East Asia Television plans 2014 UK launch on Sky platform

Is there a place for anime on UK television?  An upcoming channel named East Asia Television thinks so, and they'll be launching over Sky's digital platform in mid-2014 while promising plenty of anime content for viewers.

The official introduction to the service states the following:

Get ready for a brand new kind of television channel, broadcasting in the UK on the Sky Television Platform EAST ASIA TELEVISION will launch MID 2014 bringing you the BEST in Japanese, Chinese and Korean media!

Maybe you love animé or want to listen to the K-top 40? Well don’t despair, we’ve got you covered. With tailored programming (And films, don’t forget about the films!) we will beaming all this awesomeness down to your tellybox to store and hoard like a true otaku.

Furthermore, the channel's press kit states:

Programming is divided into 6 slots at various times throughout the day, though the main staple from Day One is Japanese Anime.  Audience research has been conducted over a 6 year period and in 2011 the first steps in the company were made to begin obtaining licenses for broadcast and prepare for launch.

It appears that the channel plans to air both subtitled and dubbed content, with the ability to switch between them for some content - simulcast "events" are also mentioned, as are the development of on-demand services.

The Managing Director of this new channel, Ash Lawliét, lists his former positions as including freelance work for the Global Animé Network between August 2008 and 2009.

You can find out more details on the East Asia Television web site.