Among its plans, unveiled this morning, Channel 4 is to set up a £50m fund to support public service digital media content over the next two years. It also plans to air more new programmes during peak time than any other UK public service broadcaster.
The broadcaster intends to reduce spend on acquired content by 20% over the next five years, ultimately freeing up £35m a year for extra UK-originated content. This cash will be redirected into investment in original commissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Chief executive Andy Duncan also outlined plans to push the broadcaster's status as a youth-oriented brand by targeting 10 to 15-year-olds through new initiatives. Channel 4 intends to spend an initial £10m on a major pilot fund for cross-platform projects from 2008. An investment of £6m a year into educational multimedia content for teenagers will be also made.
The announcement of Channel 4's new strategy comes ahead of a government review into the future of public service broadcasting, which will address Channel 4's future funding. And communications regulator Ofcom is conducting a separate, ongoing review into the provision of public service programming in the UK.
The broadcaster intends to reduce spend on acquired content by 20% over the next five years, ultimately freeing up £35m a year for extra UK-originated content. This cash will be redirected into investment in original commissions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Chief executive Andy Duncan also outlined plans to push the broadcaster's status as a youth-oriented brand by targeting 10 to 15-year-olds through new initiatives. Channel 4 intends to spend an initial £10m on a major pilot fund for cross-platform projects from 2008. An investment of £6m a year into educational multimedia content for teenagers will be also made.
The announcement of Channel 4's new strategy comes ahead of a government review into the future of public service broadcasting, which will address Channel 4's future funding. And communications regulator Ofcom is conducting a separate, ongoing review into the provision of public service programming in the UK.
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