As part of the deal Flextech agreed to license the rights to over 125 hours of drama and documentary features from STV's library will enter into a production output agreement to commission television programs from STV with a minimum total value of 6. 0 million pounds over three years.

The deal come to nothing but two years later both companies agreed a which allowed Flextech television channel to broadcast on sky new digital platform.

In early December 1999, talks were configured about a merger between Telewest and Flextech, By 17th December 1999 Merger was agreed upon which created a £ 10. 5bn media giant with Telewest shareholders would own 80 % of the new group, while Flextech shareholders would own 20 % The two company fully merged and completed on 19 April 2000.

In 2005 Telewest, in preparation for its long-awaited merger with NTL, put Flextech up for sale as the companies agreed " a content provider " had no place within the merged operation.

Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson and Sky's CEO James Murdoch agreed to a Joint Declaration of support for the Community Channel along with eight other major players in the British media industry – Channel 4, Five, ITV, ITN, Discovery Channel, Flextech, GMTV and the independent producers ' body PACT.

In 1993 talks were held with Tele-Communications Inc ( TCI-the Denver-based US cable TV giant ) Under the original terms of the proposed deal, Flextech would have acquire TCI's European programming business in exchange for shares.

By Christmas the deal was complete with TCI acquired 40-60 % of Flextech while flextech acquire 100 % of Bravo, 25 % of UK Gold, and 31 % of UK Living and 25 % of the Children's Channel which increase it share it that channel By The summer flextech entered in agreement with International Family Entertainment ( IFE ), to hold 39 % stake in The Family Channel and to build upon its Television portfolio. Roger Luard, chief executive officer said, " We are delighted to be involved with one of the United States ' leading and most successful basic cable networks, and we look forward to cooperating with IFE in opportunities for expansion into Europe and beyond.

In 1990 Flextech Acquired its first stake in the company, beating United Artists Cable International to gain a stake.

This library included a free 7-day watch again feature for TV programmes produced by the BBC, Channel 4 and Virgin Media Television ( formerly known as Flextech ).

The merger agreement as structured would have left NTL having to negotiate with BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm, due to a change-of-ownership clause written into the agreement for UKTV, a joint venture with Telewest's Flextech content division.

This library includes a free 7-day watch-again feature for TV-programmes produced by the BBC, Channel 4 and Flextech.

The company itself acquired new inverters when in 1994 the Mirror Group brought 20 % stake in company, In September 1995, Scottish TV acquired a 20 % stake in HTV worth £ 36 millio, n as part of a deal with Flextech which allowed for an enlarged Scottish Television, with Flextech holding a 20 % stake while the Mirror Group stake was diluted to 16 per cent.

Along with Marc Riley, he presented a music-based quiz programme, Pop Upstairs Downstairs, for the BBC / Flextech digital TV channel UK Play in 1999 and 2000.

Preparing for this deal, Flextech bought the shares held in UK Gold by Cox and Pearson.

With days of the deal Flextech brought a 20 % stake in HTV for £ 27million.

' We will make programmes for Flextech and provide services for them which at the moment they have to buy in.

The deal was signed in March 1997 when the BBC and Flextech unveiled their new venture, which included BBC Showcase, an entertainment channel ; BBC Horizon, documentaries ; BBC Style, lifestyle ; BBC Learning, for schools, and BBC Arena, for the arts, plus three other channels including BBC Sport ', BBC Catch-Up, for repeats of popular programmes within days of their original transmission, and BBC One, a TV version of Radio One.

In 2003 Flextech restructured its marketing department resulting in overall responsibility for the marketing of its channels to the channel controllers which oversaw creative solutions put together by central in-house marketers who worked with existing agencies, including Banc.

Shortly afterwards Flextech appointed Jonathan Webb to replace Lisa Opie as managing director ; Jonathan Webb was responsible for moving Challenge away from its staple of game shows and axing Bravo's " laddism " strategy.

In the Autumn 1993 Flextech held talks with Tele-Communications ( TCI ) and about acquired TCI's European programming business in exchange for shares, giving TCI a 50 %- 60 % stake in the enlarged Flextech group The deal was completed which resulted in Flextech increase it stake from 50. 1 % to 75 %

In April 2000 Telewest merged with Flextech, and in November extended its cable network with the acquisition of Eurobell, taking the total number of homes passed to 4. 9 million.

NTL also produced content through its Flextech subsidiary.

Additionally, Flextech had a 50 % share in UKTV ( with BBC Worldwide ), and owned Sit-Up Ltd, who operated Screenshop, bid tv, price-drop tv and speed auction tv.

Flextech were a partner in the venture, taking a 39 % stake in the business.

In 1996, IFE sold its remaining 61 % share to Flextech, giving them full ownership of the venture, and subsequently in February 1997 Flextech rebranded the channel to Challenge TV, focusing mainly on game shows.

The channel's success led to the launch of the UKTV network on 1 November 1997, owned by BBC Worldwide and Flextech, and consisting of three other channels: UK Arena, UK Horizons and UK Style, focusing on the arts, factual and lifestyle programmes respectively.

The deal also involved David Montgomery, chief executive of Mirror Group, and Two Flextech executives join the Scottish Television board, while Flectech committed to license more than 125 hours of drama and documentaries from Scottish Television, Within a month of the deal, the Mirror Group managed to increase its stake to 19. 93 %.

Later on, United Artists Holding Europe stepped in as part owner, and that ownership eventually became a part of Flextech, which was controlled by the U. S. cable company Tele-Communications Inc.

During 1996, Flextech and the BBC were talking about a partnership to launch a new range of channels.

Flextech wanted these channels to carry advertisements, but the BBC argued that BBC-branded services in the UK should not carry advertising, as the BBC's domestic TV channels are non-commercial publicly funded in the UK by a mandatory licence fee.

A compromise was reached ; BBC Choice and BBC Learning ( later renamed BBC Knowledge shortly before launch ) would go ahead as BBC channels without commercials, while the deal with Flextech was past to BBC Worldwide with a controlled 50 / 50, this allowing the remaining channels to carry advertisements.

Shortly before launch, it was decided the channel UK Living also owned by Flextech was to be renamed Living, instead of becoming part of the new UKTV network due to the similarity in programming between the channel and UK Style.

Flextech, was formerly an oil services group, previously being floated as an energy investment company back in 1983.

By 1992, Flextech was a media-only group, having built up stakes in local cable operators selling off its non core asset ..

Initially, it was assumed that the new channels would be BBC-branded but Flextech wanted the channels to have advertisements.

As part of the rebrand, Flextech was also renamed as Richard Branson was keen to move into branded content and insisted that the Flextech business was retained as a condition of NTL buying Virgin Mobile and licensing the name.

On 8 February 2007, Flextech was renamed Virgin Media Television as part of a larger re-branding exercise covering the whole of NTL: Telewest, Virgin Mobile and Virgin. net.

SceneOne was a general entertainment website and television channel which was closed down under Flextech management after disappointing reach and a lack of revenue.

During the Spring of 2004, United Business Media and RTL, which both held shares in Five, held talks with Flextech about merging the advertising sales teams of Five and Flextech's channels together, but came to nothing.

In 1993 Flextech gain its first stake in UK Gold after acquiring Tele-Communications ' ( TCI ) TV interest in Europe, in 1996 its started discussions about increasing its stake, to gain full control, at that point, Flextech held 27 % with Cox ( 38 %), BBC ( 20 %) and Pearson ( 15 %), by the Auttum Flextech acquired Cox and Pearson stake thus give flextech 80 % in UK Gold.

Ftn ( or Flextech Television Network ) is the only wholly owned channel that has been closed down by the new VMT.

This came about as it was established by the firm then known as Flextech ( later known as Virgin Media Television and Living TV Group ), who also owned a half-share in the established entertainment channel UK Gold.

Originally this was by their association with Flextech, which spawned the UKTV network.

The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a television station in the United Kingdom, Benelux ( with Dutch voice over ) and Scandinavia, which was owned by Flextech.