Dyke Speech Attacks ITV

At the Marketing Society dinner earlier this week, Pearson Television’s chairman and chief executive Greg Dyke outlined some of the proposed aspirations for new terrestrial station Channel 5. In his speech Mr Dyke told the audience that the channel had secured its first on air advertiser, Chanel No 5, and also said that it was the station’s aim to be the country’s first genuinely commercial terrestrial TV channel.

Dyke revealed that the channel’s retuning programme was running to schedule with around 30% of all the video recorders in Channel 37 homes retuned and 300,000 homes being retuned each week. When Channel 5 launches in Easter of next year it is expected that 65% of the country will be able to receive it with the figure rising to over 80% by 1998.

There was also an attack on what Channel 5 sees as the negative response of the ITV companies to the arrival of Channel 5. He singled out in particular Carlton’s secret filming of a retuner at work. “I know their own programming is pretty dull but surely even Carlton can’t be that desperate,” said Dyke, “ITV should be worrying about its own viewers and its own programmes, and trying to build its own brand, rather than spending time worrying about Five, because spoiling tactics suggest fear rather than ambition.”

Dyke then went on to say that it was important to remember that launching a new TV channel is a high risk business and it takes time to achieve success. He asked for time from the audience and not to be judged too quickly if the channel doesn’t meet everybody’s highest aspirations.

… there have also been leaks to the press giving details of the channel’s programming schedule. Among Channel 5’s suggested plans for the weekday schedule are: 6pm-6.30pm, game show; 6.30pm-7pm, Running Wild (daily soap); 7.30pm-8pm, Five Goes Wild (wildlife show); 8pm-8.30pm, leisure and lifestyle magazine show; 8.30pm-9pm, news; 9pm-11pm, film; 11pm-midnight, Jack Doherty (US-style chat show). The weekend schedule is said to include US drama in early peak time with quiz shows, premier and ‘adult’ films following later in the night.

Channel 5: 0171 550 5535