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Media
C4 dissed by MPs
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 22 March 2010
Such is the hoo haa around the Digital Economy Bill and the BBC’s proposed cut backs that many media commentators are only just getting round to reading the report published by parliament’s Media Select Committee last week regarding the running of Channel 4, in which the state-owned commercially-funded broadcaster got quite a slating.
MPs had a lot of criticism for C4’s former CEO Andy Duncan, which might explain his sudden departure late last year.
The report slagged off the TV firm for failing to fulfil its promise to invest £10 million in programmes for older children, for investing so much in the Project Kangaroo TV-on-demand venture given said project was likely to fall foul of the Competition Commission (which it did), and for covering up just how much was wasted on the broadcaster’s doomed efforts to launch a digital radio network (described by C4 bosses as “modest”, but running up to £10 million when more heavily scrutinised).
C4 management were also insufficiently transparent, the MPs said, when it came to declaring the costs of their digital-only channels.
MPs also questioned the way Channel 4 is regulated, and suggested firstly that a BBC Trust type set up should perhaps be considered for C4 rather than just leaving the regulation to OfCom (despite the BBC Trust being much criticised itself), and secondly that the impact of C4’s operations on the commercial market should be given more consideration, again in line with BBC regulation.
