65 results for 'channel 4'

Channel 4: Industry united, but Government putting ideology before facts

In our efforts to campaign against the privatisation of Channel 4, Bectu have submitted a response to the government’s consultation on a change of ownership for the public broadcaster. However, overnight the news emerged that the Government has already approved JP Morgan to advise on the future of Channel 4....

Bectu hosts webinar on the future of Channel 4 and public service broadcasting, alongside Claire Enders and Colin Browne

...BBC licence fee settlement and the 2022 Media Bill. Claire Enders stated that the House of Lords report ‘lay down a marker to the government’ about the conditions in which Channel 4 should be privatised and focused her argument on protecting the most valuable aspects of Channel 4 and using...

<strong>Entertainment unions welcome news of scrapped Channel 4 privatisation</strong>

...Peers said: “This is good news for all who care about TV production in the UK. Channel 4 is a creative success story – with generations of writers benefiting from its commissioning and training opportunities. Keeping Channel 4 in public ownership will help to ensure that homegrown writers continue to...

Privatising Channel 4 is another swipe from a government determined to undermine public service broadcasting

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries’ announcement that she is pushing ahead with controversial plans to privatise Channel 4 is another ideological swipe at a highly successful cultural asset. The broadcaster is a major success story, consistently pushing the boundaries of entertainment and thought-provoking content for British audiences. This success is built...

Channel 4 success is built on the back of current ownership model

Responding to reports that the Government is to consider privatising Channel 4, head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “Channel 4 is a hugely successful public service broadcaster, consistently pushing the boundaries of entertainment and thought provoking content for British audiences. This success is built on the back of the current...

Deeply concerning that Ministers are playing politics with Channel 4 appointments

Responding to reports that the Government has blocked two Ofcom-approved reappointments to the Channel 4 Board of Directors, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “Ofcom is responsible for Channel 4 board appointments and it is deeply concerning that Ministers are playing politics and interfering with this process. “It is especially...

Bectu responds to broadcasting reforms and Channel 4 privatisation

The Government has today published plans to reform the British broadcasting industry and to pursue a change of ownership of Channel 4. Responding to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s announcement on broadcasting reforms, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “The government’s plans are big on rhetoric but...

Bectu responds to Rishi Sunak’s Channel 4 privatisation pledge

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “This is incredibly disappointing news and suggests Mr Sunak does not understand why the Channel 4 model is so successful and why there is such unified and vehement industry opposition to the sale. Channel 4 is a hugely successful public service broadcaster, consistently pushing...

Bectu responds to Channel 4 job losses

Responding to the 200 redundancies announced by Channel 4 today, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “Today’s announcement and the associated job losses will be devastating for Channel 4 employees and we will do everything we can to support our members affected by these cuts. “These changes are unfortunately symptomatic...

‘Disastrous privatisation of Channel 4’: Bectu responds to Media Bill in Queen’s Speech

Philippa Childs, head of broadcasting union Bectu, responding to the contents of the proposed Media Bill in the Queen’s Speech, said: “This is the next step towards a disastrous privatisation of Channel 4, a much-loved and entirely self-sustaining public service broadcaster. Channel 4 supports a thriving independent production sector, creating...

Entertainment unions join forces to oppose Channel 4 privatisation

The Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) has written to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Nadine Dorries, to urge her to reconsider the Government’s plans to privatise Channel 4. The FEU, who together represent over 120,000 UK creative workers, is dismayed at the Government’s plans to...

Oppose the Channel 4 sell-off

Bectu RPD Ofcom Statement

...the M25, is contradictory and unacceptable. It asks questions regarding the validity of its own reporting as Channel 4 has provided data that disproves this directly – it has exceeded its own voluntary 50% outside of M25 commissioning target for a number of years. Further, Channel 4 also part owns...

Huge concerns about Dowden’s plans for new media law

...who are now also major streamers. “We have huge concerns about what else the government has planned for the expected new media law, not least the possible sale of Channel 4. “The success of Channel 4 is built on the back of the current model which supports a thriving independent...

Looking to 2022

...toin support of the rebuilding of the creative industries. These include: Anti-privatisation of Channel 4 Since the announcement from DCMS on the consultation of Channel 4’s ownership, Bectu have been actively engaged in an anti-privatisation campaign. Bectu remains deeply concerned that the proposed sale of Channel 4 would fundamentally damage...

Freelance working practices to be discussed by TV Coalition for Change

Major broadcasters and TV industry bodies have signed up to take part in historic discussions about how to improve freelance working practices. All the public service broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, as well as Sky and UKTV, have committed to taking part in the quarterly discussions....

Prospect National Conference backs campaign to defend public service broadcasting, BBC licence fee

The UK’s biggest broadcasting union, Bectu, has passed two motions defending public service broadcasting, creative content and jobs at its parent union’s national conference in Bournemouth today. The conference noted that public service broadcasting is under attack like never before. The Government is intent on privatising Channel 4 and reducing...

C4 retention scheme payments ignore vital contribution of freelancers, Bectu says

Responding to reports that Channel 4 is to pay £15m to senior leaders and permanent staff as part of a retention scheme, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “We’re disappointed at this news, which seemingly ignores the vital contribution that freelancers make to Channel 4’s success – particularly at a...

A review of 2023

...Dorries, to sell off Channel 4 were dropped following a consultation process. Like others, we were vocal about the unique place that Channel 4 holds and argued that its crucial relationship with the independent sector would be fatally damaged by privatisation. BBC controversies The BBC was embroiled in a number...

Using intranets and other workplace networks to engage new members

...ask people to contribute using a Google Doc rather than spamming the channel with hundreds of different messages that will be hard to collate. 4. Identify some champions You might have colleagues who will act as advocates for a platform by posting regularly or directing other colleagues to the platform....

TV Craft Awards: lifting the lid on structural racism

...the ethnic diversity of its workforce, but Channel 4 is a publisher broadcaster. It doesn’t make any of the programmes it broadcasts, but instead commissions (outsources) programme making to independent production companies. If you ask Channel 4 what the diversity is of the people who make their programmes you will...

Bectu responds to BBC News channel changes, job cuts

Responding to reports of 70 BBC staff facing the sack as part of plans to merge BBC News and BBC World, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “We welcome the BBC’s commitment to step up to the challenges of a changing media landscape and build a digital-first corporation, but once...

Black Bectu Network launched as creative industries respond to BLM

The Black Lives Matter movement and greater awareness of the importance of diversity and representation in the media have led to a range of initiatives being launched by broadcasters such as Channel 4 and the BBC. In response to these initiatives Bectu launched a Black Bectu Network and ran a...

Bectu responds to Ofcom Chair appointment

...the privatisation of Channel 4. Appearing before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee for ‘pre-appointment scrutiny’ last week, Lord Grade asserted his commitment to impartiality in the role, commenting: “Ofcom’s enviable reputation as a regulator is based on their processes, their adjudications – their decisions are based on evidence...

“The industry I love is failing us”: Marcus Ryder calls for reframing diversity at broadcasting union national conference

...or Ten O’clock to Channel 4’s Seven O’Clock news, to any of ITV’s major bulletins or Channel 5’s, which is headed by a person of colour or a visibly disabled person behind the camera with ultimate editorial control. Neither is there a major television political current affairs programme, including Panorama,...