Sky drops Current TV from pay TV line-up

BSkyB has axed Current TV from its pay TV platform after the Al Gore-backed channel struggled for ratings.

Current TV launched in the UK in 2007 with a line-up of news and documentaries, predominantly from independent producers. Sky is removing the channel from its entertainment package. It could remain as a free-to-air channel, but the bulk of its funding is understood to come from the subscription deal with the UK operator.

Current TV is also carried by UK cable operator Virgin Media but that deal expires in March. The channel launched in the US in 2005 and has a reach of 30 million homes in the country.