New report examines Channel 4's risk-taking role in UK creative sector

30 October 2014

 

Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates and Channel 4 have partnered on a new report published today, Taking Risks, Challenging the Mainstream, which examines how Channel 4’s unique positioning and approach across the TV and independent film sectors have helped power the UK’s creative economy.

It speaks to a wide range of significant figures from the wider creative industries – including Sir Peter Bazalgette, Danny Boyle, Steve McQueen, Sir Philip Craven, Danny Cohen, Grayson Perry, Nicola Mendelsohn, Paul Lee, Andrea Wong and Trevor Beattie.

Channel 4 remains a unique institution among TV broadcasters across the world. It is the only broadcaster with a significant public service broadcasting remit to be entirely commercially funded; it is the only PSB in the world to enjoy a high reach and proportionately high share among the 16-34 age group; and it is the only major broadcaster in the world to source its programming entirely from external suppliers.

The report explores the unique Alternative Mainstream role Channel 4 occupies in British Broadcasting – engaging mainstream audiences with more challenging, innovative and risk-taking content that offers an alternative to the other main channels. It notes that this innovation to engage mainstream audiences with challenging alternatives is probably the most economically valuable for the UK’s TV and film sectors as it provides a portfolio of IP which, while different and challenging, can engage the sizes of audiences needed by TV channels across the world.

Analysing in greater detail Channel 4’s contribution to risk taking and innovation within the industry, Oliver & Ohlbaum find that Channel 4 tries more new ideas out than other main broadcasters; has a stronger record of trying out new ideas on the main channel and encouraging and nurturing risks; and commissions content from a wider pool of independent production companies than any other PSB channel. By way of example, analysis of schedules shows that 41 percent of Channel 4 titles in 2013 were new and 60 percent were less than six years old – in comparison to BBC1 and BBC2 combined, where 57 percent of all programme strands were more than five years old, and almost two in every five titles were more than ten years old.

Through a number of case studies, the report examines how Channel 4 has innovated across different genres, and in both television and film: for example the pioneering innovation in form of fixed-rig technology in Channel 4 factual programming; or the way that Film4, Channel 4 and E4 have taken risks on spotting and developing new young talent both in front of, and behind, the camera – most recently illustrated in the contribution Film4 and Channel 4 played in developing Steve McQueen’s movie career.

Ahead of the Government and Ofcom reviewing aspects of public service broadcasting, the report’s conclusion calls for a renewed acknowledgment of Channel 4’s important role as a catalyst for innovation in the creative industries and a driver of export earnings. It finds that if Channel 4 did not exist, the logical corollary of current government policy on innovation is that a policy intervention with similar objectives to Channel 4 would need to be developed to promote the growth of creative businesses in the audiovisual sector.

Launching the report, Channel 4 Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Dan Brooke said: “The idea of the Alternative Mainstream encapsulates the Channel 4 of today – delivering high quality public service content with ambition and impact across all of our services. It is tremendously heartening to see so many gold-plated, creative people endorse our role and our work so strongly. It’s vital that we all stand together to nurture the spirit of innovation and risk taking at the heart of the UK’s public service broadcasting system that makes the UK such a creative world leader “.

Mark Oliver, Oliver & Ohlbaum said: “Channel 4 has adjusted its role to the changing UK TV landscape over the last 32 years. It now seeks to bring alternative perspectives and approaches to issues and subjects to a mainstream audience. This both helps independent producers to take risks and innovate in their programming for Channel 4 and helps shift the centre of gravity of the entire UK TV sector to one that probably has a greater level of risk taking and innovation than any other across the world.”

ENDS

Channel 4 Taking Risks, Challenging the Mainstream PDF

Notes to editors – contributor quotes

A number of significant figures from the television and film industries contributed towards the Oliver & Ohlbaum / Channel 4 report. Selected quotes published in the report are attached below:

Danny Boyle, filmmaker: “Channel 4 has a wonderful responsibility to take risks and explore difficult ideas on behalf of all of us.”

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chairman, Arts Council England: “Channel 4 is the grit in the oyster – it’s the antidote to the BBC and you wouldn’t find anyone else doing what they do in the UK.”

Simon Andreae, Executive VP at Fox Broadcasting: “Channel 4 is the single richest source of IP in the world for TV; out of the paradox of being a commercial broadcaster with a remit to educate in primetime comes a flood of influential franchises like Wife Swap, Supernanny, Kitchen Nightmares, Embarrassing Bodies, Gypsy Weddings and more.”

Andrea Wong, President of International Production, Sony Pictures Television: “Channel 4 and Film4 have played a great role in creativity in the UK. Film 4 has had a huge hand in making films that otherwise wouldn’t have happened.”

Carolyn Fairbairn, non-executive director of the Competition and Markets Authority: “Channel 4’s business model means it is neither highly constrained by regulation nor beholden to shareholders, allowing it freedom to be risk-taking, quirky and naughty – these are extraordinarily valuable things to hold on to.”

Nicola Mendelsohn, VP of EMEA at Facebook and Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council: “The birth of Channel 4 was a significant moment; to have a broadcaster whose core values are being innovative, disruptive, mischievous and willing to tackle taboo is great. Channel 4 has always managed to capture the zeitgeist incredibly well.”

“Channel 4 is a fantastic embodiment of what’s great about the UK creative sector, bringing together and engaging people from across the creative industries.”

Richard Sambrook, Professor of Journalism and Director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff University: “Channel 4 are prepared to approach news with an attitude in a way no other public service broadcaster could do. I’m not entirely sure how they get away with it, but it enriches British broadcasting journalism.”

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee: “Channel 4’s coverage of the 2012 Games put the Paralympics on the map as pure sport.”

Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television: “The Paralympics coverage and its marketing was exceptional.”

Trevor Beattie, partner at Beattie McGuinness Bungay: “The Paralympics Campaign was cheeky and intelligent whilst promising something great.”

Roy Ackerman, Fresh One Productions: “The Innovative shows on Channel 4 are provocative, and the audience turn on for the wrong reasons, but stay tuned for the right reasons. They realise that there is substance beyond the sensation.”

Nick Curwin, Joint Chief Executive, The Garden: “The development of The Family, One Born Every Minute and 24 Hours in A&E are great examples of broadcaster and company working together to create genuinely innovative television.”

Grayson Perry, artist: “Benefits Street, with its inflammatory title brought great debate from the audience.”

“Channel 4 has always been incredibly encouraging. They’re happy to let me do what I want, so it’s up to me to make my own boundaries.”

Paul Lee, President ABC Entertainment Group: “Channel 4 is uncompromising in its risk-taking, and its story-telling is a beacon of British culture that is impressive from abroad.”

Jesse Armstrong, writer: “From a cultural point of view, as a viewer the UK would be a much blander place without Channel 4. As a writer, I would feel bereft if I didn’t have Channel 4 to pitch to.”

Steve McQueen, filmmaker: “Film4 have been incredible. They took a risk on me with Hunger – my first feature – and they’ve supported me, helped me realise my vision for each film I’ve made through to 12 Years A Slave. I won the Best Picture Oscar for that film because of Channel 4’s investment and belief in my work.”

Kevin Macdonald, director: “Film4’s focus is not purely commercial and their willingness to back passionate and committed writers and directors to make out-there and extreme films is rare anywhere else in the English speaking film industry.”

Danny Boyle, filmmaker: “Film4 totally support a project vision; they have real patience and a desire to nurture projects, combined with an incredible instinct to follow to the heart of a project and not to focus on the commercial outcome…with the DNA of public service broadcasting, Film4 is in a unique position to spot the potential great story-telling in less obvious places and explore this corridor of uncertainty on behalf of us all.”

“The public profile Film4 generate for British film is priceless. By nurturing works of a certain standard that are always interesting to turn to, Film4 gives a permanent home and a calling card to the independent British film industry.”

Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television: “Film4 has been an incredible thing. It’s had a huge creative impact, taking risks and achieving great quality productions.”

Pat Younge, WeCreate Associates: “Channel 4 plays a catalytic role in British broadcasting – it takes risks on new ideas from independent producers, and the value of its commissioning and marketing spend creates substantial third-party equity that benefits UK plc.”