Five cuts budget but 'Milkshake' back on Agenda

From an article in Media Guardian today - 'Milkshake' is back on the Agenda ..........

Airey also said the broadcaster was still "actively looking" to launch a standalone pre-school digital channel based on its successful Milkshake programming strand on Five.

She said the broadcaster did not want to pay for any more spectrum, with the new service expected to air during the day on either the Fiver or Five USA digital channel slot, along the same lines as the BBC's children's channels CBeebies and CBBC, which share spectrum with BBC3 and BBC4.

"I had a meeting about it this week," Airey said. "The economics of it are quite compelling. It is something we are still actively looking at. I suspect we will make a decision by the end of the year."

I think that's a very smart move on Five's part. Builds public service credentials big time - "Milkshake" is deemed a major public service feather in Five's cap - and I'm sure will be seen as a good move by both family audiences and regulators.

It also builds on Five's strategy to try and stop state funding of ITV and Channel Four.

("Milkshake" is well respected as commissioning decent childrens' programmes in a manner that delivers good value for money - and that benefits the BBC (by keeping budgets realistic) and other kids TV producers - and viewers.)

I would place my money on Five US getting the cuil for milkshake.

Could this also Free up space on ch5 during the 6am - 9am after DS?

Five had won the rights to new ABC drama Flash Forward today, and as part of that deal they've won a tonne of ABC/Disney kids programmes too.


http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/five-beats-off-sky-to-win-rights-to-flashforward/5003837.article

What for though? I doubt anything would rate as well or be as cheap as the kids programmes in the slot.

They could maybe go back to showing Sunrise 6-7 on weekdays, as they do on weekends, but that's it probably.

Assuming Fiver doesn't have it's hours cut back for the Milkshake channel if it happens, there will also be weekend mornings to fill there, since I doubt they would keep Milkshake on Fiver if they have a dedicated channel

But remember that Five's other 2 channels aren't going to be on the PSB MUXs post switch over so won't have universal coverage