The Stage

Jackson outlines vision for Channel 4 arts coverage

Published Tuesday 14 September 2010 at 11:26 by Matthew Hemley

Channel 4’s new arts commissioner Tabitha Jackson has revealed her vision for the broadcaster’s future output in the genre, stating that the “emphasis is on the contemporary”.

Jackson replaced Jan Younghusband in the role in March this year, at the same time as Channel 4 announced it was doubling its core arts budget to £6 million.

Speaking at Media Festival Arts this week, Jackson said she wants content to be a “creative expression for what it is to be alive today” and added that she is on the hunt for multi-platform ideas.

“The money is there, so I feel like we are in a good space,” she said.

The arts commissioner said Channel 4’s content should be different from the BBC’s output, which she described as “canonical”.

“Channel 4 should be more experiential - it should tell us more about ourselves. That is the filter through which I am looking at ideas and how to go forward,” she said.

Jackson also revealed she was open to the idea of content that is funded by brands, in a similar way to how The TV Book Club on More4 is paid for by Specsavers.

But she warned such programmes would still see Channel 4 retain editorial control.

“I would be happy to take people’s money but they can’t have any editorial control - because that diminishes what we do and our independence,” she said.