Privatisation threat ‘galvanises’ Channel 4

The threat of privatisation has had a “galvanising” effect on Channel 4’s top commissioners – as they redouble efforts to focus on its core remit.

Speaking today (24 August) at the Edinburgh International TV Festival, C4’s entertainment, factual and drama heads said the government consultation into the future ownership of the business had impacted their decision-making.

Head of entertainment Phil Harris said he has sought to closely align his priorities with C4’s remit and challenged his team to find shows that can effect real change.

“It’s scary but galvanising,” he said.

Under the remit, C4 must champion unheard voices, innovate and take risks, inspire change and stand up for diversity.

Factual head Danny Horan said the process has a been a “definite reminder of what we stand for and what we should be doing”.

He added that it has cemented its commitment to “representing all of the UK and particularly under-represented groups”.

In a separate session, chief content officer Ian Katz said the “good and healthy” part of the debate is the way in which it is forcing C4 to review itself.

“I hope that this discussion will spur real change - whether it’s about the way we deliver to audiences or the way we interact with indies. We aren’t struck in a trench; Channel 4 should constantly be changing”.

He warned that a sale would “destroy” the essence of the broadcaster.

“[Under a private owner] C4 would be a very different beast and much that is treasured would likely be lost,” he said.

He likened the licence requirements to “an albatross around the neck” of any commercial business, which over time would inevitably call for them to be diluted.

Katz said that an additional £24m is to be injected into next year’s content budget for 2022, on top of the recent £40m commitment, and taking its projected total spend to £675m, above its pre-pandemic level. Spend on younger viewers and teens will be prioritised.

Queenie

Elsewhere, C4’s head of drama Caroline Hollick said C4’s rights model, under which it retains domestic rights without sharing in the back-end of international sales, allows it to commission projects without having to consider their international appeal.

She referenced One Shoe Films’ upcoming Jack Thorne drama Help which follows the story of the relationship between a young care home worker and patient in Liverpool, whose lives are upended by Covid.

“Help is not a sexy pitch,” she said. “It’s a really important piece of programming but we didn’t worry have how it would land internationally. We invest in shows [that indies] can sell later.”

Hollick revealed that she has commissioned an adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’ novel Queenie, after Broadcast revealed that the project was put into development in November 2019.

The 8 x 30-minute contemporary coming-of-age story marks the debut for former ITV drama head Steve November’s Further South Productions.