Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
welcomes approval for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE
The
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ today welcomed the decision by Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport Tessa Jowell, to approve proposals for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE,
a new public service television channel aimed at young adults.
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
Chairman Gavyn
Davies said: "We would like to thank the Secretary of State
for the approval she has given today.
"She
has laid out some demanding conditions in the approval but the Governors
agree that Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE must be a high quality and distinctive public
service channel and we shall ensure that those conditions are met.
"Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE completes the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's portfolio of TV channels for the digital
age and will help promote digital take up."
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
Director-General Greg
Dyke said: "Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE is central in our drive to connect
with young audiences. This has been a tough decision for the Secretary
of State and, looking back, I think she was right to push us to
define the channel more clearly.
"The
new channel will be launched in the New Year, and I'm confident
that it will bring a new public service concept to this currently
underserved audience."
With
fresh input from Jana
Bennett, who was appointed Director of Television during the
approvals process, the channel will have a mixed programme schedule,
offering something completely new to the young adult audience.
Jana
Bennett said: "Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE should bring the best public service
values to a younger generation and offer something very different
from other digital channels.
"Current
affairs, education, culture, science, business, finance and ethics
are an important part of the programme mix for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE, as well
as the key components of drama and entertainment.
"Approval
is good news for both viewers and the TV production industry as
a whole, as the programming will largely be original productions
from talented Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ and independent producers across the UK.
"The
creative team behind Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE are raring to go and their ideas
will bring enormous energy to the channel."
Stuart
Murphy, currently Controller of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Choice, who helped develop the
proposal, said: "It's great that the DCMS have given approval
for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE.
"It's
been a long time coming, but we are convinced that the mix of new
and established talent and programme ideas we have in mind for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE will make it a uniquely creative channel.
"We
are particularly excited that we will now be able to offer new writing,
acting, presenting and production talent a place to experiment and
grow."
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE's plans for intelligent and original entertainment and drama
will represent the majority of the output.
However,
the channel will also cover a wide range of programme genres.
More
than a third of the programmes made for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE will be news,
current affairs, education, music and the arts - around 15% of hours
broadcast.
No
other digital channel covers a full range of genres for young adults
with a mixed schedule in peak.
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE will have a commitment to 15 hours of science, religion/ethics
and business per year, a dedicated 15 minute news programme every
weekday in peak and hourly bulletins until midnight.
It
will also have a commitment to promoting new talent both on and
off screen with at least six new talent initiatives each year.
The
team working on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE will build on recent successes in the
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Choice schedule including the North Eastern comedy Breezeblock;
Diners, currently showing on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ TWO; and the current affairs special
War, Do or Die, presented by Jeremy Vine, about this generation's
attitude to war after September 11th.
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE will also be an inherently multicultural, interactive channel
with 80% of airtime devoted to programmes specially commissioned
for the channel, and 90% of programming will be made in the UK.
At
least one quarter of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE programme budget will be spent
on independent productions.
Notes
to Editors
The
proposal, which has been approved by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Governors and its Executive
Committee, has been assessed against the requirements of public
service broadcasting and was submitted to the DCMS in December 2001.
The
ITC confirmed in a report earlier this year that the likely impact
on the television advertising market of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ THREE would be around
£7 million.
The
previous submission was rejected by the DCMS in September 2001.
The
channel will broadcast from 7.00pm until 4.00am each day.
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE joins Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ ONE, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ TWO, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ FOUR, CÄ¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ and CBeebies as part
of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's portfolio of television channels.
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
THREE and the other Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ digital channels will be available free-to-air
on all digital platforms, including the forthcoming digital terrestrial
platform Freeview.
Notes
to Picture Editors
Pictures
are available, for press use only, on the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's digital picture
service "specials" folder.
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