Channel 5 – The runt of the litter is finally fighting its corner
Greg Grimmer explains how and why Channel 5 has become a credible UK commercial partner to brands and advertisers despite the odds…
Channel 5, sorry 5, or is it FIVE? It was always a bit of a basket case in the UK TV landscape.
Confused ownership. A constant stream of incoming and outgoing senior management. And then, horror of horrors, in July 2010 it was sold to the only man in Britain that the Daily Mail hates more than Hugh Grant – the “Millionaire Porn King” himself Richard Desmond.
This sale was supposed to herald the final demise of a tiny terrestrial broadcaster that had no pay TV strategy, no digital strategy, no home-grown programming and seemingly no future in a on-demand connected TV world.
On top of that, after the Northern and Shell purchase everyone from The Guardian, the BBC, the House of Commons and Ofcom was out for Desmond’s blood. His response in best Millwall tradition was: “No-one likes us but we don’t care.”
Commercially the big media trading factories lined up to have the proverbial run at the new kid on the TV trading block – and when gentle giant Stan Myerson lost the ever popular Kelly Williams to ITV soon after the purchase, it seemed that any chance Northern and Shell had of making their way in the commercial TV market place was lost.
However, the Kelly-sized-hole as sales director was quickly filled by dapper Weller-look-alike Nick ‘Bammo’ Bampton – who had the good fortune to find the majority of his old Viacom Brand Solutions team willing and able to join him at Desmond towers – but still, few gave this marriage of convenience any long term chance of success. Bammo’s VBS team had earned a reputation as niche creative sellers of an inflexible media… surely this would be the antithesis to the ‘it’s all about the money money money’ approach of the Dicky and Stan show?
Fast forward to the penthouse at Haymarket Towers in the Autumn of last year and one of only two shortlisted entries (hopefully ITV, C4 and Sky might bother to enter next year) into Television Sales Team Of The Year is TV’s answer to the Mod Father and his trusty loyal deputies Ross Belcher and Ago Di Falco, together with a couple of bright young things, brought along to prove that Dirty Dicky doesn’t eat live children.
In a typical Bammo whirlwind what follows is a one man show of braggadocio, convincing the incredibly hard to please and cynical audience that not only has Northern and Shell’s ownership of Channel 5 been good for the bank accounts of Mr Desmond (and Mr Bampton), it has been good for the British television industry, the UK media agency scene and advertisers the world over.
Channel 5 rightly won the award. Bammo – as a man of the people – bought along the whole team to celebrate on the night, but still there was a general feeling among senior agency folk that this (2011) was their year. If they didn’t put in a big performance in that year then when would they? However, in a phrase beloved of my business partner Nick Hurrell: “What are they going to do for an encore?”
Fast forward to last week at the achingly cool (but sterile) Hospital Club and the sharp-suited Bammo was doing his best George Lamb impersonation in front of an impressively senior agency crowd.
The follow up message for 2012 is “Channel 5 is changing” and for once, it feels like change is being made in a positive way, not by a Titanic deckchair attendant.
The one seemingly constant face among the revolving door(s) at FIVE towers is the still reassuringly old school (in a good way) programming director Jeff Ford, who bolstered Bammo’s bravado with an erudite presentation of the values and content for Channel 5 on 2012 and beyond .
Big Brother seemingly moribund on Channel 4 has been breathed new life; the film and US imports consistent on Channel 5 since launch seemed to have been improved upon and given greater cohesion in the schedule; and cricket fronted by the excellent Mark Nicholas remains as part of a improved male, sport segment.
Connected TV (I hear there are MediaTel products available in this area) was explained clearly and passionately by the head of digital James Tatum – helped ably by The Gadget Show presenters. No one can have left without knowing that Channel 5’s portfolio of stations will be available on FIFTEEN (yes 15!) different platforms come the end of the year.
In the spirit of creativity and the Bammo manifesto of mass bespoke integration, on screen talent was also there in abundance, promoting the new flexible approach to commercial TV that Channel 5 prospered with in 2011 and clearly has plans to expand in 2012 and beyond.
The coup de grace for the evening was the unveiling of the new Dallas to the Channel 5 schedule, complete with a wise cracking Patrick Duffy and a slightly overwhelmed Jesse Metcalfe. Good headline grabbing stuff, even if it doesn’t prove the rating sensation that it was in the 1980s .
As the presentation came to a close Bammo promised a video link of the world’s greatest baddie. The expectant crowd waited for a film of Tricky Dicky Desmond – but no it was Larry Hagman as JR Ewing, proving that even Mr Desmond still has a lot to learn when it comes to real evil shenanigans.
Channel 5 and the wider Northern and Shell empire may still not be a global force to be reckoned with in a world of Google and Facebook but it is certainly – and increasingly – a credible UK commercial partner to brands and advertisers looking to create and innovate through paid media.