Channel 4 is a statutory corporation. What that means is that the Government owns it but like the BBC, it has editorial independence from the Government. It isn't funded by the licence fee like the BBC but by advertising and sponsorships like the other commercial broadcasters. It is the forth largest reaching UK broadcaster behind the BBC, ITV and Sky according to BARB. For people in the US and a few other countries, we don't name our traditional terrestrial channels based on the frequency they broadcast on, we name them based on prominence - BBC One and Two first before ITV (legally known as Channel 3), Channel 4 and Channel 5.
It has the same left wing bent as the majority of other broadcasters and is probably one of the most left leaning broadcasters. It is a general entertainment channel predominately showing American sitcoms, daytime programming for women, The Simpsons, Hollyoaks - a young adult soap, news as per their broadcast licence and prime time general entertainment and documentary programming as well as films (they have their own film production company that also has a channel on terrestrial television) and sport, predominately football/soccer.
They recently aired an Hollyoaks special episode on incels, smearing them as radicalised extremists. They just announced that the soap is moving online. They have also non-platformed the Conservative Party from a climate change debate on their news programme.
In terms of financial health, their revenue was £1.14bn for 2022. However, they have recently axed a number of shows as they may now be struggling financially. It may be in part because they've invested in a number of sporting rights.
So if I'm understanding correctly, a huge portion of the UK domestic broadcast TV market is dominated by Crown corporations between the BBC and Channel 4?
And with it mentioned that Brand was distantly a Channel 4 employee/presenter, what kind of programming did he run?
The BBC is a corporation whose existence is granted by a Royal Charter, funded by the licence fee and Channel 4 is a statutory owned corporation, funded by commercials and sponsorship. ITV and Channel 5 are purely commercial companies but they as well as the BBC and Channel 4 are classed as public service broadcasters. Back in the analogue terrestrial days, there was only space for four, later five, channels to broadcast and so bandwidth was scarce and running a television channel was deemed a privilege that carried obligations. Such as having to broadcast a minimum number of news bulletins, kids programming, documentaries and other obligations. Back then we did not have the woke and bias issues we do now.
We even had Teletext services (for those who don't know what Teletext is, it is a news and information service broadcast over the air free of charge in unused parts of the TV picture data) and they also carried public service broadcasting obligations, including for Channel 4.
They still have those obligations today in return for holding the first five electronic programme guide positions on all platforms.
Brand was primarily on Big Brother's Eforum and its rebrand, Big Brother's Big Forum, The Russell Brand Show, Russell Brand's Ponderland as well as the odd comedy stand-up show, one-off shows plus guest appearances on other shows. He's also been on BBC Radio 2, talkSPORT, FX, MTV and BBC Four.
Could someone give a quick summary about who Channel 4 is for those outside the UK?
Ownership, editorial bent, size/reach, type of programming, similar scandals, financial health, affiliations, etc.
Channel 4 is a statutory corporation. What that means is that the Government owns it but like the BBC, it has editorial independence from the Government. It isn't funded by the licence fee like the BBC but by advertising and sponsorships like the other commercial broadcasters. It is the forth largest reaching UK broadcaster behind the BBC, ITV and Sky according to BARB. For people in the US and a few other countries, we don't name our traditional terrestrial channels based on the frequency they broadcast on, we name them based on prominence - BBC One and Two first before ITV (legally known as Channel 3), Channel 4 and Channel 5.
It has the same left wing bent as the majority of other broadcasters and is probably one of the most left leaning broadcasters. It is a general entertainment channel predominately showing American sitcoms, daytime programming for women, The Simpsons, Hollyoaks - a young adult soap, news as per their broadcast licence and prime time general entertainment and documentary programming as well as films (they have their own film production company that also has a channel on terrestrial television) and sport, predominately football/soccer.
They recently aired an Hollyoaks special episode on incels, smearing them as radicalised extremists. They just announced that the soap is moving online. They have also non-platformed the Conservative Party from a climate change debate on their news programme.
In terms of financial health, their revenue was £1.14bn for 2022. However, they have recently axed a number of shows as they may now be struggling financially. It may be in part because they've invested in a number of sporting rights.
Thanks. Great summary.
Interesting naming convention.
So if I'm understanding correctly, a huge portion of the UK domestic broadcast TV market is dominated by Crown corporations between the BBC and Channel 4?
And with it mentioned that Brand was distantly a Channel 4 employee/presenter, what kind of programming did he run?
The BBC is a corporation whose existence is granted by a Royal Charter, funded by the licence fee and Channel 4 is a statutory owned corporation, funded by commercials and sponsorship. ITV and Channel 5 are purely commercial companies but they as well as the BBC and Channel 4 are classed as public service broadcasters. Back in the analogue terrestrial days, there was only space for four, later five, channels to broadcast and so bandwidth was scarce and running a television channel was deemed a privilege that carried obligations. Such as having to broadcast a minimum number of news bulletins, kids programming, documentaries and other obligations. Back then we did not have the woke and bias issues we do now.
We even had Teletext services (for those who don't know what Teletext is, it is a news and information service broadcast over the air free of charge in unused parts of the TV picture data) and they also carried public service broadcasting obligations, including for Channel 4.
They still have those obligations today in return for holding the first five electronic programme guide positions on all platforms.
Brand was primarily on Big Brother's Eforum and its rebrand, Big Brother's Big Forum, The Russell Brand Show, Russell Brand's Ponderland as well as the odd comedy stand-up show, one-off shows plus guest appearances on other shows. He's also been on BBC Radio 2, talkSPORT, FX, MTV and BBC Four.