Channel 5 Website To Be ‘Irreverant, Brave And Energetic’

Channel 5 is due to launch its official website this Saturday 17 April and promises that it will be a break from the norm and different from the sites of other broadcasters. It is currently the only terrestrial broadcaster not to have an online presence.

David Bainbridge, head of marketing at Channel 5, told Newsline this afternoon: “The idea was to take the Channel 5 personality online, and to have some fun with it.” The Channel 5 personality, according to Bainbridge, is slightly irreverent, and an energetic, brave risk-taker.

Bainbridge hopes the website, at www.channel5.co.uk, will encourage people to give the channel the benefit of the doubt, and differentiate it from other broadcasters. He said that the site will be a ‘loss leader’ for the first year at least, and will not be carrying advertising for its first few months.

Although the site will carry obvious content such as programme guides and listings, other content will be unrelated to programmes. Characters such as Very Tenable will feature on the site, who will front its football content, and Drizzle Beach will be the UK version of the popular US soap, Sunset Beach.

Channel5.co.uk will also include the official website for Melinda Messenger, which features an emailable animated desktop version of the hostess.

The site will be reviewed on Newsline next week.

Channel 5: 0171 550 5555