If there do buy the channel 5, what are there going to do with it? There already have a main outlet for much of its content, C5 doesn't really rely on them. Whats the point in Viva, 5* and 5 USA if you have all these channels.
To make money. They're commercial services, by buying Channel 5 and its other channels they're openings themselves up to new sources of income. It's as simple as that.
Question is will Viacom pay Northern and Shell for the use of the purpose built 5 News studio and newsroom or bring the bulletins back to GiN?
I won't miss the tacky crossover with every N&S publication and the Health Lottery draw, although Viacom may agree to continue to air those as part of the sale.
I can't see the budget for C5 changing drastically - firstly having shelled out £450m for the channel they're going to be looking to recoup that cost rather than spend more, and secondly it's a bit of a catch 22 - they need to get the viewers in to generate the revenue to spend, but arguably need to spend the revenue to get the viewers in.
I just hope they don't go the MTV route with tacky Geordie Shore shows. N&S tried their best to go down that route and not a single one worked out for C5.
:-(
A former member
Tacky? Maybe Desmond has a deal to expand his mags content with new stories linked to Geordie shores etc?
I wonder if we could see some more of their channel's acquisitions, a Comedy Central programme at 19:00 to offer an alternative to the other channels at that time could work.
I just hope they don't go the MTV route with tacky Geordie Shore shows. N&S tried their best to go down that route and not a single one worked out for C5.
Series 4 of The Bachelor did (1-3 were on BBC Three), thanks to the casting of Gavin Henson, however Series 5 with Spencer Matthews from Made in Chelsea bombed.
Big Brother, at least in it's celebrity form will probably stay along with the tabloid format overall, although Viacom may tone down those tabloid debates they had recently.