Fiver (channel)

Infobox TV channel
name = Fiver
logofile = Fiver logo.svg
logosize = 200px
caption = Current logo used 7 October 2008.
launch = 15 October 2006
closed date =
picture format = 576i (SDTV 16:9, 4:3)
share = 0.6% (0.0% for +1)
share as of = March 2008
share source = [http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary/monthreports.cfm?report=monthgmulti]
network =
owner = Channel 5 Broadcasting
(RTL Group)
slogan =
country = UK
former names = Five Life (until 28 April 2008)
sister names = Five
Five US
timeshift names = Fiver +1
web = [http://www.five.tv/fiver www.five.tv/fiver]
terr serv 1 = Freeview
terr chan 1 = Channel 36 (0600-2300)
sat serv 1 = Sky Digital
sat chan 1 = Channel 176
Channel 177 (+1)
cable serv 1 = Virgin Media
cable chan 1 = Channel 186
adsl serv 1 = Tiscali TV
adsl chan 1 = Channel 31

Fiver is a free-to-view television channel in the United Kingdom owned by Five. The channel launched as "Five Life" on 15 October 2006, and was rebranded as "Fiver" on 28 April 2008. The channel is available on digital television via Freeview, Sky Digital, Tiscali TV and Virgin Media. It was originally launched alongside Five US by Five, in order to create a multi-channel strategy, which other analogue broadcasters had already achieved. [cite press release |publisher=Five |date=2006-06-05 |url=http://www.five.tv/aboutfive/press/pressreleases/20060506_twonewchannels/ |title=Five unveils two new channels |accessdate=2006-10-12] Fiver broadcasts between 6am and midnight (but closes at 11pm on Freeview), and is targeted at a mixed audience.

History

Five announced that programming on Five Life would include "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "Love My Way", [cite news
title = October launch date for Five's digital channels
publisher = MediaWeek
url = http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=details&nNewsID=589468
accessdate = 2006-10-12] "Windfall", [cite news
title = five autumn highlights 2006
publisher = Five
url = http://www.five.tv/media/pdf/11896740.pdf
accessdate = 2006-10-12] and "Angela's Eyes", as well as a weekday double-bill of the chat show " Trisha Goddard" and new episodes and a weekly omnibus of "Home and Away". Repeats of teenage drama "Dawson's Creek" started showing in December 2006.

The first programme broadcast on Five Life was "Inside The Priory", a documentary about The Priory clinic, at 8pm on the channel's launch day. The launch of Five Life marked the start of Five's digital multi-channel strategy designed to compete with similar strategies from its rivals Channel 4 and ITV plc.

On 11 January 2007, it was announced that Five Life had acquired the multi-channel rights to air popular and recently axed ITV dramas, "Bad Girls" (Series 4-8) and "Footballers' Wives" from Spring 2007.

During weekend mornings, an extended version of the kids' strand "Milkshake!" is broadcast.

On 28 August 2007, Five Life launched a timeshift channel named Five Life +1. [ cite web
url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a64300/five-launches-1-services.html
title = Five launches +1 services
date = 2007-07-05
publisher = Digital Spy
author = Joanne Oatts]

At 6am on 28 April 2008, Five Life relaunched as Fiver with a totally new on and off air identity and a raft of new shows added to the schedule. [cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/20/channelfive.television |title=Five Life to relaunch as Fiver |publisher=The Guardian |date=6 April 2008 |accessdate=2008-04-06] These included "Celebrity Rehab", "Dirt" and reruns of "Sex and the City".

Launch night

The schedule for the primetime shows on the launch night of Five Life were as follows:

The launch of Five Life was at the time ranked as the worst received multichannel launch for a terrestrial broadcaster ever, only managing to achieve a primetime share of 0.21%. [cite news
title = Slow start for Five Life
publisher = Digital Spy
url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a38267/slow-start-to-life-for-five.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09]

Fiver programming

* "8 Simple Rules"
* "Angela's Eyes"
* "Bad Girls
* "Big Love"
* "Celebrity Rehab"
* "Colin & Justin's How Not to Decorate"
* "Colin & Justin's Wedding Belles"
* "Dawson's Creek"
* "Dirt"
* "Gay, Straight or Taken?"
* "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
* "Footballers' Wives"
* "Home and Away" - from 17 October 2006 - episode 4212 onwards in new airing, but has aired classic episodes previously, also. Not allowed any episodes before 2840 as they still belong to ITV
* "Joey
* "Love My Way"
* "Make Me A Supermodel Extra"
* "Milkshake!" (Weekends 6.00am to 11.45am only)
* "Neighbours" - from 11 February 2008 - episode 5331 onwards. Classic Episodes (1-5330) are not in contract to this channel as they still belong to the BBC.
* "Nice House, Shame About the Garden"
* "Ocean Force"
* "Property Developing Abroad"
* "Rich Bride Poor Bride"
* "Sex and the City"
* "Sofia's Diary"
* "The Hotel Inspector
* "Trisha Goddard"
* "Trust Me - I'm A Beauty Therapist"
* "Windfall"

Relaunch night (as Fiver)

The schedule for the primetime shows on the launch night of Five Life were as follows (ratings figures will be available on BARB before 11 May):

References

External links

* [http://www.five.tv/fiver Fiver] at five.tv
* [http://www.five.tv/aboutfive/press/pressreleases/20062508%5Ffiveusandfivelifelaunch/ Official Five Press Release 25 August 2006]
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds33844.html Digital Spy Article]