Channel 4 welcomes Ofcom PSB Review

21 January 2009

"Channel 4 at the heart of... a second organisation alongside the BBC, with a sustainable economic model and with a strong public service role embedded at its core"

Channel 4 welcomes Ofcom's second Public Service Broadcasting Review, which makes recommendations that respond to "the huge changes brought about by the transition to the digital era".

Chief Executive, Andy Duncan, said: "Ofcom has produced a very thorough report. They understand the scale of change brought by digital and the structural change needed for Britain's media industry to meet this change and flourish.

"We welcome and agree with Ofcom's strong endorsement of the need for ‘a second organisation alongside the BBC, with a sustainable economic model and with a strong public service role ... with Channel 4 at its heart'. This will build on Channel 4's ‘established track record of delivery', and its ‘diverse range of innovative and high quality programming'.

"These are points we have long argued. Our preferred way forward is a partnership of mutual benefit with BBC Worldwide capable of successfully meeting the challenges of the digital future. As Ofcom recognises, BBC Worldwide and Channel 4 have aligned objectives in raising commercial revenues to fund public service content.

"A partnership involving our strong brands, content and distribution would best meet Ofcom's key criteria of strategic logic, scale of synergies and sustainability.

"We look forward to continuing our discussions with the BBC and Government about how this opportunity can be maximised for the benefit of licence fee payers and the public as a whole.

"As Ofcom identifies, deploying the licence fee to support plurality in public service broadcasting remains an alternative. But this option would not put in place a new self-funding and future-facing structure."

 

Contacts:

Anthony Carlisle, Citigate Dewe Rogerson - 020 7282 2884/ 07973 611 888

Laure Lagrange, Citigate Dewe Rogerson - 020 7282 1056/ 07768 698 731