Described as Europe’s only network to cater exclusively for family entertainment, the Dream Family Network (DFN) went live last week (December 1) from Sirius 2. Dream Family Network is backed by the Christian Channel Europe, and today comprises four channels, Dream 1, a compilation service comprising Dream Kids, Music and celebrity segment CMTV, Dream Network News and Dreamshop. Dream 2 carries the Revival & Worship Channel.

Two ‘secular’ channels, Travel Channel and EuroNews, have joined the line-up, plus two radio stations. DFN’s founders are Christian husband and wife team Rory and Wendy Alec, who have based their organisation at a 16,000 square feet studio facility in Newcastle. The aim is to provide a package of digital entertainment "that is free from sex, violence, drugs and bad language," said Rory Alec. "We have the ability to put up 12 channels tomorrow," he said, and confirmed DFN is in negotiation with "sports channels, current affairs and other genres that we hope will join our platform by spring next year."

DFN is encrypting in Philips’ CryptoWorks, and has created its own SMS system with PineSoft, "because as a broadcaster we need to be in control of our own subscriber base," said Alec. For the time being the channels are unencrypted. Subscription is Pounds 12.99 a month.

Christian Channel Europe, now carried as a 24-hour service by Sky Digital, was launched in October 1995 as a six-hour analogue programming block based at the (then) Family Channel studios in Maidstone, Kent. "Four years on we now know there is a strong demand for what might generally be called religious broadcasting, but I call Christian television," said Alec. He admitted that some 75 per cent of viewers are currently in the UK. "But that’s because of language. It is a very real hurdle and expansion into Europe, and other languages, is part of our step by step expansion plan," said Alec. "Everyone says content is king, and it’s no different for us at DFN. Viewers will immediately recognise the absolute quality of our content across all four channels." DFN will embark upon what Alec described as a major consumer marketing drive early in 2000.

DFN has followed the BSkyB model and is distributing free Humax set-top boxes to subscribers, measured "in the thousands" said Alec. "The response has been overwhelming and what we projected to achieve in three months we achieved in just one month. It has not stopped."

Alec said that DFN had researched its market extensively. "We know they want more of this type of programming," he said. "But that must include sport, news and documentary programming, which is why EuroNews and Travel Channel have joined the system." Wendy Alec said that DFN is targeting an initial 100,000 paying subscribers over the next 12-18 months.