TV Live Forum

Well didn't they make Right 2 Reply for many years, and initially the links for T4. Film4 has always made content, though usually as co-productions with the likes of Working Title. Not sure if in the early "Film on Four" days if content was made by the precursor to FilmFour Productions or all from independents.

More recently although not producing I thought they were permitted to invest and take a stake in new production companies and formats as part of their growth fund, so therefore potentially profit from formats they assist in developing being sold around the world.

https://www.channel4.com/corporate/indie-growth-fund


They also have 4Studio as their "in-house digital content studio" - whatever that might be.

https://www.channel4.com/corporate/4-all...-across-uk

(P.S. Looking at that image at the bottom and how much better local TV might be if 4Leeds, 4Manchester etc existed instead of Thats TV/Made TV, rather than just as relocation exercises to appease the government only for them not to be appeased)

Would ITV PLC be a potential suitor? If so, the various channels could be merged, with us going full-circle and C4 becoming ITV2, taking LCN 4/104.

ITV2 would still keep the C4 remit to be a bit edgy and risky, and probably skew younger. Certainly I'd like to see it stay "alternative."

Obviously some programmes would move around. I might say, move Countdown up to ITV1 but keep Catsdown on ITV2.

You could then have some really strong brand extensions:

ITV Gold (Archive - Classic soap runs in daytime)
ITV Action (ITV4 effectively)
ITV Be (Merger of ITV Be and E4: Younger female-orientated audiences - TOWIE, Big Bang, stripped reruns of Celeb Juice, Catsdown, etc... Love Island could also go here)

The chances of ITV and Channel 4 merging are minuscule if not zero, ITV are in the content business and buying Channel 4 would not make any sense at all especially since Channel 4 doesn't own any of its shows.

What about RTL Group (the owners of Fremantle, of course)? RTL clearly hasn't dabbled in the UK channel market since it sold off Channel 5 to whatever Richard Desmond owns these days in 2010-ish, so it could make some sense if it were the case...

MrBiggieSMLZ post_id=26648 time= user_id=1110 Wrote:What about RTL Group (the owners of Fremantle, of course)? RTL clearly hasn't dabbled in the UK channel market since it sold off Channel 5 to whatever Richard Desmond owns these days in 2010-ish, so it could make some sense if it were the case...

RTL sold off Channel 5 for a reason, and that was because they were only interested in markets where their channels were first or second, which isn’t the case for neither Channels 4 or 5.

If it has to be privatised I believe it’d be better if BBC Studios or ITV plc bought Channel 4, but that won’t happen unless there are lots of requirements from the appropriate authorities, if at all.

When Channel 5 was last up for sale, Discovery and Sky put in a joint bid for the channel. If Channel 4 does get auctioned then there’s nothing to stop Warner Bros Discovery or Comcast making a bid for the channel if they wanted to.

It would be interesting to see how much Channel 4 is valued at. Viacom paid £463m for Channel 5 and its portfolio in 2014 so I reckon Channel 4 is worth in the region of £700-900m, maybe a billion at a push.

Broadcast has launched a "Not 4 Sale" campaign with support of many independent production companies:

Quote:Broadcast has launched a campaign warning of the implications of privatising Channel 4 for both viewers and the industry.

In response to the DCMS consultation launched this week, Broadcast has launched Not 4 Sale with the initial backing of 25 high-profile figures from the independent production sector - and is calling on other production companies to follow suit (see below). The campaign will then be broadened out to take in other parts of the industry and on- and off-screen creative talent.

The campaign is motivated by the fundamental lack of evidence to support the government’s view that C4’s sustainability is materially challenged under its current ownership model and remit.

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/channel-4...35.article

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/channel-4...37.article

It's insulting to other broadcasters when they hint at implications for viewers and the industry. As for industry, there'll always be something that comes along. As for viewers, commercial television in the UK makes just as good, if not better at times, content to that of the BBC and Channel 4.

One assumes whoever buys C4 has to keep the commitments set out by Ofcom in order to keep that space. The commitments would appear pretty small considering the rubbish they currently churn out or import.

onetrickypony post_id=26831 time= user_id=944 Wrote:It's insulting to other broadcasters when they hint at implications for viewers and the industry. As for industry, there'll always be something that comes along. As for viewers, commercial television in the UK makes just as good, if not better at times, content to that of the BBC and Channel 4.

One assumes whoever buys C4 has to keep the commitments set out by Ofcom in order to keep that space. The commitments would appear pretty small considering the rubbish they currently churn out or import.

Couldn’t agree more. There seems to be a huge gulf between how these people see Channel 4 and what it actually is. I think they’re trying to save the Channel 4 of 20 years ago.

all new Phil post_id=26847 time= user_id=865 Wrote:

onetrickypony post_id=26831 time= user_id=944 Wrote:It's insulting to other broadcasters when they hint at implications for viewers and the industry. As for industry, there'll always be something that comes along. As for viewers, commercial television in the UK makes just as good, if not better at times, content to that of the BBC and Channel 4.

One assumes whoever buys C4 has to keep the commitments set out by Ofcom in order to keep that space. The commitments would appear pretty small considering the rubbish they currently churn out or import.

Couldn’t agree more. There seems to be a huge gulf between how these people see Channel 4 and what it actually is. I think they’re trying to save the Channel 4 of 20 years ago.

I think it was Greg Dyke when he was DG at the BBC who said words to the effect that it was not his job to make millionaires of the owners of independent producers using BBC money. There’s no doubt in my mind that a small number of independent producers (for C4) see C4 as just that and have been quietly suckling at the teats of C4 for many years. C4 appears to have comfortable arrangements with a regular number of independents and perhaps it is time for these arrangements to be deeply looked into. In a way, I think C4 has been ‘captured’ by these companies, the current situation suits them well and change, any change, is most unwelcome.

Well, as it turns out, the rumors are somewhat true! That being that Discovery (soon to possibly be merged with WarnerMedia, of course) is apparently exploring a Channel 4 takeover, as are rivals like ITV and Comcast (via Sky). Here's where that came from:
https://www.reuters.com/business/discove...021-07-31/

ITV and Sky may have done great things for the British TV industry but there would be serious competition concerns that such a deal could see C4 disappear from our screens. Perhaps that indeed is the aim of this "consultation".

As for it being in the same stable as GB News - no, just no.

Not surprised Discovery are looking to buy it at all - since 2019 we've seen them take over Really, Home and Good Food (the latter two have now been rebranded/subsumed) and be a partner in GB News in the UK, so Channel 4 would be an interesting asset, and of course, Discovery are due to merge with WarnerMedia next year.

My money's on Discovery, seeing as it has expanded its UK footprint significantly. BTW, Out of curiosity, do you think the likes of BT or even Disney could be a possible suitor?

MrBiggieSMLZ post_id=32048 time= user_id=1110 Wrote:My money's on Discovery, seeing as it has expanded its UK footprint significantly. BTW, Out of curiosity, do you think the likes of BT or even Disney could be a possible suitor?

Considering BT are looking to sell BT Sport and focus more on the core part of their business, which is telecommunications, no.