Channel 5 (UK) programming

Channel 5 airs a wide variety of programming that covers various genres and themes. Launched in 1997, the channel has always been seen to have less distinctive programming than their other terrestrial rivals at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

The channel is notable for imported programming and is also notable for securing the rights to Home and Away in 2001, which helped boost early evening viewing figures for the channel, and since 2002, the broadcaster has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, and has screened several of the highest-rating American dramas, including all four CSI series, all three NCIS series, the first three Law & Order series, (with the first two—Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit—later moving to 5USA), The Mentalist, Grey's Anatomy (later moved to Sky Living), House (later moved to Sky 1) and Prison Break (later moved to Sky 1). The channel also poached talk show host Trisha Goddard from ITV to shore up its daytime schedule and Neighbours from the BBC after a bidding war with other broadcasters.

Channel 5, as a British public service broadcaster, are required to broadcast a wide variety of programming. As opposed to Channel 4, whose programming remit targets the fringes of society and ranges a variety of cultures, Channel 5's remit is more like ITV's. The Channel's remit is laid out in the Communications Act 2003, Section 265 and is regulated by Ofcom. The section states that:

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