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C4 in danger of chucking out baby with bathwater

Posted in Media, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs March 13th, 2008 by Branwell Johnson

Channel 4 is making a play for relevance in the future – and ultimately subsidies – with its new initiative and laid out rationale for its existence but there does seem to be something contradictory” about the messages.

The C4 executives stressed that they wanted to be bold, innovative and challenging, yet still strive for mass audiences. The broadcaster wants to appeal to all demographics, yet focus on youth. One might say it wants to be all things to all men (and women).

At least the broadcaster was unapologetic about the importance of the “Skins” generation and chief executive Andy Duncan said that the broadcaster should be celebrating its engagement with youth “when social institutions are struggling to make connections with young people.”

Fine and dandy but the broadcaster is also going to cut its budget to spend on US imports by a fifth – or £35 million. Don’t forget that this is the company that brought us The Sopranos and Six Feet Under – and even Friends - and while other companies will be rubbing their hands with glee at the ratcheting down of competition for these gems from Channel 4, advertisers will be gloomy.

These programmes garner column inches in magazines, newspapers and even online and can be used in big marketing events, which all in turn drive audiences. With the best will in the world, online content created by young unknown talent or experimental TV documentaries by first-timers won’t grab the interest of the glossies, TV mags or even celebrity bloggers with the force of, say, Mad Men – whoops , that’s on the BBC – my point exactly.

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