Channel 4 has been chosen the Terrestrial Channel of the Year at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, with BBC Three taking the Non-Terrestrial Channel prize.
Now in their ninth year, the awards also recognise the best programmes on both terrestrial and non-terrestrial channels, with Outnumbered taking the former and The Inbetweeners the latter. The winners are decided 50 per cent by a festival committee and 50 per cent by a live vote of the audience at the EICC, where the festival is taking place.
After picking up the prize for Terrestrial Channel of the Year, Channel 4’s acting chief creative officer, Julian Bellamy, told allmediascotland: “We are completely delighted and it’s a testament to all the hard work that everyone has put in to making Channel 4 such a special and different and important place.
“I think Channel 4 is entering a new era in a world where we are saying goodbye to the amazing show, Big Brother, and saying hello to a completely new era of new ideas and new programmes. It is, I think, one of the most exciting moments in the channel’s history.”
Meanwhile, Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC Three, also told allmediascotland.com: “I am absolutely thrilled. I am very grateful that people voted for BBC Three and I think it is a really good sign of the way the channel is growing and evolving and finding lots and lots of fans.”
This year's awards were hosted by comedian, Jack Whitehall.
The nominees were:
Best Terrestrial Channel of the Year
BBC One
BBC Two
ITV1
Channel 4
Five
Best Non-Terrestrial Channel of the Year
Cartoon Network
BBC Four
BBC Three
Comedy Central
E4
Five USA
Sky1
Sky News
Best Terrestrial Programme
Dr Who (BBC One)
The X Factor (ITV1)
Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV1)
Outnumbered (BBC One)
Flash Forward (Five)
Best Non-Terrestrial Programme
30 Rock (Comedy Central)
Glee (E4)
Newswipe with Charlie Brooker (BBC Four)
Pineapple Dance Studios (Sky1)
The Inbetweeners (E4)
