Channel 4 Continuity launch new initiative to mark Year of Disability

10 June 2016

People with disabilities will be introducing some of Channel 4’s biggest shows as they take control of the continuity announcer’s mic to mark the broadcaster’s Year of Disability.

Channel 4’s Continuity Team has a long held reputation for its bold, edgy and innovative approach to providing programme links for viewers.

And for 2016, the year in which Channel 4 brings the Rio Paralympic Games to British viewers, the Continuity Team is opening up the airwaves to alternative voices with a specific focus on disability.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Hale will be the first person to step into the continuity announcer’s booth this Friday evening (10.6.16). Olivia, who has high-functioning autism, has developed her own script and will be talking about her experience of autism on-air to raise awareness of her condition.

Olivia’s voice will be heard on air on Friday from 6pm around Channel 4 programmes such as The Simpsons and The Last Leg. The hash tag #C4YearofDisability will be displayed on screen during Olivia’s announcements to encourage engagement on social media.

Isla Paton and Barra Fitzgibbon, C4 Continuity Creative Managers have been collaborating on this project for C4’s Year of Disability. Isla originated the idea to give a voice to young people with disabilities on air and Barra found Olivia, the pioneer for this new and exciting project.

Dan Brooke, Channel 4’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said:  “We are delighted that Olivia will be lending us her voice for the evening and raising awareness about autism. With our deep commitment to diversity, we’re always looking for new ways to increase the representation of disabled people on and off screen, particularly in this Paralympic year.”

Olivia commented: “As a big fan of Channel 4 I was really excited to get involved with this project, especially as I’ll be introducing one of my favourite shows - The Last Leg. It’s been great fun working with Barra, Isla and the rest of the C4 team and I can’t wait to hear how my friends and family react to me being the voice of Channel 4 for an evening!

Over the next few months more people with disabilities will be joining the Channel 4 Continuity Team. Olivia will solicit on air during Friday’s continuity to get in touch via #C4YearofDisability and encourage others to tell their story.

In January Channel 4 reaffirmed its commitments to the 360° Diversity Charter. The Charter puts diversity at the heart of all decision making at Channel 4, across all activities on and off-screen, at every level and with all external partners and independent producers.

 

Notes

Anyone interested in taking part in this project can email recruitment@channel4.co.uk for more information.

- Channel 4 has introduced major new commitments to increase representation of disabled people within the broadcasting industry - both on and off screen

- Channel 4 will double the number of disabled people appearing in 20 of its biggest shows - with disabled contributors contributing to hit programmes such as Gogglebox, The Island, Grand Designs, Hollyoaks and First Dates

- £300,000 will be invested in new talent initiatives, with an off-screen commitment to progress the careers of 20 disabled people already working in the industry in Channel 4's 20 biggest suppliers

- Within Channel 4, 50 per cent of all the broadcaster's apprenticeships and 30 per cent of all its work experience placements will be ring fenced for disabled people

- The focus on disability in 2016 is in addition to the ongoing 30 initiatives outlined in Channel 4's 360 degree Diversity Charter. The Charter puts a commitment to diversity at the heart of all activities at Channel 4, and encompasses all under-represented groups - including BAME, LGBT, disability, gender and social mobility. In 2017 Channel 4 will focus on a different diversity theme