Great Belize Television, or as it is locally known, Channel 5, is a

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

-based local television station established in December 1991. Channel 5 airs mostly American and Caribbean programs, as well as a variety of locally produced programs. It is a subsidiary of

Great Belize Productions {{Short description, Belize-based local production company Great Belize Productions is a Belize-based local production company and the parent company of Great Belize Television (Channel 5). Founding GBP was formed in 1982 as a video making company ...

, a local production company established in 1982. Channel 5 is affiliated with the

Caribbean Broadcasting Union The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) founded in 1970 is a non-profit association of public service and commercial broadcasters in the Caribbean. Its secretariat is based in Barbados. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the CBU created several regional ...

and its subsidiary the

Caribbean Media Corporation The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) is a Barbados-based centralised content-provider for the various Caribbean media houses in the region. Formed in June 2000, through the merger of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) and the Caribbean News A ...

. Channel 5 has produced such popular programs as "Lauren Da Mawnin", "The Andy Palacio Show" and most recently

Karaoke Television ''Karaoke Television'', usually called ''KTV'' for short, was a live-action music competition airing on Great Belize Television (Channel 5). It premiered in February 2001 and completed six seasons as of October 30, 2007. Origins and format ''KTV ...

. Channel 5's general manager following its parent company's sale to

Belize Telemedia Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), formerly Belize Telecommunications Limited, is a telecommunications company in Belize. Established in 1972 as the Telecommunications Authority, it rapidly became Belize's leading telecommunication provider in th ...

is Amalia Mai, a veteran journalist She succeeds

Stewart Krohn Stewart Krohn is a Belizean television executive and journalist. He is the general manager of Great Belize Television, a subsidiary of Great Belize Productions, Ltd. Great Belize Krohn formed Great Belize Productions, a video and distribution com ...

, also a veteran

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

History

, the parent company of Channel 5, received its broadcast license from the Government of Belize in 1991 and began broadcasting on December 9 of that year.Channel5Belize.COM
Beginning in 1992, Channel 5 advertised a weekly schedule of programming in the

Amandala ''Amandala'' is a Belizean tabloid newspaper. Published twice weekly, it is Belize's largest newspaper. ''Amandala'' was established in 1969 as the print organ of the now-defunct United Black Association for Development (UBAD), but has been politi ...

(later shifted to

The Belize Times ''The Belize Times'' is a Belizean newspaper published once a week and the official organ of the People's United Party (PUP). It was established in 1956 and sells for BZ$1 Its offices are located at the PUP's Belize City headquarters at 3 Queen S ...

before being discontinued after 2003). In January 1998, Channel 5 launched its website channel5belize.com, which featured text transcripts for News 5 and video streaming of the newscast. Channel 5, as the Belize representative of the CBU, has won numerous journalism awards at home and abroad.

News 5

Channel 5's News Department produces News 5 Live for broadcast every weeknight (there are no weekend newscasts). The program has been the flagship of Channel Five since it premiered on December 9, 1991 and is now Belize's longest running television program. The program runs for 90 minutes including commercials (during

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

season it may be slightly longer). The show usually closes with the line "And that's the news!", followed by a plug for the station's website.

Local Programs broadcast by Channel 5: Past and Present

* The

Andy Palacio Andy Vivian Palacio (December 2, 1960 – January 19, 2008) was a Belizean punta musician and government official. He was also a leading activist for the Garifuna people and their culture. Biography Palacio was born and raised in the coastal ...

Show (Palacio also wrote the theme for News 5 Live; discussed local music) * Lauren Da Mawnin (short-lived morning program featuring comic Lauren Burgess; spawned primetime Sunday program spinoff Lauren Da Nite) * One on One (featured

Stuart Leslie Stuart Leslie is a Belizean public servant and ambassador. He served as Belize's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2000 to 2005. He served as Belize's Chief Elections Officer from September 2005 to December 2006. In January 200 ...

and Dickie Bradley; talk) *

Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episod ...

(a musical competition featuring two people performing a musical act. The grand prize is $10,000 BZD.) * KTV Duets (a spoof of KTV and Duets) *

Noh Matta Wat! ''Noh Matta Wat!'' is a Belizean dramatic television series. It airs on Great Belize Television (Channel 5), Tropical Vision Limited (Channel 7), and Krem Television (cable). It was created by the local advertising company 13 Productions, headed ...

(produced by 13 Productions; co-broadcast with Channel 7 and Krem TV) * Gimme 5! (special promotion, held every year for one week celebrating the yearly anniversary.) *

Hurricane Iris Hurricane Iris was a small, but powerful Category 4 hurricane that caused widespread destruction in Belize. Iris was the second-strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle. It was the ninth named storm, fift ...

: After the Storm (compilation of news stories on the hurricane; VHS) * The Land of Belize (host Therese Rath, discusses Belize's geography; VHS) * The Sea of Belize (host Tom Greenwood, discusses Belize's marine ecosystems and resources; VHS) * Belize: The Maya Heritage (host Froyla Salam, discusses the first settlers of Belize; VHS) * From Invasion to Nation: A History of Belize (based on

Assad Shoman Assad Shoman (born 13 February 1943) is a Belizean diplomat, lawyer, historian, and former government minister. He currently serves as a leader of the Belizean delegation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the purpose of resolving ...

's 13 Chapters of a History of Belize; VHS) * Be the Next Superstar (a talent competition.) * KTV the Remix (a reboot of KTV) Note: Channel 5 sells tapes of in-house produced programs at its office.

References

External links

Official Site
{{Television in Belize Television stations in Belize Television channels and stations established in 1991 1991 establishments in Belize