Memorandum by Channel 4
INTRODUCTION
1. Channel 4 welcomes the opportunity to
provide evidence to the Committee's inquiry into media ownership
and news. We firmly believe that plurality of news provision is
vital in a democracy. Not only is plurality of provision of UK
and international news necessary in order to provide different
sources of information upon which citizens can form their own
opinions, but also local and national news, reflecting the structure
of government within the UK.
2. As a public service broadcaster Channel
4 is required by statute to provide high quality news services
throughout the day and in peaktime. Our flagship bulletin is the
7 pm weekday programme. This multi-award winning programme is
the only hour long, peaktime national news bulletin available
on terrestrial television, which enables it to go into stories
in much greater depth (see para 8). It is produced for Channel
4 by ITN. In recent years Channel 4 has added to this service
with the introduction of a weekday lunchtime bulletin. In addition
Channel 4 provides a 30-minute news bulletin on its digital-only
channel More4 at 8 pm each weekday. Channel 4 News is also available
on a range of new media platforms. In 2008 Channel 4, as part
of the 4 Digital Group, will be launching a new radio multiplex,
which will also include news services.
3. Of the major ways in which news can be
accessed (television, newspapers, radio, internet, magazines and
mobile phone), television and radio are the only media which are
independently regulated to protect fairness, accuracy and impartiality.[1]
Whilst, there has been a significant proliferation in the number
of available news sources in recent years (eg the Internet), recent
research carried out for Ofcom[2]
confirms that the vast majority of consumers (65% in 2006) identify
television news as their main source of news (cf 14% for
newspapers). We believe, therefore, that there remains a significant
public interest in policy makers securing the availability of
a range of high quality, trusted television news providers for
the long-term.
4. Below we answer the specific questions
posed by the Committee in its initial Call for Evidence.
How and why have the agendas of news providers
changed? How has the content of news programmes and newspapers
altered over the years?
5. We are not in a position to comment on
newspapers but it is not clear that the content (ie the range
of topics covered) of the main TV news bulletins has changed significantly
in recent years. Analysis of the main TV news bulletins conducted
for Ofcom in autumn 2006 for its 2007 report New News, Future
News, demonstrated that "bulletins on all channels covered
a diverse range of news, eg from party politics to entertainment
stories. But there was no evidence that PSB news bulletins are
following a `soft' or `dumbed down' news agenda."[3]
Indeed one of the features of the analysis was that "a greater
proportion of time was devoted to major political stories in 2006
than in 2002."
6. Insofar as Channel 4 News is concerned
Figure A3.1 in Ofcom's report shows that during the period surveyed
c.90% of the Channel 4 News agenda consisted of a mix of "hard"
non-political news stories and political stories. It also demonstrates
that compared to BBC1, ITV1 and Five a much greater proportion
of the Channel 4 News agenda is dedicated to "political stories".
7. The same analysis confirmed that Channel4
News "features the highest number of international stories
of any of the bulletins surveyed..." We estimate that c.40%
of the Channel 4 News agenda is focused on international news
stories. We believe that it is Channel 4 News' particular focus
on international news, combined with the use of a diverse range
of presenters that makes it the preferred bulletin of choice for
members of the UK's ethnic minority communities.[4]
We believe that meeting the needs of these communities is central
to the delivery of our particular public service duty to serve
the interests of a culturally diverse society.
8. Notwithstanding the fact that ITN is
the ultimate provider of news to both ITV and Channel 4, we ensure
that the editorial priorities for our news are clear and distinctive.
Our editorial remit is set out in the specifications of our contract
with ITN to ensure that our news remains distinctive and authoritative,
while providing challenge and surprise by covering a range of
items not dealt with by other news broadcasters. This distinctiveness
extends to our format, which readily adapts to running pieces
of 15-20 minutes, as compared to the usual maximum of five minutes
on other channels. We believe this provides a real benefit to
viewers, providing a more in-depth, considered approach to news
items and is just one way in which Channel 4 makes a distinctive
contribution to the public service broadcasting landscape.
How is the way that people access the news changing?
9. Clearly there are many more sources of
news and information available to people today than there were
a decade ago. This rise in news availability has been driven in
particular by the arrival of the Internet. In light of these changes,
the extent to which television news has remained the dominant
source of news is remarkable.
10. Ofcom's recent report New News, Future
News (as referenced elsewhere) contains useful analysis of
this issue. We will not rehearse Ofcom's analysis here in full,
but we would point out that Ofcom's figures indicate that television
news has held its share very successfully. In the Ofcom research
94% of respondents stated that television was a source of news
for them, compared to 27% for the Internet (although this figure
was up from 15% in 2002). Even amongst 16-24 year olds 86% claimed
TV as a source of news.
11. Despite an overall decline in viewing
of public service channels (18% since 2001; 13.5% since 2002)
and increased choice for viewers in multi-channel homes, television
news has to some extent defied the trends. Whereas one would expect
a drop in news viewing after the peak of 2001 and the events of
9/11, the decline in news viewing measured from 2000 to 2006 was
only 3.4%, and from 2002 to 2006 3%. This demonstrates that television
news remains a fundamental part of citizens' viewing.
12. Notwithstanding the above observations
it is clear that particularly for the younger audience, more and
more media consumption will take place on platforms other than
terrestrial TV (broadband, mobile etc). It is our view, therefore,
that if public service providers are to remain relevant for these
audiences we will have to supply news content across a whole range
of platforms and in a variety of different forms.
How has the process of news gathering changed?
13. The newsgathering service that underpins
Channel 4 News is provided by ITN. We have discussed this issue
with ITN and understand that they will be providing the Committee
with a response on this point. As such, we do not propose to repeat
these points here.
What is the impact of the concentration of media
ownership on the balance and diversity of opinion in the news?
Does ownership have an impact on editorial priorities and on news
values such as fairness, accuracy and impartiality?
14. Insofar as television news is concerned
the current concentration of media ownership has no discernible
impact on the balance and diversity of opinion seen in the news.
For example, in spite of the fact that both Channel 4 and ITV
are supplied by the same news organisation (ITN), which is itself
40% owned by ITV, the news bulletins that appear on both channels
are clearly distinctive and editorially independent. In fact,
the use of the same supplier enables both ITV and Channel 4 to
achieve significant efficiencies through shared costs, and the
access that ITN's relationship with ITV's regional news services
gives us to resources around the UK certainly enhances the quality
and range of voices that Channel 4 News is able to feature. The
importance of this interrelationship is the reason that we have
expressed concern to Ofcom about ITV's recently announced desire
to reduce the number of regional programmes it provides in England
and Wales from 17 to 10.
15. The news values of fairness, accuracy
and impartiality are protected to a large extent by the regulatory
requirements placed on licensed television services under the
Communications Act. We believe that the maintenance of these requirements
is central to maintaining the quality of broadcast journalism
in the UK. We do not, therefore, support the proposal floated
by Ofcom in New News, Future News to remove impartiality
requirements for non-PSB licensed TV services. In the current
circumstances the removal of these provisions would largely affect
just one major news provider—Sky—which is itself controlled
by a company that owns 40% of the UK's newspaper market.
16. It is clear from Ofcom's research that
impartiality is a quality that is highly prized by the audience
and we believe it is one of the bedrocks upon which licensed TV
services in the UK should continue to be built.
17. Notwithstanding the regulatory protection
provided under the Communications Act for the maintenance of editorial
standards (fairness, impartiality etc), the quality of news in
the UK is, in our view, also contingent on the maintenance of
a competitive market in the supply of news and newsgathering services.
Clearly, given the relatively small number of suppliers in the
TV news market, further consolidation of media ownership could
potentially undermine the values that have underpinned TV news
(fairness, impartiality etc) and the diversity of opinions expressed.
It is for this reason that we have made representations to the
Competition Commission as part of its investigation into Sky's
purchase of a major stake in ITV (which in turn owns 40% of ITN).
We do not propose to go into this point in detail here as we understand
the Committee will be issuing a further call for evidence on media
ownership matters later in the year.
How should the public interest be protected and
defined in terms of news provision Are the public interest considerations
set down for Ofcom in the Communications Act 2003 enough to ensure
a plurality of debating voices in the UK media?
18. With regard to terrestrial television
news the core objectives established for Ofcom under section 3(2)(c)
of the Communications Act (namely to ensure there will be a wide
range of broadcasting which (taken as a whole) is both of high
quality and calculated to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and
interests) coupled with the specific requirements on news contained
in section 279 (News and current affairs programmes) are clear.
However, Ofcom's ability to guarantee the delivery of these outcomes
will come under significant pressure as we head towards digital
switchover as the funding model that has historically underpinned
such programming on the commercially-funded PSB services comes
under threat.
19. Ofcom has clearly recognised that the
changes taking place in the market will pose a threat to future
news provision (both regional and national), a fact reflected
in its New News, Future News discussion document. In addition,
in the terms of reference of its forthcoming public service broadcasting
review, which were published in September, Ofcom states that "the
future of news content, notably in the nations and regions",
will be a "specific issue to address".
20. We believe that ensuring on-going provision
of a range of television news providers should be a regulatory
and—if necessary—a parliamentary priority. Section
3(2)(d) of the Act obliges Ofcom to maintain `a sufficient plurality
of providers' of different television and radio services, but
does not provide any guidance as to what `sufficient plurality'
may be. We would hope that the Committee's inquiry will focus
attention on the issue of what constitutes sufficient plurality
and the policy steps that might be necessary to secure it for
the long-term.
4 September 2007
1 Newspapers and magazines are self-regulated by the
PCC for privacy and accuracy. The internet (other than newspaper/magazine
sites) and mobile phones are unregulated. Back
2
New News, Future News, published by Ofcom in June 2007. Back
3
A3.7 of Annex to Ofcom report, Back
4
A YouGov survey for the Cultural Diversity Network in September
2006 identified Channel 4 News as the bulletin that best covers
ethnic minority issues in the view of the ethnic minority audience. Back
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