Community Channel invites individual investors for first community-owned television channel for social impact - for the people

Community Channel announced that it will become the UK’s first community-owned TV, online and mobile brand dedicated to social impact by offering members of the public, including film makers, charities, media partners and, crucially, its 10m viewers, the opportunity to own a stake in the channel by buying community shares through the crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder.

Community Channel, which is available UK wide on Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and freesat, nurtures new talent and offers charities and communities a platform to share their work and content. Launched in September 2000, the channel shows over 75% of original and UK-premiere programming and brings together a diverse mix of talent to create an impact for little-known and well-established organisations and their causes on the airwaves. It is the only channel that turns viewing into doing, as a quarter of all viewers do more in their communities directly inspired by programming they have watched on the channel.

Following the crowdfunding initiative, the Community Channel will transform into the first people-owned TV, online and mobile brand. Over the next five years the channel will become self-financing, grow advertising and sponsorship income and secure further investment. The venture will also enable Community Channel to reach even more viewers across the UK.

Caroline Diehl, CEO and Founder of Media Trust, the charity that launched Community Channel, said: “This is an IPO for the people. Community Channel’s community share issue will create a step-change in its work and underpin its vision to inspire story-tellers to promote their causes, share their voices, their inspiration and their impact. Crucially, it will be owned by the community and for the community – independent, creative and committed to social action.”

Alex Kann, Director of Community Channel said, “Community Channel has changed countless lives right across the UK - for our viewers, our charity partners and for hundreds of young people whose talent we have helped nurture. After fifteen years of growing our audience, this exciting new chapter will enable us to grow the brand, create strong distribution channels, across TV, online and mobile and deliver even more impact. This exciting call for investment will help us inspire people and communities across the UK.

Press enquiries: For further information, photos, videos or an interview with a spokesperson, please contact communitychannel@pagefield.co.uk or call 020 3327 4050.

Notes to editors:

About Community Channel

Community Channel is the only TV channel for communities, charities and the people who make the UK a better place for us all. Viewers learn more by watching the channel and are motivated to do more for others. The channel is warm, embracing, sometimes funny, often surprising and offers a window into recognizable lives across the UK:

• The channel broadcasts on Freeview 63, Sky 539, Virgin 269 and Freesat 63

• Available streamed and on-demand through six platforms

• 10 million unique TV viewers last year with 1 million+ viewers each month

• Audiences are broadly in line with TV averages:

• Adults 35-54, 54-65, even gender split

• Representative viewing across the UK nations

• Viewers are mainstream Britain, in terraces, towns and suburbs

If you’d like to find out more about our Community Shares campaign, please visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/community-channel