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Channel 4 Television Corporation

Channel Four was set up by the IBA in 1982 after a twenty year old campaign for a second commercial TV channel. Its mission statement is "to provide programming of types generally not catered for by Independent Television". Originally it was tied to ITV, being operated by the IBA (through its Channel Four TV Company Ltd subsidary), co-scheduled and cross premoting with ITV, and funded by advertising sold by the ITV companies. ITV contractors were also expected to contribute a large portion of programmes - ITV companies made reference to the amount of material they would expect to contribute to Channel Four in their 1981 franchise applicatons.

From the start Channel Four was different in more ways then one. Its logo, in its original multi-colour incarnation, signifies the diverse range of tastes it serves, from teenagers to older viewers. It also produces most of its programmes from independent programme makers. Only one programme - Right To Reply - is actually produced by Channel Four itself. In 1993 it was set free from ITV, becoming an independent government-owned commercial Corporation, though its board was still appointed by the ITC. It now sold its own advertising, though it had to make payments to ITV for some years. At the beginning of 1999 all ties with ITV were however severed.

www.channel4.com

As well as Channel Four itself the following channels are part of the Four family -

Sienal Pedwar Cymru - S4C - is the Welsh Fourth Channel. It is available in Ireland in areas where HTV is carried (Wicklow, Wexford, and Waterford). It broadcasts a mixture of C4 programmes and its own Welsh-langauge HTV and BBC Cymru Wales programmes. It operates two digital services (S4C Digital and S4C-2) - these are available on Sky Digital to NI viewers.
www.s4c.co.uk

Film Four is Channel Four's film channel. It broadcasts mainly British-made films from Channel Four's 18 years of sponsoring filmmaking in Britain through the Film-On-Four slot. Available on digital and in IMC Cork City. www.filmfour.com

Four Extra is an occasional sports channel from C4. To my knowledge, this has only ever been carried on cable in the Republic of Ireland during the 1998 Cheltenham Festival where it appeared on Cablelink's Sky Box Office channel Free-to-air. Available on Sky Digital and ONdigital

Coming soon is E4 and 4 Racing.

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