Channel 5+1 Will Launch This December!

[Rachel_Sandford]

A one-hour timeshifted version of Channel 5's main terrestrial network will be launched this December. The broadcaster already has two other one-hour timeshifted versions of its digital channels, 5*+1 and 5USA.

Announced by network owner, Richard Desmond, the new channel will be called Channel 5+1, and it will be broadcast of Freeview, Freesat and BSkyB. Sometime in the coming year, it is also expected to be made available on Virgin Media. It will give viewers a chance to catch up on some of the network's popular shows.

According to Jeff Ford, Channel 5's Director of Programming, they are “extremely proud of where Channel 5 currently sits in terms of its viewers, its commercial opportunities and the spread of its content across a variety of platforms.”

Not the first to have timeshifted versions of their broadcasts, ITV launched its own variant in January and Channel 4+1 has been airing since August 2008.

 

[2cvbloke]

Channel 5+1, hmm, timeshifting stuff that nobody watches, sounds like a pointless endeavour and a waste of a channel slot...

Once upon a time, Channel 5 was fun and different, I remember the day they first started, now, I can't wait to see the day they go down the pan and make room for decent broadcasters...

 

[PaulR]

I remember the day they first started,

Then you remember the terrestrial premiere of Speed!

 

[smoggy07]

Then you remember the terrestrial premiere of Speed!

I can remember their test transmissions round my way when they sent a guy out with a meter to retune all the VHS recorders in the area so they didnt clash with 5

I remember watching a documentary on ozzy osbourne (way back before emteevee had even thought about the osbournes lol) and it was great, while the rest of the country that had channel 5 was made to watch adverts we in the test transmission areas got a sign onscreen saying that we where watching test transmissions for channel 5 and they couldn`t legally show adverts (or words to that effect)

 

[pgh13]

If I remember correctly, round here (midlands) they fitted a notch filter to stop reception and hence interference. Whatever it was, it was in the bin before he reached the end of the path.

 

[2cvbloke]

Then you remember the terrestrial premiere of Speed!

Actually, erm, no, I don't...

I remember the test transmissions with the "Give me Five" tune, the countdown to launch, the Spice girls learning to count to 5, and some comedy I think called "Hospital!!!", oh, and they colour bars crossing the screen between the ads... O-Ha

AND, I was the only one in the house who had actually managed to pick up the signal for Channel 5, which I was proud of...

After that, Five took a back seat and really never gained much popularity, and even today we don't watch it cos they just don't show anything of interest, and when the BBC ditched Neighbours (yeah, I used to be that sad!!!), I certainly didn't follow it... O-Ha

 

[PaulR]

Used to?

 

[2cvbloke]

Used to?

Yeah, can't stand neighbours now...

 

[smoggy07]

Yeah, can't stand neighbours now...

Mine don`t like me haha

 

[Channel Hopper]

Currently there isn't enough capacity on freeview (not round here anyway) for another full time channel. So something else will have to go to make room.

 

[PaulR]

Maybe one of the waste-of-space auction channels will give up its space?

Or maybe Arqiva has squeezed everybody's bit rates, sorry, found further improvements in efficiency to fit another channel in?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Maybe one of the waste-of-space auction channels will give up its space?

or Channel 5 ?