Channel 5 (British TV channel)

This article is about the UK commercial television broadcaster. For other uses, see Channel 5.
Not to be confused with Channel 5 (web series).

Channel 5
Logo used since 2016
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast area
  • United Kingdom
  • Isle of Man
  • Channel Islands
  • Gibraltar
Headquarters17–29 Hawley Crescent, London, England
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format
Timeshift serviceChannel 5 +1
Ownership
OwnerParamount Networks UK & Australia
ParentChannel 5 Broadcasting Limited[1]
Sister channels
History
Launched30 March 1997; 27 years ago (1997-03-30)
Former names
  • Five (2002–2011)
Links
Websitewww.channel5.com
Availability
Terrestrial
See separate section
Streaming media
My5See separate section

Channel 5 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK and Australia division. It was launched in 30 March 1997 to provide a fifth national terrestrial channel in the United Kingdom.

Channel 5 was renamed Five, from 16 September 2002 until 13 February 2011. Most of this was under the RTL Group's ownership with Richard Desmond purchasing the channel on 23 July 2010 and reverting the name change.[2][3][4] On 1 May 2014, the channel was acquired by Viacom (now Paramount Global) for £450 million (US$759 million).[5]

It is a general entertainment channel that shows internally commissioned programmes such as The Drowning, All Creatures Great and Small and Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild. The channel has also relied on imports from the United States, including the CSI franchise, the NCIS franchise, the first three series in the Law & Order franchise, Power Rangers, The Mentalist, Body of Proof, Once Upon a Time, Dallas, Under the Dome, and sitcom Friends.[6][7][8][9][10][11]


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  1. ^ "Home". Channel 5.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Great new era was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Sweeney, Mark (11 August 2010). "Richard Desmond rebrands Five as Channel 5". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ 'Mini-revamp planned for Channel 5 News' Archived 24 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine ATV Network, 30 October 2010
  5. ^ "Viacom to buy Channel 5 for £450m". BBC News. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  6. ^ Conlan, Tara (31 August 2011). "CSI: Miami helps Channel 5 cruise past ITV1". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  7. ^ French, Dan (18 March 2009). "'CSI' hits series high with 4m". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  8. ^ French, Dan (1 July 2009). "'CSI: Miami' makes record-breaking return". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  9. ^ Millar, Paul (2 April 2012). "'Once Upon a Time' Channel 5 premiere enchants 2.2m". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  10. ^ Millar, Paul (27 August 2012). "'Once Upon a Time' jumps to 1.2m in UK for season one finale". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  11. ^ Lee, Ben (11 January 2012). "Dana Delany's 'Body of Proof' begins with 1.7m on Channel 5". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2014.