INDUSTRY and government representatives from all three devolved nations have called on Ofcom to change plans which will allow Channel 4 to concentrate its budget in England.
It comes after the media regulator was criticised for suggesting Channel 4 should be allowed to spend just 9% of its budget outwith England – rather than the 16% which would reflect the UK’s population spread.
Arguing against the plan, Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said it would short-change the nations – and branded it “an outrage [that] cannot be allowed to go ahead”.
As part of Channel 4’s 10-year licence renewal process with Ofcom, the media watchdog has now published a “reconsultation” with revised proposals in which the 9% figure has been upped to 12%.
Industry and government representatives say the percentage, which would apply to both spending and total produced screen hours, is still too low.
Ofcom is also not proposing to enforce the 12% figure until 2030, sparking further anger and questions about the legitimacy of Channel 4’s “4 All The UK” project – which claims the broadcaster is “fully committed to harnessing the power of our regional structure to increase our impact across the UK”.
Channel 4 said it supports the Ofcom proposals, arguing that although the channel is publicly owned, it is “entirely commercially funded, so any change would need to be sensible, gradual and sustainable – set at a level and over a time period which is manageable alongside all our other obligations”.
In a strong rebuke of the proposals, Richard Williams, the chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said there appeared to be a “desperate reluctance to see the nations as anything other than a dead weight”.
Williams said the industry was “extremely disappointed by the latest Ofcom/Channel 4 proposal for the nations and hopes that it is not a cynical done deal”.
He went on: “Ofcom rightly has concern for the viability of Channel 4 but seems also to assume - whether the evidence supports it or not - that a commitment to the nations is a commercial death knell.
“The proposal to defer the increase to 2030 speaks volumes for both organisations’ enthusiasm to embrace this change, while the 3% increase smacks of the lowest figure that was deemed defendable given the universal call for 16% within the consultation.
“There is nothing to give Northern Ireland Screen or Northern Ireland any comfort here.”
The calls were echoed in both Scotland and Wales.
A spokesperson for Creative Wales, a government body, said: “Creative Wales is hugely disappointed with the proposals from Ofcom and Channel 4.
“An increase to 12%, deferred until 2030, is not an acceptable position as far as Wales is concerned.
“We were part of a widespread call for a 16% increase to give substance to the channel’s claim that celebrating regional diversity is a core pillar of its purpose and so the regulator’s suggestion falls far short of our expectations as a nation.”
And in Scotland, Culture Secretary Robertson said: “As previously set out to Ofcom, we believe that Channel 4’s made outside England quotas should be increased to fairly reflect the populations of the nations and the size and growth potential of their creative industries.
“We will respond to Ofcom's consultation shortly, restating our position that the out-of-England quota should be raised to 16%, based on population share.”
David Smith, director of Screen Scotland, said: “This proposed figure and timescale for implementation seems arbitrary and hardly 4 All The UK.
“16%+ of the UK population lives, works and is monetised by Channel 4 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This new recommendation from Ofcom makes no more sense than the last one.”
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Five years ago, Channel 4 led the industry in rebalancing TV production across the country and we remain as committed as ever to building an industry that benefits and represents all the UK.
“That is why we have reaffirmed our voluntary commitment to at least 50% of Channel 4 programme spend outside of London; are in the process of creating 600 roles across the nations and regions; will double our 4skills spend to £10 million next year – giving thousands of young people across the UK a route into our industry, and why we support the proposal to raise our minimum spend and hours in the nations to 12%, four times higher than the quotas were less than five years ago.
“We will make our submission to the consultation in due course.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We’ve talked to a wide range of stakeholders about Channel 4’s production outside of England, and received a significant amount of information. We have carefully considered the arguments and evidence, and we understand the strength of feeling – which is why we’re consulting on increasing those quotas.
“It’s important that these targets are set at a level which can support production and contribute to a diverse range of programmes, while also ensuring that Channel 4 has enough flexibility in its commissioning to deliver its digital strategy and remain sustainable.”
