Channel 5 To Offer Surplus Digital Frequencies

Channel 5 plans to offer its ‘spare’ digital frequencies to other broadcasters to use for their own programming. The channel says that it wishes to focus its investment and spending on the one Channel 5 service which will be simulcast on both analogue and digital terrestrial, as well as digital satellite.

This means that the channel will not be investing in all of the digital frequencies it has been allocated as part of the S4C Digital Networks (SDN) consortium. It is looking to strike a deal with other broadcasters for approximately two channels’ worth of digital frequency.

Channel 5 describes any such deal as a co-venture rather than a wholesale disposal of the frequencies, as it will not relinquish overall control. Although any deal would not see Channel 5 being involved in programme content, it would maintain an overview of the services provided.

Talks are believed to have been held with British Digital Broadcasting and rival British Interactive Broadcasting. There is also the possibility of SDN using the extra broadcasting capacity to increase its services.

Money made from any such deal would be used by Channel 5 to invest in its analogue, digital terrestrial and digital satellite broadcasts.

When proposals have been formed they will be passed to the ITC.

Channel 5: 0171 550 5625