Channel 4 welcomes endorsement of remit delivery by Ofcom PSB report

Channel 4 has today welcomed the publication of Ofcom's first annual tracking report into the delivery of public service broadcasting in the UK.

The report uses a variety of research methodologies to monitor the performance of the main PSB channels against the key PSB characteristics and purposes previously identified by Ofcom.

It shows regular viewers rating Channel 4 more highly than any other channel for showing different cultures and opinions within the UK - an endorsement of Channel 4's delivery against its remit requirement "to appeal to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society". The report states that "minority ethnic groups are more likely to value Channel 4 than are white viewers".

The tracker report also shows that regular viewers rate Channel 4 more highly than any other channel for providing programmes that are innovative in their approach and offer new ideas and alternative approaches. The channel also scores highly for having programmes that challenge viewers to stop and think.

The channel scores particularly highly with younger viewers against these two core characteristics of its remit, with nearly three quarters of 16 to 24-year-olds seeing the channel as innovative and two-thirds of the same age group believing its output is challenging. Eight out of ten of these young viewers feel strongly engaged with Channel 4's programmes.

Channel 4's extensive news and factual output also scores strongly with older viewers with well over half those surveyed believing that these programmes on the channel are trustworthy, help them to understand the world and explain complicated issues clearly.

Channel 4 programmes also scored well in the ongoing BBC Pulse survey published as part of the report, with Channel 4 News gaining the highest scores for quality, learning, trustworthiness and impartiality. Channel 4 also secured the highest scores for original and talked about comedy and for having programmes that felt innovative to the audience.

Andy Duncan, Channel 4's Chief Executive, said: "Innovative, challenging and culturally diverse programmes go to the heart of Channel 4's public service remit and so it is encouraging to see evidence from such an extensive piece of research that audiences identify these characteristics with the channel. The report represents an endorsement of Channel 4's delivery against its public service remit."