The Stage

Channel 4’s Bellamy criticises lack of “surprise and variety” on television

Published Thursday 5 November 2009 at 11:21 by Matthew Hemley

Channel 4 head of programming Julian Bellamy has criticised rival broadcasters for trying not to offend audiences, which he said had resulted in “less surprise and variety” on television today.

Speaking last night to the Royal Television Society, Bellamy said Channel 4 was more committed than other broadcasters to taking creative risks, and accused the BBC in particular of becoming “increasingly conservative in its editorial decision making”.

“After a string of scandals about taste and decency, it seems to avoid disruptive, potentially controversial ideas like the plague. Time and time again producers tell me this. And I believe it,” he said.

Bellamy said that society would become “less democratic and less enlightened” if television became “increasingly characterised by the lack of places in which mainstream audiences can engage with provocative non-conformist ideas”.

He claimed Channel 4 was now the “sole guardian of non-conformism and provocation” on television, and warned the broadcaster would “cease to be a meaningful cultural force” if it stopped broadcasting challenging content.