History to ramp up original content in Europe

European pay TV broadcaster History is looking to ramp up the amount of original content it airs across the region, particularly focusing on Poland.

Tom Davidson, managing director of AETN UK, the joint venture company which operates a bouquet of channels in the UK, Ireland, Central Europe, Scandinavia, Benelux, Greece, the Middle East and Africa, told TBIvision that it was looking to increase the amount of original content and coproductions that it produces in Europe.

Davidson, speaking to TBI at the launch of a deal between History and location-based social networking site Foursquare, recently travelled to Poland for a fact finding mission to talk to independent producers in the country.

He said it would be part of the channel’s “fewer, bigger, better” programming strategy that sees it launch two large series per year including The Kennedys miniseries.

AETN UK is a joint venture between US cable network A&E Television Networks and BSkyB and operates channels including History, History HD, Bio, Bio HD, Crime & Investigation Network, Crime & Investigation Network HD and Military History.