Ofcom consults on Channel 4 licence renewal

Ofcom’s HQ (Source: Ofcom)

UK media regulator Ofcom has opened a consultation on advertising-funded public broadcaster Channel 4’s licence renewal. The broadcaster’s current licence is set to expire at the end of next year.

Channel 4 has requested changes to certain obligations to support it becoming a digital-first organization.

Ofcom said the proposals for the new licences “aim to strike a balance between allowing [Channel 4] greater flexibility in the future to develop its content and distribution strategy in support of its digital transformation, while continuing to safeguard its investment in distinctive UK content and protect delivery of the core elements of its linear output on Channel 4.”

The consultation comes ahead of the passing of the new Media Bill, which is expected to grant the broadcaster some of the flexibility it says it needs, including granting it the ability to produce its own programming and retain IP, rather than outsource all production to the independent sector.

Among the changes in the Ofcom consultation are a reduction in the current requirement that at least 56% of the hours of programmes included in the service in each calendar year are originally produced or commissioned for the service to at least 45% of hours each calendar year.

Aspects relating to changes brought in by the Media Bill, such as in-house productions, will be reviewed later. For now Ofcom has retained an independent production quota of 25% total broadcasting hours, although this could be raised to 35% under the new rules to safeguard the independent sector, in the event that the broadcaster goes ahead with plans to develop its own production capability.