Channel 4, ITV, and Channel 5 are analyzed and compared. Channel 4 airs a variety of shows from cartoons to sitcoms to news. ITV also airs sitcoms, documentaries, and game shows. Channel 5 focuses on reality TV, soaps, and documentaries. Channel 5's documentaries cover sensitive topics more openly than the other channels. The documentarian concludes they would choose Channel 5 to air their documentary due to its willingness to discuss controversial issues and varied documentary topics.

1. Assignment 7 – TV Channel
Research!
By Gledis Dedaj

2. My Chosen TV Channels…
Channel 4 Channel 5 ITV

3. Channel 4 - Analysis
General Information:
•Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster.
• Began transmission on 2 November 1982.
•Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned.
•On 28 March 2007, Channel 4 announced plans to launch a music channel "4Music“.
•Channel 4 is also available outside the United Kingdom where it is widely available in Ireland,
Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
•Channel 4 also makes some of its programming available "on demand" via cable and the
Internet through 4oD.
•Channel 4 is a "publisher-broadcaster", meaning that it commissions or "buys" all of its
programming from companies independent of itself, and was the first broadcaster in the
United Kingdom to do so on any significant scale.
•During the station's formative years, funding came from the ITV companies in return for
their right to sell advertisements in their region on the fourth channel.

4. Channel 4 - Analysis
TV Shows:
•Cartoons •Documentaries •Game Shows
•Sit Coms •Channel 4 News •Reality Shows

5. Channel 4 - Analysis
• The more controversial
shows that may have
• Time Slots • Then the day time
shows begin.
swearing in them are on very
late as by this time children
have been put to bed.
• The morning
starts with a kids
program as
children are
normally up for
nursery at this
time.
• The comedy
programmes then
come on as this is
around the time
when people are
getting ready for
work or school.
• The documentaries are usually on at a later time when more
viewers are tuned in as they are home from work or school.

6. Channel 4 - Analysis
Target Audience:
Due to channel 4’s wide range in programmes, their target audience on a general basis remains
quite broad.
Depending on the time of day or week, their shows are aimed at different groups of people.
•For example:
On a Saturday morning channel 4 presents shows such as, ‘Gok’s Fashion Fix’ or t4 presenters
will interview current music artists or actors from the latest films.
These types of shows are aimed more at a younger audience as they are usually associated with
topics such as fashion or current music.
Through this t4 is able to cater to different audiences and therefore keep their ratings high.

7. Channel 5 – Analysis
General Information:
•Launched in 1997, it was the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to
launch (after BBC One, BBC Two, ITV and Channel 4).
•The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2011.
•Channel 5 is a general entertainment channel, with internally commissioned shows such
as The Gadget Show and Fifth Gear appearing alongside numerous international
programmes such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Home and Away, and Neighbours.
•Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited was licensed by the UK Government in 1995 after a
bidding process that started in 1993 and lasted throughout 1994.
•The channel broadcasts sports events not covered by other broadcasters and also
broadcasts its own news service, 5 News, which is produced by ITN.
•The channel airs documentaries and lifestyle programmes following the lives of so called
'8 O'clock Heroes'.

8. Channel 5 – Analysis
TV Shows:
•Reality TV •Soaps •Documentaries
•Cartoons for Children •News Shows

9. Channel 5 – Analysis
Target Audience:
• The target audience for channel 5 would be very broad as channel five cater to all age groups.
• For example, in the mornings they normally show kids cartoons, then in the afternoon they
show soaps and TV dramas which will attract a young audience (teens-adults), then later on
in the evening channel five will show their documentaries concerning ‘real life’ issues.
• E.g. ‘Worlds Toughest Prisons’.

10. Channel 5 – Analysis
What Types of Documentaries Does it Show?
• Channel 5 is very much concerned with informing people of real life situations and events.
• Hey show quite a lot of Medical Documentaries about people who suffer from certain
illnesses.
For example: ‘Extraordinary People’
• Channel 5 brings new and interesting
topics to viewers and might even shock
some people with how graphic their
documentaries really are.
• A sensitive issue such as a deformity is not often
brought up but other channels apart from
channel 4.

11. ITV2 – Analysis
General Information:
• In the period between the launch of Independent Television in the 1950's and the start
of Channel 4 and S4C in 1982, the term 'ITV2' was popularly used to refer to an
envisioned second UK commercial television network.
• ITV2 and its one-hour time shift channel began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 17
March 2008.

12. ITV – Analysis
TV Shows:
•Sit Coms •Documentaries •Game Shows
•Reality Shows

13. ITV – Analysis
Time Slots

14. Most Popular Programmes!
• This table shows that ITV2 is not popular for its documentaries
but more so for its reality TV and game shows.
• ITV2 also has less variety in the shows they broadcast.

15. ITV – Analysis
Target Audience:
• Due to their popular reality TV shows such as ‘The Only Way Is Essex’, ITV2 cater more to
a younger audience as these types of shows are mostly popular among teenagers in society or
young adults.
• Their shows are very centred around pop culture or current topics in the media.
• However they also show programmes that attract an older audience.
• For example, ‘X Factor’ is very popular throughout all age groups.

16. How Do The Channels Compare?
• Its is safe to say the one of the more controversial channels is indeed channel 5 as they
touch on sensitive and current issues more often that channel 4 or ITV2. E.g. ‘9/11
Press For The Truth’ documents the attacks and the establishment and workings of the
9/11 Commission.
• ITV2 seem more concerned with reality TV or game shows as they frequently show
such programmes and don’t often show documentaries. They lack variety.
• Channel 4 shares some similarities with channel five in the sense that they both focus
very much on Medical Documentaries and informing others about health risks.
• With that said channel five has a wider range of topics within their documentaries.

17. Which Channel would I choose for my
documentary…
• I would like to use Channel 5 to broadcast my
documentary on.
• This is because, out of all three channels that I have
explored channel 5 has stood out as the most controversial
and more varied with its topics.
• Channel 5 stands out from the other channels which I see
as a positive.