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Channel 5 Possible Up For Sale?

(January 2014)

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JO
Jon
So is the battle for C5 BT vs. ITV?

It's only a potential battle at the moment, and we don't know we're only speculating.
RS
Rob_Schneider
Merging C5 and ITV2 would be the logical solution, but using the ITV2 brand. I'd bring Home and Away and Neighbours over to ITV though to shore daytimes up a bit. Both shows have underperformed on C5.
RI
Rijowhi
Merging C5 and ITV2 would be the logical solution, but using the ITV2 brand. I'd bring Home and Away and Neighbours over to ITV though to shore daytimes up a bit. Both shows have underperformed on C5.


I think you're on the right track. If ITV take over C5, I feel all their PSB should move onto ITV with C5 becoming ITV2 as you stated.

More National News, a better (sub) Regional News service and Milkshake moving onto CITV as a slot might just cut it. I still think the Regional Political programming should be merged into ITV's Regional News programming though...

"Now on ITV , time for the latest News and Current Affairs from your part of the World".
TM
Telly Media
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Greg Dyke suggested a merger between ITV and C5 a few years ago (when the economic recession was at its peak all the commercial PSBs were struggling).

If I remember correctly, one of the reasons he gave was that there were several US imports running on C5 that would get much bigger audiences were they to be broadcast on ITV - including the CSI and NCIS franchises.
WP
WillPS
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Greg Dyke suggested a merger between ITV and C5 a few years ago (when the economic recession was at its peak all the commercial PSBs were struggling).

If I remember correctly, one of the reasons he gave was that there were several US imports running on C5 that would get much bigger audiences were they to be broadcast on ITV - including the CSI and NCIS franchises.

There were also reports around a year ago of ITV being approached regarding a sale of C5

Wouldn't such a takeover cause massive competition concerns? It would give the combined company 7.5 streams available to most of the population.

EDIT: 8.5 if 5later happens/has already happened
WH
Whataday Founding member
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Greg Dyke suggested a merger between ITV and C5 a few years ago (when the economic recession was at its peak all the commercial PSBs were struggling).

If I remember correctly, one of the reasons he gave was that there were several US imports running on C5 that would get much bigger audiences were they to be broadcast on ITV - including the CSI and NCIS franchises.

There were also reports around a year ago of ITV being approached regarding a sale of C5

Wouldn't such a takeover cause massive competition concerns? It would give the combined company 7.5 streams available to most of the population.

EDIT: 8.5 if 5later happens/has already happened


I'm not sure it would be an issue, they could easily agree to sell off 5* and 5USA and any other non core bits.
MF
MatthewFirth
I think ITV would be brilliant owners of C5. But 5* and 5USA would both have to be sold off. Who do you think should buy those 2 channels?
FA
fanoftv
I think ITV would be brilliant owners of C5. But 5* and 5USA would both have to be sold off. Who do you think should buy those 2 channels?


Would they sell off the channels, or close them, move programmes to itv 2-4, and then sell off or reuse the space. Maybe even setting up a milkshake channel for pre school programmes with CITV for the older kids.

It's all speculation.
RS
Rob_Schneider
I think the 5* and 5USA catalogue would be merged into ITV's portfolio. Home & Away and Neighbours would lead a revitalised daytime schedule on ITV, then I imagine that the primetime schedule would acquire the major US imports such as CSI, NCIS, The Mentalist etc.

ITV2 would maybe take on shows like The Wright Stuff, American Idol and Big Brother. The lifestyle stuff would find a home on ITV4 (Extreme Fishing, Ice Road Truckers etc.) whereas ITV3 could show stuff from both channels' archives. ITV2 could also run a big film on Sunday evenings.

As stated, drop all the PSB on Channel 5 and shift that to "Channel 3" slot, although this obviously affects STV and UTV. Channel 5 and ITV2 then merge on the "Channel 5" slot to become a pure entertainment driven channel.

Do Channel 5 still have football rights? Could these be moved onto ITV4, with big matches on ITV as they deem fit?
JO
Jon
Please stop it.

This is all pure fantasy.

Do Channel 5 still have football rights?

No
Could these be moved onto ITV4, with big matches on ITV as they deem fit?

That already happened.

ITV will have no live football away from England games and major championships come 2015 though.
Last edited by Jon on 4 January 2014 7:08pm - 2 times in total
MF
MatthewFirth
Shame, ITV4 would benefit from more sports coverage. But thanks to BT and Sky, they won't
JO
Jon
Shame, ITV4 would benefit from more sports coverage. But thanks to BT and Sky, they won't

What have Sky got to do with anything?

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