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Channel 4 faces uncomfortable truth

UK pubcaster Channel 4 is embarking upon a major review of its remit to feed into the debate over its future funding, recognising that the original terms of its broadcast licence are increasingly outmoded.

C4 CEO Andy Duncan today admitted that the company had to confront the "uncomfortable truth" that its remit - last revised in 2003 - was inadequate in today's digital landscape.

Duncan said C4's public service obligation, and therefore the basis on which the government assists its finances via free spectrum allocation, was out of kilter with C4's "public service contribution in a digital world."

"Channel 4's remit and public purposes are now fulfilled through more than a single television channel, in ways and means unimagined pre-2003, and all without official recognition or support," said Duncan, speaking at the Westminster Media Forum.

"As part of our efforts to articulate a fresh statement of the remit and to capture the full range of public value we now offer, we need to confront this policy gap," he added.

Citing the contribution made by diginets E4, More4 and Film4, plus online initiatives like 4Talent and 4Docs, Duncan said: "All have public value and many of these 'non-core' activities will assume greater significance as we move towards and beyond (digital) switchover."

He acknowledged that not everything C4 did had a public value and the fact that mistakes were made during the recent race row surrounding Celebrity Big Brother, for which media regulator Ofcom rapped the broadcaster on the knuckles.

"It's been a painful time, but recent events have served to sharpen the internal debate about our values and purposes. As a result, I think the board is more committed and determined than ever to prove C4's worth as a net contributor to Britain's cultural life and media economy," said Duncan.

To this end, an internal review is now underway with director of television and content Kevin Lygo looking at C4's on-screen vision and group finance director Anne Bulford leading work on the financial and commercial considerations for C4 in the future.

The review has been initiated as part of Duncan's ongoing determination to position C4 for the future, with Ofcom last week accepting that the financial pressures of the declining TV ad market could mean it is unable to deliver on its public service remit and balance the books in just a few years time.

At the same time, prime minister in waiting Gordon Brown is coming under pressure to consider privatisation of the company and Ofcom is proposing a 'public service publisher' to challenge the BBC's dominance of the digital domain.

The C4 review will feed into Ofcom's next public service broadcasting review later this year and the government's ongoing consideration of its future. In a bid to ensure it is more accountable to both its guardians and its audiences, C4 plans to appoint a new "viewers' editor" and will bring back the audience complaints programme Right to Reply.

Source: C21Media