Sky Arts to revive 'South Bank Show'

Lord Melvyn Bragg is planning to revive The South Bank Show Awards on Sky Arts, after ITV cancelled the long-running arts programme last year.

Sky Arts channel director John Cassy is thought to have been trying to persuade Bragg to join the channel for the past 12 months.

This morning, Bragg informed ITV's director of television Peter Fincham - who made the decision to axe The South Bank Show in 2009 - of his intention to reboot the programme with Sky.

The format will be relaunched in January, 2011, to coincide with the South Bank Show Awards, which will be screened on Sky Arts rather than ITV1.

Bragg owns the rights to The South Bank Show brand under an agreement drawn up by former ITV chairman Michael Grade. The deal also enables him to access the programme's extensive archive from 33 years on air.

The new arrangement with Sky Arts will see Bragg produce a preview show for the awards coverage, and then create individual documentaries about the ten winners. He is also expected to contribute to other Sky Arts programmes, but nothing is confirmed as yet.

Bragg said that he hopes to get "the old team together" again for the relaunch of The South Bank Show Awards on Sky Arts.

"At a crucial time for contemporary arts in Britain, it is essential to continue to celebrate and examine them on television and Sky Arts has provided a magnificent opportunity for us to make a difference," said Bragg.

"I greatly look forward to working with Sky Arts to bring these awards back to television screens."

Cassy added: "Melvyn is the most passionate, enthusiastic and effective champion of the arts in the UK, so to have him on board is a tremendous honour.

"He's bursting with ideas about how he can work with Sky to make these amazing awards an even bigger and better celebration of all that's great in British culture. We can't wait to get started."