Five Boosts Programme Budget By £17 Million

The UK’s smallest terrestrial broadcaster, Five, has announced a massive £17 million boost to its programming budget, designed to boost the company’s profile and increase overall viewing share.

Five’s director of programmes, Dan Chambers, has reportedly set aside around £10 million for the purchase of Friends spin off, Joey, rumoured to cost around £500,000 per episode, as well as pledging to commission more reality and live event programmes over the next year.

The move follows a similar funding increase by Channel 4, which recently added £20 million to its programming budget, clearing the way for more high-quality drama and entertainment series to be shown this year, rather than in 2005 as had originally been planned (see Channel 4 Boosts Programme Budget By £20 Million).

Five has worked hard to distance itself from its once downmarket image, cancelling its late night screenings of soft porn and concentrating on big budget film and drama acquisitions (see Lygo Strips Channel Five Of All Adult Content). Last year also saw the broadcaster boost its science and history programming with the appointment of two programming controllers (see Five Moves To Boost Science And History Programming).

Earlier this year saw Five appoint Sky News to handle its news content, a move which will also see the format of its bulletins changed, with their length reduced from half an hour to 15 minutes (see Sky Scoops Five News Contract From ITN). The schedule reshuffle will allow Five to broadcast more political content, with Chambers understood to be planning a controversial documentary series in the vein of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 film.

Five: 020 7550 5555 www.five.tv

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