Open letter from David Abraham to Katie Price

11 April 2011

David Abraham, Chief Executive

 

Dear Ms Price

You wrote to me yesterday in response to the Ofcom findings in relation to Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights.  I appreciate the very personal perspective to your letter and I would like to reassure you that we never set out to offend or cause distress to your son.

I am very proud of Channel 4's record of innovative disability programming.  I believe that, as a result of programmes like Katie: My Beautiful Friends, Born to be Different, How To Look Good Naked, Cast Offs, Big Brother and I'm Spazticus, we have broken down barriers and punctured pre-conceptions across the board, and at every level we continue to nurture disabled talent in front of and behind the camera.  Our winning of the rights to broadcast the Paralympic Games was due to this consistent drive to make a real change in disability portrayal and perceptions of disability. I have every intention of maintaining and strengthening that commitment during my time as Chief Executive.

As we made clear in our submission to Ofcom, our detailed internal commissioning processes meant we were satisfied that you, and not your son, were the object of the satire. Indeed, you acknowledge in your letter that, given your very public profile, you are a legitimate target for satirical comment.  Ofcom did not accept our editorial justification and ruled that we made a singular editorial misjudgement. My job now is to ensure that we absorb and give full and proper consideration to Ofcom's adjudication and perspective in future programming while continuing to commission and champion the widest range of talent and the most challenging views and perspectives.

I appreciate that we may not agree over this particular issue. However we share a commitment to championing disability and I hope we can find common ground on which to approach this goal in future.

 

Yours sincerely

David Abraham

Chief Executive