More than 6,500 TV channels in EU with Britain at spot

The latest figures from the Strasbourg-based EAOs "MAVISE" database, set up last year and covering 29 European countries, were announced at the five-day international MIPCOM audiovisual trade show which winds up in this Riviera town Friday.Britain leads far ahead with 883 established TV channels, followed by Germany (300), Italy (284), France (252) and Spain (199) while Turkey is in eighth position (132) behind Sweden (136). The huge British lead is due to the large number of thematic channels designed for the domestic market ranging from food and property to gaming, as well as channels established in Britain targeting other European countries.At the bottom of the table are Ireland and Latvia with 14 channels each, just behind Estonia (15) and Lithuania (15). The database currently identifies 5,068 active channels and an additional estimated 1,500 small local channels, which will be added progressively to MAVISE.Cable, satellite and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) provide a whopping 2,473 of the 5,068 active channels, followed by 1,809 regional and local channels and 381 national terrestrial services.Film and sports dominate the range of specialist channels on offer with 333 and 324 channels, respectively, putting them in second and third position, just behind the so-called 376 general channels offering a mixture of different genres.Adult and erotic audiences, on the other hand, can select from no fewer than 190 channels, making that category the fifth largest around Europe.Other major channel genres include entertainment (269), music (201), news and business (201), kids (189), documentary (135), lifestyle (110) and home shopping (103).Despite hugely diverse weather patterns, Europe however can draw on just nine weather channels, while viewers wanting to indulge in games or travel have 26 of each to choose from.