Pre 1982

The 1980 Broadcast Act outlines the formation of a new public service broadcaster. Channel Four is established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority. Jeremy Isaacs is appointed as the Channel’s first Chief Executive. The first Channel Controller is Paul Bonner and the Chairman is Edmund Dell.

1982

Channel Four goes on air 2nd November. The original on air logo is an animated multi-coloured 4. The first programme is Countdown presented by Richard Whiteley. Early programmes include Brookside and Comic Strip Presents. The Snowman premieres on December 26th. Right To Reply gives viewers the chance to take the broadcasters to task. Later the Video Box would allow them to do so on air, from booths all over the UK.

1983

Audience share of 4.4 per cent. Programmes include the Friday evening music programme The Tube and No Problem! which is the first black produced sitcom created for British television. Controversy surrounds Eleventh Hour: Veronica 4 Rose which features two schoolgirls discussing lesbianism. US comedy drama St. Elsewhere is aired.

1984

Channel Four takes over coverage of horse racing from ITV. Programme output increases by 25 per cent. C4 wins two International Emmys. Diverse Reports is aired for the first time.

1985

Woman of Substance gains the Channel a new audience high of 13.8 million. Other significant programmes include Saturday Live, Bandung File, The Max Headroom Show and the film My Beautiful Laundrette. US series Hill Street Blues is aired.

1986

The Peacock Report recommends that Channel Four should sell its own airtime. Audience share hits 10.7 per cent. Channel Four’s turnover reached £131 million. Programmes include Club Mix and the acclaimed drama by Anthony Minghella What If It’s Raining.

1987

Richard Attenborough becomes the new Chairman. For the first time, advertising revenue exceeds costs, providing a £20 million profit. Channel Four International and Film Four International are established. Significant programmes and films include Porterhouse Blue, The Last Resort, Equinox, Dispatches, Letter To Brezhnev, Hope And Glory and Baka: People Of The Rainforest. US childrens’ series Sesame Street debuts.

1988

Michael Grade replaces Jeremy Isaacs as Chief Executive. Liz Forgan becomes Director of Programmes. Notable programmes and films include A Very BritishCoup and Mona Lisa. The long running US Oprah Winfrey Show goes on air.

1989

Turnover £192 million. Programmes include Traffik,The Crystal Maze, Out On Tuesday, and Big World Café. American imports Thirtysomething and Roseanne begin.

1990

The 1990 Broadcasting Act preserves Channel Four as a publicly owned broadcaster. The Channel Four Television Corporation is founded, scheduled to come into effect in 1993. Programmes include Drop The Dead Donkey, Cutting Edge, Hollywood Legends and a new youth programme The Word.

1991

Controversy surrounds the programme Dispatches: The Committee. Other programmes include Secret History (part of the Banned season) and Alan Bleasdale’s GBH. There are special late night editions of Channel Four News scheduled to cover the Gulf War. Turnover reaches £268 million. Audience share 9.6 per cent.

1992

The Big Breakfast goes on air. Significant programmes include The CamomileLawn and Football Italia, and films The Crying Game and Howard’s End. Channel Four is fined £75000 for refusing to name the source of allegations made against the RUC in The Committee. Michael Bishop is appointed the new Chairman.

1993

Channel Four Corporation starts to operate, and sells its own airtime for the first time. Howard’s End won five Oscars. Programmes include Eurotrash, Tales Of TheCity and Denis Potter’s Lipstick On Your Collar. Derek Jarman’s Blue premieres without commercial breaks.

1994

Channel Four relocates to 124 Horseferry Road, into a purpose-built building designed by Richard Rogers. Time Team and Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush are aired for the first time. A highlight is Phil Agland’s acclaimed documentary Life inChina: Beyond The Clouds. Turnover is £408.4 million. The biggest British film export to date, Four Weddings And A Funeral, is released. NYPD Blue, Frasier and Ellen make their debut.

1995

Brookside figures reach a peak of 9 million with the story of the Jordache family. Launch of Hollyoaks, Red Light Zone, Father Ted. The LastTemptation Of Christ attracts the largest number of complaints ever received by the ITC about a broadcaster. The Madness Of King George wins an Oscar. Friends and ER are launched.

1996

Programmes include Return To The Dying Rooms, and Denis Potter’s last screenplays Cold Lazarus and Karaoke. Films include Trainspotting and Secrets And Lies. After 14 years, the Channel changes its logo: the multi-coloured 4 becomes a plain white 4 against different and changing background colours, sometimes set out in four circles.

1997

The abolition of the funding formula payable to ITV is announced. Channel Four begins broadcasting 24 hours a day. Programmes and films include Thatcher’s Children, A Dance To The Music Of Time,Brassed Off, Fever Pitch and Welcome To Sarajavo. Turnover is £552.7 million. Michael Grade resigns as Chief Executive, and Michael Jackson is appointed his successor.

1998

First pay TV venture FilmFour Limited is launched. Channel Four acquires rights to Test Match Cricket. Programmes include So Graham Norton, Nigel Slater’s Real Food, and Trigger Happy TV. The MOBO Awards are networked for the first time. AllyMcBeal begins.

1999

Turnover is £600 million. Notable programmes include Queer As Folk, Spaced, Smack The Pony, Ali G, Tina Goes Shopping,Grand Designs, Psychos, Cricket Roadshow, and The 1900 House. First British screening of Sex In The City.

2000

The first season of Big Brother is transmitted - the first interactive, cross-media concept with mass appeal. 4 Ventures is established. Some notable programmes include Longitude, North Square, David Starkey’s series Elizabeth and Meet Ricky Gervais.

2001

The impending General Election is marked by a season of programmes arguing Politics Isn’t Working. Film Four Limited release Sexy Beast. E4 is launched in January. Richard and Judy leave ITV for Channel Four. Michael Jackson announces his departure from Channel Four to work for USA networks, and leaves in November. Other programmes include Phoenix Nights, Teachers, Celebrity Big Brother, and Hell In ThePacific. Daily reports are made for a month from the Kumbh Mela.

2002

Mark Thompson takes up his job as Chief Executive in March. Brookside is moved to a single Saturday omnibus show. The Channel announces a loss of £28 million and 200 jobs are cut. Film Four Limited is wound up. Notable programmes include Shackleton,White Teeth, The Art Show, The Osbournes, and The Book Group. The first live autopsy since1830 is transmitted on Channel Four.

2003

Tim Gardam resigns as Director of Programmes, to be replaced by Kevin Lygo. Vanni Treves stepps down as Chairman. Programmes include The Deal, Operatunity, The Salon, and How Clean is Your House?

2004

New Chairman Luke Johnson is appointed. Paul Abbot’s Shameless is transmitted. Channel Four appoints its fifth new Chief Executive - Andy Duncan. Channel Four awarded a news coverage Emmy for its report on the Madrid bombing. Channel Four withdraws from merger talks with Five. The new Channel Four identity is seen on the screen for the first time.

2005

Film Four productions are nominated in nine BAFTA categories. 4 Ventures is reintegrated back into the core Channel. The Motorcycle Diaries collects two awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Film Music at the BAFTA awards and Best Song Award at the Oscars.Wasp, directed by Andrea Arnold for FilmFour, wins Best Live Action Short Film award.Ideas Factory – Channel Four’s on-line new talent initiative to help young creatives get into the industry – is awarded a BAFTA. Channel Four also picks up nine awards at the RTS Programme Awards.