Channel 5 Transmission Discussion/Updates

[Homeandawayfan.]

Neighbours is on the way out but H&A looks to be on the up and up now.

[Red Ranger 1]

8 hours ago, Bri1231 said:

Why so touchy? 

Not touchy, just wondering why you posted the same thing twice, about 9 hours apart, with only one other post between them, and specifically aimed the second one at me as though you thought I wouldn't be able to read the first post.

[Bri1231]

Nah, just that I posted one before bed and one when I got up. Yours was the tester when I got up lol

[James Martin]

The BBC have made their response to the various soap changes of the last few months.

EastEnders will go up directly against Emmerdale at 7:30pm Mon-Thu.  It appears that it is performing particularly well on iPlayer as opposed to linear and the argument is that anyone who wants to watch both shows has the VOD options as well as BBC Three's weekend omnibus and ITV+1, as well as an early-morning weekend omnibus on ITV2.

What's really interesting is following the axing of Home & Away's evening showing and the cancellation of Neighbours is that Doctors will be getting a 7pm airing on BBC Two.  As with Neighbours and, until recently, Home & Away, this will be an encore of the lunchtime episode.  I wonder if this is a Plan B should EastEnders be cancelled in the coming few years?

Edited February 21, 2022 by James Martin

[Bri1231]

Ben Frow, director of programming for Five has today announced that whilst Five has a contract for life of series, which we all know about and all know this means that Channel Five must air Home and Away as long as it is not cancelled by Channel 7, he stated that it will be interesting to see how things evolve and Home and Away may at some point be on the move 'within' the Five spectrum. 

I wonder what he means by that? Taken off linear broadcasts and that it may possibly move to stream only via 5 on demand? 

What do you guys think? Very interesting! 

[Foellfan]

It's not good, according to several industry insiders he's searching for loophole to end the contract and do away with it as he has Neighbours, the man's an idiot on both counts IMHO but that's just me!

[Gerard]

I think the main reason that Home and Away hasn't been dropped by Channel 5 is because of this "lifetime deal" contract. The fact it lost its "primetime" showing on the main channel makes it clear that the series is not the jewel in the crown in the schedule. I guess it means that H&A could end up airing on 5Star only, or perhaps exclusively on My5 catchup. 

If the schedulers find a series which costs less than H&A to buy or make, but brings in just as much, or more, advertising revenue, H&A would be replaced in a heartbeat.

I suppose 20+ years ago when the "lifetime deal" was done, the TV landscape was very different, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm sure someone regrets that the deal wasn't up for review every 10 years. You would like to hope there would be an option to renegotiate if Channel 5 were making a loss out of the deal. (I admit, I don't know if H&A is making or costing Channel 5 money).

I'm not sure that Channel 5 "must air" the show for as long as its made, but presumably they are legally contracted to buy the series. I would imagine there must be some kind of get-out-clause though, possibly having to pay massive compensation to terminate the contract, otherwise in hindsight it was a bad deal for Channel 5, as they could be obliged to pay for H&A for decades to come, and running at a loss.

Clearly there was no sentimentality over the decision to axe Neighbours, so H&A would likely follow, unless the contract is so watertight it's impossible to renegotiate.

[j.laur5]

10 minutes ago, Foellfan said:

It's not good, according to several industry insiders he's searching for loophole to end the contract and do away with it as he has Neighbours, the man's an idiot on both counts IMHO but that's just me!

Home And Away would survive without channel 5. 

[Bri1231]

Hmmmmm? It will be very interesting to see what does happen. I have a feeling it will be dumped to on demand/stream only. As you said they had no issues giving Neighbours the chop although I do think they were running at a very big loss in regards to it. I know they pay for and fund some of Home and Away but as it is still performing extremely well for Channel 7 in its home country and Channel 7 has it in it's primetime slot plus making money from it, it for sure isn't going anywhere soon! Thankfully. I'm just curious as to what he means by the 5 spectrum, that covers a lot of options. The tv landscape was very different when they made the deal with Seven and it continues to change.

Watch this space I guess. 

[Bri1231]

12 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

Home And Away would survive without channel 5. 

100%. It doesn't need Channel five to continue like Neighbours did.