Channel 5

   Channel 5, television broadcasting’s first new terrestrial station for ten years, was set up in 1997 after several false starts. Its advent had made existing stations apprehensive, but in the first two years they have not had much to worry about. Channel 5 is a free-to-air commercial station, whose start was delayed from January to Easter by technical problems which caused poor broadcast quality. Cartoonists joked that the snow on television screens was the Channel’s identifying signal. These problems continue to dog the station in some regions. An indication of its aims, ethos and youth orientation was given by its opening on Easter Sunday, serenaded by the Spice Girls. Critics accused the station of ‘dumbing down’ in its search for viewers. Its schedule originally contained many American imports and its programming was low budget. It screened a new soap opera, Family Affairs, made in Britain but by Grundy, makers of the Australian soap Neighbours. This offering was panned by critics, but did secure a small following. The station’s content has turned out to be nearer to that of Sky (see BSkyB) than of existing terrestrial stations. It is a tabloid version of Channel 4 which covers more mainstream concerns than the latter, but has similar documentaries on, for example, royalty, current affairs and endangered species. It has a snappy style in its presentation of news, placed at 8.30 pm to scoop the other networks. Kirsty Young and Ruth England are youthful solo presenters who, innovatively, are not seen sitting at desks or consoles but move around the studio. However the content of the actual news presented is as traditional as that of the other stations.

   A reflection of Channel 5’s youthful target audience is that there are pop music programmes like The Pepsi Chart and Dr Fox’s Chart Update. It also shows re-runs of cult series like Prisoner: Cell Block H in the small hours. Channel 5 sport includes more imports from America: major league baseball, shown live, the Asian Football Show and its late-night sports magazine programme, Live and Dangerous. The channel appears to have gained viewers more at the expense of the other commercial stations than of the BBC. However, partly because of its shaky start and partly because it has so far failed to find a suitable niche for itself, many critics feel it will have to be relaunched if it is to survive.

   See also: Channel 4

   MIKE STORRY