off Sky and relocates to new offices|location=North of England|publisher=Asian Image|date=28 June 2024|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
In July 2024, it was announced that Joseph Hayat was leaving the channel as editor-in-chief with Arshad Ashraf expressing appreciation to Hayat for "championing such transition."<ref name="Asian Image">{{cite news|url=https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/business/24418099.british-muslim-tv-come-off-sky-relocates-new-offices/|title=British Muslim TV to come off Sky and relocates to new offices|location=North of England|publisher=Asian Image|date=28 June 2024|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
==See also== *List of Islamic television and radio stations in the United Kingdom
==References== {{Reflist|40em}}
==External links== *{{official website}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20141101020820/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/british-muslim-tv-programming/682199 British Muslim TV] on TV Guide*[http://vimeo.com/95163329 British Muslim TV teaser trailer]
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2014 Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2024 Category:2014 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Television channels in the United Kingdom Category:Islamic television networks Category:Companies based in Wakefield Category:Islam in the United Kingdom