[GB] ITC Receives Four Applications for Channel 5

IRIS 1995-6:1/30

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

The Independent Television Commission received four applications for the Channel 5 licence. The applicants are Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd. (cash bid: £ 22,002,000), New Century Television Ltd. (cash bid: £ 2,000,000), UK TV Developments Ltd. (cash bid: £ 36,261,158) and Virgin Television Ltd. (cash bid: £ 22,002,000). The ITC will decide on the award of the licence no later than 30 November 1995. The Broadcasting Act 1990 requires the licence to be awarded by competitive tender. Applicants have to satisfy a quality threshold and submit a cash bid. To pass the quality threshold, the proposed service has to comply with specified programme requirements, including national and international news and current affairs programmes of high quality, children's and religious programmes. The Channel 5 licence will be for a term of 10 years from the day the service starts, which must be no later than 1 January 1997. Although the Commission is required by the Broadcasting Act 1990 to do all it can to secure the provision of a Channel 5 service, whether or not an award is made will depend upon the Commission's consideration, in accordance with the Act, of the applications received.