Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Yesterday examines modern conflict with two new acquisitions from WMR

23/11/2013

UKTV, the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers a month, today announced the acquisition of the brand new series CIA Declassified and the second series of Black Ops from World Media Rights. Both series have been acquired for Yesterday, the UK's biggest factual channel and are scheduled to start in Q1/Q2.

The deals were negotiated by UKTV's Acquisitions and Co-Production Manager Emma Sparks and World Media Rights' CEO Alan Griffiths, and ordered by UKTV's General Manager of Factual, Adrian Wills.

From Chile to Afghanistan, CIA Declassified tells the real stories of the CIAs covert operations, drawing from the declassification of documents which have been released over the last 20 years. Every episode reveals different hidden secrets from these documents, including how the CIA let off a bomb in Beirut and how Osama bin Laden's hiding place was tracked down by a group of women agents.

The series also investigates the CIA's prolonged campaign against Colonel Gaddafi, the CIA agent Felix Rodriguez who tracked-down and executed Che Guevara, and the true story behind CIA agent Tony Mendez's rescue mission of six American diplomats in Iran, which inspired the Hollywood film Argo.

Black Ops travels the world taking viewers on top secret special operations revealing how elite special units in different countries carry out their high-risk, zero-recognition assignments. Missions investigated in this series include the destruction of a nuclear processing reactor in Syria, a 2012 SAS raid to recover hostages in Afghanistan, and the release of the hostages in the Japanese Embassy siege in 1997.

Adrian Wills, General Manager for Yesterday, commented

Compelling real-world modern conflict stories are extremely popular with Yesterday viewers, as the ratings of the first series of Black Ops proved. We're really excited about the second series and the brand new series CIA Declassified, as they are both a gripping and exciting watch, using eyewitness and participant interviews, archive footage and dramatic reconstruction.

UKTV's Acquisitions and Co-Production Manager Emma Sparks, added

CIA Declassified and Black Ops give viewers the chance to enter the secretive world of the CIA and modern conflict, making them exciting and dangerous TV.

World Media Rights' CEO Alan Griffiths said

We are very pleased to help boost the ratings of new innovative channels like UKTV's Yesterday as WMR's mission is to create high quality television for exciting growing networks in the UK and around the world. Black Ops, with its audience of history and computer games fanatics, does just that while CIA Declassified gives new insights in to the way in which the CIA operates. WMR always goes for compelling stories - as that is the surest way to build an audience.

The first series of Black Ops averaged an opening audience of 389,000 adults, and achieved a 2.1% audience share.

For more information or interview opportunities, please contact: Emily Jones, Publicist, Factual

Lara Feinstein, Corporate Communications Coordinator

-ENDS- Notes to Editors About Yesterday Sky 537, Virgin 203, Freeview 19

Showcasing UK premiere series such as Raiders of the Lost Past, Museum Secrets, and Treasure Detectives, Yesterday provides entertainment inspired by history. The channel also features dynamic history and science-inspired series such as Perfect Storms: Disasters that Changed the World, and programmes which challenge expectations including Secret Life of . Ancient history is also featured in series including Alexander's Lost Cities and Mummy Mysteries, plus modern conflict in shows such as Black Ops.

yesterdaytv.co.uk

About UKTV The multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers per month.

UKTV's ten imaginative channel brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food - include the number one channel in the Factual genre, the number one channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free) and the most famous channel and programmes in the Entertainment genre.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision, TalkTalk on YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world and supplies Sky with more hours of HD content than anyone else.

Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.

corporate.uktv.co.uk / press.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press

About World Media Rights World Media Rights (WMR) is currently one of the largest factual programme producers in the UK. Created in 2007 it now supplies factual TV programming to over fifty countries globally and its programmes are regularly broadcast on channels including Discovery (in Europe and the USA), France Television, Canale Plus, ZDF, Mediaset and UKTV. The WMR senior management team includes renowned television industry executive and broadcaster Andrew Neil, Alan Griffiths (CEO) and Matthew Barrett (Creative Director).

www.worldmediarights.com
LINK: http://corporate.uktv.co.uk/news/article/yesterday-examines-modern-con...
See more stories from uktv

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

15/07/2026

COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried

COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried Brie Clayton July 15, 2026 0 Comments Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...

15/07/2026

SIMBA powers new streaming delivery network with Broadpea...

Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...

15/07/2026

DHD Introduces Discovery Utility for Network-Connected Au...

DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration. Anyone w...

15/07/2026

BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026 Breaking t...

BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...

15/07/2026

S&P Analysis: Three Quarters of Americans Watch Live Sports

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/07/2026

Scripps Sports, Ion Score Women's Volleyball Rights

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/07/2026

NVIDIA and Japan Bring Full-Stack AI and Robotics to Every Industry

Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers and infrastructure builders, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across the full stack wit...

14/07/2026

Bowling Green State Upgrades Doyt Perry Stadium With New Daktronics LED Display

South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...

14/07/2026

Mizzou Athletics Launches Connected Digital Platform

Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...

14/07/2026

DePaul Athletics, Playfly Sports Agree to Multimedia Rights Partnership

Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...

14/07/2026

American Association Expands Broadcast Reach Through FanDuel Sports Network Partnership

Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...

14/07/2026

Euroleague Basketball Introduces Euroleague Basketball+ Digital Ecosystem Initiative

New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...

14/07/2026

Professional Fighters League, ESPN Reach Multi-Year Media Rights Deal for Brazil

ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...

14/07/2026

TEGNA Names Scott Gill VP of Technology and Operations

Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...

14/07/2026

Guest Post: Dynamic Media Facilities Could Reshape the Future of Broadcast Workflows

Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) As broadcasters con...

14/07/2026

Bayerischer Rundfunk Debuts Fully Software-Defined SMPTE ST 2110 Radio OB Van Built Around Lawo Technology

Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...

14/07/2026

Scripps Sports, ION Secure U.S. Rights to 2027 FIVB Womens Volleyball World Cup

Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...

14/07/2026

FloSports Lands Exclusive U.S. Rights to IIHF Mens World Championship Beginning in 2027

FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...

14/07/2026

Minnesota Lynx Add Three Games to KARE 11s Over-the-Air Schedule

Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...

14/07/2026

Avalanche Tones debut with Chainsaw Suite

Plug-ins for heavy music Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...

14/07/2026

IK Multimedia introduce ReSing Voices Brazilian Pack

Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...

14/07/2026

MIDI Innovations Awards 2026

Registration open until 1 September 2026 The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...

14/07/2026

Launchkey MK4 88 joins Novation line-up

88-note model completes MK4 range Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...

14/07/2026

CBS Atlanta Adds a Noon Newscast

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

Tegna Names Scott Gill VP, Technology and Operations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

Colorado Wildfires Bring Close Call for Broadcasters

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

IBC2026 sets conference agenda

IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...

14/07/2026

Nominations for Best of Show Awards at IBC2026 Now Open

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

Broadcast Solutions delivers industry-first software-defi...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...

14/07/2026

UPDATED: Scripps, DirecTV End Blackout, Ink New Retrans Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

12 States Sue to Block $110 Billion Warner Bros./Paramount Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

Heidi Raphael to Head N.Y. State Broadcasters Association

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

CBS Atlanta Expands Live Local News Programming

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/07/2026

Nemotron Labs: How Open Models Give Enterprises and Nations AI They Can Trust, Control and Customize

Editor's note: This post is part of the Nemotron Labs blog series, which exp...

14/07/2026

Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters

Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026 14 July Writ...

14/07/2026

First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal Lake, from A24 coming to Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland this October

Tuesday 14 July 2026 First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...

14/07/2026

Surround Is Still the Standard

When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...

14/07/2026

Fresh Thinking from MAD//Fest London 2026

Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...

14/07/2026

Seven paradoxes shaping the next era of media production - Episode 3

Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...

14/07/2026

How Merchants Can Prepare for the Next Evolution in Digital Commerce

Pilot Project Shows How Retailers Are Prepared for the Next Step in the Evolution of Digital Commerce Arvato Systems Drives Agentic Commerce Forward G terslo...

14/07/2026

Building a more sustainable future - Our commitment to climate action

As part of this commitment, weve joined the SME Climate Hub, publicly pledging to: measure our greenhouse gas emissions reduce them in line with a net zero p...

14/07/2026

Why Performance per Watt Is the Ultimate Metric for AI Infrastructure Efficiency

Power is AI infrastructure's inescapable constraint. How many tokens an AI factory can generate within a fixed power budget determines its revenue and profi...

13/07/2026

BravesVision GM Jeff Cravens on Launching MLB's Newest Team-Owned Network in 35 Days

The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...

13/07/2026

Behind The Mic: Adam Schefter Signs Multi-Year Extension with ESPN

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...

13/07/2026

Eurovision Sport and European Athletics Bring Live Athletics to More Fans with Multilingual AI Commentary Initiative

Eurovision Sport is making live athletics more accessible to fans than ever befo...

13/07/2026

Milwaukee Bucks Return to Full-Season Over-the-Air Television for First Time in 31 Years

The Milwaukee Bucks will return to full-season over-the-air television for the 2...