Campaign
Overview
Pact fought a successful campaign in 2021/22 defeating the then Government’s proposals to privatise channel 4. We are now campaigning to make sure the revised plans for Channel 4 implemented by the last Government through the Media Act 2024 will not have an adverse impact on the UK production sector.
The Media Act 2024 gives Channel 4 the opportunity to move into production for the first time. Several measures pushed by Pact to help mitigate the impact on the independent production sector have also been written into legislation, but we remain concerned about the impact of Channel 4 moving into production, particularly in the nations and regions.
Pact welcomes Channel 4’s over delivery of its nations and regions quota and its long-standing commitment to help grow the production sector outside of London. However, there is no guarantee that this will continue under new management, or if Channel 4 moves into production.
Our
Proposals
We are proposing that Channel 4’s voluntary commitment of 50% of productions made out of London be written into its licence and separate nations quotas be introduced.
This would help to mitigate the impact of Channel 4 potentially moving into production on inependent producers in the nations and regions and help protect the broadcaster's production budget outside of London.
It would also help to maintain its diversity of supply and aid the further development of the sector in the nations and regions across the ten-year licence period, and ensure that any new Channel 4 executive remains committed to the nations and regions.
The strategy advisors, Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates (O&O) estimates that Channel 4’s voluntary 50% commitment protected £70m of spend in 2022.
If Channel 4 Corporation (C4C) were to drop its out of London spend to the quota level, so a reduction of £70m, this would have a substantial impact on the production sector and it’s unlikely that spend by the other PSBs would make up for this loss.