C4 move ‘harmful to the regions’

Peer hits back at Government proposal

Forcing Channel 4 to move outside London would be “very expensive” and threatens to take money away from making programmes in the regions, peers have warned.

The claims were made after the Government announced it would remain publicly owned, but faced being relocated.

FORCING CHANNEL 4 to move outside London would be “very expensive” and threatens to take money away from making programmes in the regions, peers have warned.

The claims were made after the Government announced the broadcaster would remain publicly owned, but faced being relocated.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has said how Channel 4 spent money and where it is based was being reviewed to make sure it is “serving the country”.

Raising the broadcaster’s future in the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Bonham-Carter congratulated the Government “on rejecting privatisation”.

But she added: “In looking at the suggestion that the channel’s headquarters should be moved outside London, does the Minister not agree that Channel 4 is a publisher, not a programme maker, that what is important is that production takes place outside London by companies from outside London and that the expense of moving those who commission programmes would potentially take money away from what is most important: namely, the making of programmes in the regions by the regions?”

However, Culture Minister Lord Ashton of Hyde said: “I do not accept that. We are having a consultation to look at exactly these questions.

“At the moment, Channel 4 is required to commission 35 per cent of new programmes on its main channel from outside London. It spends about twice as much on programmes made in London as on those made in the rest of the UK combined - so there is something well worth consulting on there.”

Pressing the Minister, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, a Labour peer and chief executive of the Royal Opera House and a graduate of York University, said: “Does he not take the point that Channel 4’s headquarters is a publishing house – it does the commissioning, not the producing – and that to move that particular unit out of town would be very expensive and have no particular benefit to the region to which it went?

“The important thing, if there is gain to be made, is to concentrate on the production facilities being spread more evenly around the country and programmes being produced there.”

Lord Ashton said: “I absolutely take that point. In terms of expense, of course, having a big headquarters in London has a value all of its own – although that is not the point. That is why we are consulting on exactly these issues.”

Meanwhile, the BBC will have to spend the same on programmes per head in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales under new plans outlined by regulator Ofcom. The watchdog becomes the first independent, external regulator of the BBC on April 3, under the new Royal Charter. It has announced new quotas to ensure more original, UK productions on flagship channels,

There is a great deal of talent outside London which is overlooked. Karen Bradley, Culture Secretary