The Stage

C4 makes a drama out of public remit crisis

Published Tuesday 15 February 2005 at 11:05 by Liz Thomas

Channel 4 is to increase its drama commitments in a move to strengthen its position as commercial competition increases and the number of digital outlets expands.

Speaking at a Royal Television Society dinner, chief executive Andy Duncan, said he was keen for greater investment in drama, particularly as more money had become available through the channel losing its cricket coverage to Sky last year. While the current drama strategy mixes continuing series such as Shameless and No Angels with quarterly drama ‘event’ pieces such as Omagh and Sex Traffic, Duncan said the channel planned to improve on this and have such event programmes every month from 2006.

He also announced the release of £10 million in order to encourage large-scale innovative programme-making. The so-called Breakthrough Fund has been established to help one or two big projects - from any supplier and in any genre - develop and then translate onto the small screen and across the broadcaster’s digital and terrestrial stations.

Duncan said: “Innovation is problematic for broadcasters in such a competitive market. Risk is shockingly expensive but without it television atrophies. We need a constant draught of new ideas to keep us alive and sometimes the normal commissioning process doesn’t let enough fresh air in.”

He explained the fund was aimed specifically at ideas only his channel would adopt, within a public service remit, and idealy would be able to work across the broadcaster’s terrestrial and digital stations.

“They could be a stonking new entertainment format, or a barrier-breaking education project that exploits the potential of new media. Or something that hasn’t been thought of yet,” he said.

The move comes after broadcasting watchdog Ofcom ruled out any immediate direct public funding despite the channel’s fears it would face an £100 million annual shortfall by 2009 because of the cost of digital switchover. The regulator’s report said C4 should develop further its proposals for self-help, including cost-savings, and value creation through new commercial ventures and alliances.

The suggestions for the latest cash injection follow Duncan’s announcement that digital entertainment channel E4 would receive an extra £20million - an increase of 50% on its current budget of £40million - to spend on a combination of original commissions, US acquisitions, spin-offs from C4 shows and youth-centred films.

C4’s head of factual entertainment, Julian Bellamy, will take over from current E4 head Murray Boland to manage the new commissioning budget as well as maintaining his current remit. E4 is currently a paid-for service but is expected to become a free to air later this year, the broadcaster is also launching new digital channel More4, which will concentrate on documentaries, news and current affairs.

Duncan said multi-channel activity was critical to future development and would play a key role in strengthening its public service remit.