The results, which are due on April 20, will show that although Channel 4's audience share has dropped below 10% for the first time in 12 years, the station still managed to take a fifth of the total television advertising market. Profits for the publicly owned but commercially funded TV company came in at £16.5m in 2002.
Insiders say that the restructuring of its commercial arm 4 Ventures, which includes Channel 4's digital TV businesses FilmFour and E4, has also helped the bottom line. The division is now breaking even and showing profit after posting losses of almost £28m in 2002.
The news is likely to please chief executive Mark Thompson, who is being hotly tipped for the director-general job at the BBC. Michael Grade, the former chairman at Channel 4, is presently the favourite for the role of BBC chairman. At the end of January this year Channel 4 appointed the restaurant entrepreneur Luke Johnson as chairman to replace Vanni Treves.
Since the ITV merger the future of Channel 4 has been speculated on several times. Most recently talk has been of a full-blown merger with Five or the lesser option of a joint sales house with Five and BSkyB.
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