Channel 4 Content Chief Asks Producers To Hold Nerve Through “Difficult” Time, As He Warns Of Continued Commissioning Freeze

Jake Kanter
·4 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4’s content chief Ian Katz has acknowledged that the UK broadcaster and producers are going through a difficult spell amid widespread discontent over show cancelations and cash flow issues.

In an email to producers on Wednesday, Katz said he appreciated the support of indies, which supply all of Channel 4’s programming, but warned of more pain to come.

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Deadline first revealed that shows including Four Weddings had been axed at the eleventh hour, while other content is being delayed until next year. In a story last week, we reported on Channel 4 requesting that indies cash flow shows at late notice, which is seen as unprecedented by some producers.

Katz’s message is an attempt to calm a revolt of sorts, with Channel 4 downturn dominating conversations between UK producers. The issue has been exacerbated by Channel 4’s top executives being rewarded with six-figure retention bonuses, which they have decided to defer.

“I know how difficult some of these measures have been for producers and teams affected, particularly considering the wider challenges that all indies are facing. I want to stress how incredibly appreciative I am of your support, patience and flexibility,” he said.

“I also want to reassure you that the challenges we are facing are cyclical and the product of weakness in the wider economy impacting the advertising market.”

Katz warned, however, that Channel 4 will be commissioning “relatively little over the summer months” outside of digital and current affairs. “We’ll have development funding available and I am encouraging our commissioning team to spend this time collaborating more closely with you on the next generation of big ideas for 2024 and beyond,” he said.

The Chief Content Officer added that Channel 4 would offer training and mentoring for freelancers, who have lost work as a result of an industry-wide slowdown in unscripted content production.

Here’s the full email:

As one of our valued production partners, I wanted to give you an update on the challenging commercial environment currently facing Channel 4 and the wider industry, and explain a little about how we are responding to it.

I’m acutely aware of what a tough time this has been for many indies and the freelance community as many broadcasters and platforms have reined back on commissioning spend.

As you know, advertising revenues have been significantly down for all commercial broadcasters through the first half of this year – even against the relatively cautious predictions on which we based our 2023 budgets.

Like others in the industry, we remain confident that advertising spend will pick up later in the year, and we want to ensure that we are well placed to dial up commissioning once conditions improve.

In the short term that has meant taking a number of steps including looking at cashflow and producer finance and re-phasing when programmes will be produced and transmitted. Our objective through this period has been to preserve planned production. Regrettably we’ve had to rest or not proceed with a small number of shows before they were financially greenlit.

I know how difficult some of these measures have been for producers and teams affected, particularly considering the wider challenges that all indies are facing. I want to stress how incredibly appreciative I am of your support, patience and flexibility.

I also want to reassure you that the challenges we are facing are cyclical and the product of weakness in the wider economy impacting the advertising market – Channel 4 remains better placed than almost all other commercial broadcasters to negotiate the transition to streaming with double digit growth in our on demand viewing this year and the highest proportion of digital revenue and viewing of any comparable channel.

I also wanted to let you know that we are promoting a package of measures to help freelancers – the lifeblood of our industry – through this period. This includes training opportunities through 4Skills and a new mentoring programme. We will also work together with our fellow broadcasters to do what we can to support freelancers and keep them in the industry.

Looking ahead, although we’ll be commissioning relatively little over the summer months outside of current affairs and digital, we will be using this time to continue to develop your most distinctive and ambitious ideas. As ever we’ll have development funding available and I am encouraging our commissioning team to spend this time collaborating more closely with you on the next generation of big ideas for 2024 and beyond. In September we’ll host a series of briefings across all genres laying out what we’re looking for in 2024 and beyond.

I hope it’s helpful to have a bit more context and clarity about how we are approaching the next few months.

Normal service will resume soon.

Best wishes,

Ian Katz
Chief Content Officer
Channel 4

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