Channel 5 Broadcasting, which has today been announced as the winner of the bid to hold the last national terrestrial television channel, has promised it will begin broadcasting on 1 January 1997.
Channel 5 Broadcasting’s programming “will show popular programmes every day, and will try to schedule them as far as possible when similar programmes are not being shown on other channels.” Their programming remit is that the same types of programmes will be shown at the same time every day every week; there will be a consumer programme at the same time on weekday mornings, a quiz or game show at the same time in late afternoons, a current affairs programme on weekday evenings, a two hour programme for children on Sundays and an entertainment show on Saturday nights.
Channel 5 Broadcasting says it will “bring a new flavour and a human face to British television”, with a positive upbeat attitude about Britain and life. Programmes will be made around Britain; “A national channel should mirror the nation, not just the capital city.”
C5 will have access to the programme libraries of its owners, which include Anglia, Thames and Grundy International. With regard to retuning, Channel 5 Broadcasting will carry out the retuning for all households in the areas covered free of charge, in the months before C5 starts broadcasting next year. The service will initially reach 60% of Britain’s homes, with main transmitters being centred in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford, Glasgow, and Bristol and Cardiff.
Advertising airtime will be sold by a new dedicated Channel 5 sales team.
The chairman of Channel 5 Broadcasting, Frank Barlow CBE today said in a statement; “We are delighted to be given the responsibility of introducing this important channel for Britain. Our plan is to be on air nationwide on 1st January 1997, which offers viewers and advertisers a real alternative in quality programmes. The work starts now. We are totally committed to making Channel 5 a major force in British Broadcasting.”
Channel 5 Broadcasting is made up of the following companies: Luxembourg-based CLT, MAI, Pearson and Warburg, Pincus Ventures.
Channel 5 Broadcasting: 0171 911 0055
