Channel 5 Broadcasting Wins On Programme Quality

The Independent Television Commission’s decision to award the licence for Channel 5 to Channel 5 Broadcasting was on the basis of programming quality.

The ITC has to award the licence to the highest bidder, providing all quality thresholds are reached, or unless there is a bid of “exceptional quality”. Neither UKTV nor Virgin TV’s bids complied with certain requirements of the programming rules. As the remaining two bidders, Channel 5 Broadcasting and New Century Television both complied with the relevant programming and technical requirements, and the ITC considered there were no “exceptional circumstances”, the award went to Channel 5 Broadcasting which bid £22,002,000; Murdoch’s New Century TV bid just £2,000,000.

UKTV, the CanWest backed consortium which put in the highest bid, did not comply with the requirements relating to high quality programmes, nor did it provide a wide enough variety of tastes and interests. Virgin TV failed on both of these counts, and also on the quality of its proposed news service. UKTV’s programming was based too heavily on drama, (most of it acquired); the only factual programming other than news and presentation in peaktime was on Sundays between 7pm and 8pm. There was no feature films, nor live sporting coverage; children’s programming was also mainly entertainment, much higher than any other applicant.

Virgin TV only named a limited range of suppliers for both original and acquired material; the ITC feared Virgin would be unable to secure sufficient programming of high quality. Drama, entertainment and children’s programmes accounted for a high proportion of the service, higher than any other applicant, with no commitment to any factual programming in peak-time schedules until year 6. Virgin’s news was criticised not for its new format of short bulletins on the hour but rather for insufficient staff.

ITC: 0171 255 3000