5Star

5Star
Launched 15 October 2006 (2006-10-15)
Owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd
(Viacom International Media Networks Europe)
Picture format 576i (SDTV 16:9, 4:3)
Audience share 0.50%
0.04% (+1) (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB)
Country United Kingdom
Formerly called Five Life (2006–08)
FIVER (2008–11)
5* (2011–16)
Sister channel(s)
Timeshift service 5Star +1
Website www.channel5.com/5star
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview Channel 30
Satellite
Freesat Channel 131
Channel 132 (+1)
Sky (UK only) Channel 176
Channel 190 (+1)
Astra 2F 10964 H 22000 5/6
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 151
WightFibre Channel 15

5Star (formerly stylised with an asterisk as 5*) is a British digital television channel owned by Viacom International Media Networks Europe. It is a sister channel of Channel 5 and 5USA. It originally launched as the female-oriented Five Life on 15 October 2006, and was rebranded as Fiver on 28 April 2008 with a revised version of the same concept. The channel later re-branded under its current name on 7 March 2011.

The channel is available on digital television via Freesat, Freeview, Sky, and Virgin Media, and broadcasts between 09:00 and 04:00.

History

2006–08: Five Life

The channel was intended to be a female-oriented channel with an emphasis on lifestyle programming.[1] Channel 5 announced that programming on launch would include The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Love My Way, Windfall, Angela's Eyes, and a weekday double-bill of the chat show Trisha Goddard. On 16 October 2006, a day following the channel's launch, Australian soap opera Home and Away began airing from episode 4212 (Season 19). New episodes are shown Monday to Friday in a 'First Look' screening with episodes following the Channel 5 airing. A weekly omnibus also airs every Sunday. Repeats of popular female-skewing dramas, both nationally and internationally produced, were soon acquired. Following the channel's launch, a time-shift version of the channel was launched in summer 2007.[2]

2008–2011: Fiver

Five Life relaunched as Fiver in April 2008; while still targeting female audiences, the channel was re-positioned with a "younger, faster, louder" concept, meant to compete with LivingTV. On-air presentation reflected this shift with a "cursor" motif, typing out words reflecting programs and current events.[3]

2011–16: 5Star

In 2011, the channel was re-launched again, as 5* (pronounced "Five Star"). The new brand focused on a "fun-loving" concept, with initial acquisitions including $h*! My Dad Says, Better with You and Parenthood.[4] On 11 April 2011, 5* reduced its broadcast hours to 13:00 to 00:00, replacing the hours withdrawn with more teleshopping. When some of these new programs failed to make much of an impact in the channel's ratings, several were dropped and replaced by new locally produced and acquired programming. These included the American series 8 Simple Rules, 10 Things I Hate About You, Alphas and The Lying Game.[5]

In 2012, in consort with Channel 5's acquisition of the series, 5* began airing the Big Brother companion show Big Brother: Live from the House, which aired 60 minutes of live feed following every eviction show. In 2013, after Live from the House set ratings records for the channel, the programme was expanded to two hours nightly.[6] However, ratings were at a share below that of the channel's average, with just 70,000 watching the first live feeds.[7] Subsequently, the live feeds were shut down and the spin-off show last aired in June 2013.[8] Also in 2013, American Idol moved to 5* from ITV2.[9] Continuing the channel's venture into reality based programming, Tallafornia was acquired from Ireland's TV3 and this was soon joined by Bar Rescue, World's Worst Tenants and Top 20 Funniest in 2014.[10]

The current schedule includes a variety of programming, including the aforementioned reality series, as well as the first-run rights to Helix, the second-run rights to American series Falling Skies, Under the Dome and The Walking Dead, and Australian soap operas Home & Away and Neighbours. Popular documentary series shared with Channel 5 air throughout the daytime and primetime hours, such as The Gadget Show. As of 2014, the channel runs a primetime movie every weeknight at 21:00. On the weekends, the latest BAMMA fights are typically broadcast first-run to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The time-shift version of the channel was shut down on 3 February 2014 and replaced by Channel 5+24. The channel returned later, launching on Sky on 4 November 2014.[11]

On 11 February 2016, as part of an overall re-branding of Channel 5's networks following their acquisition by Viacom, the channel was re-branded as 5Star.[12]

Ratings

The launch of Five Life was at the time ranked as the best received multichannel launch for a terrestrial broadcaster, only managing to achieve a primetime share of 0.21%.[13] Following the channel's relaunch as Fiver in 2008, the all-day share for the channel has been between 0.5–0.6%. The highest rated series airing on the channel are Home & Away, Neighbours and the weeknight showings of primetime movies. The highest rating for the channel is held by Big Brother: Live from the House, when it received just over one million viewers and an audience share of over five percent in 2013.

Current programming

First–run

Second–run1

Former programming

Notes

Former logos

References

  1. ↑ "five autumn highlights 2006" (PDF). Five. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2006.
  2. ↑ Joanne Oatts (5 July 2007). "Five launches +1 services". Digital Spy.
  3. ↑ Sweney, Mark (6 April 2008). "Five Life to relaunch as Fiver". The Guardian (London). Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  4. ↑ "Fiver rebrands as 5*, acquires new shows". Digital Spy. 3 February 2011.
  5. ↑ Munn, Patrick (26 April 2013). "'The Lying Game' Makes The Jump Back To 5*". TVWise. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Sperling, Daniel (14 May 2013). "Big Brother 2013 to have nightly live feed". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Darvill, Josh (15 June 2013). "Big Brother 2013: 70,000 watch first live streaming on 5*". Telly Mix. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Nissim, Mayer (26 June 2013). "Big Brother live feed axed by Channel 5". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Plunkett, John (27 September 2012). "Channel 5 to show American Idol". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "TV3 sells hit series 'Tallafornia' to UK's Channel 5". Independent.ie.
  11. ↑ Eames, Tom (17 January 2014). "Channel 5 to launch catch-up channel +24". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Channel 5 tilts at Channel 4 with 'emotional' post-Richard Desmond rebrand". The Independent. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "Slow start for Five Life". Digital Spy. 17 October 2006. Retrieved 9 November 2007.

External links

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