Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon Says “Smart & Sensible” UK Government Took Lead On In-House Proposal
deadline.comChannel 4 CEO Alex Mahon has praised the “smart and sensible” UK Culture Secretary for leading the charge against privatization and revealed plans to allow the network to produce shows in-house are the brainchild of the government.
Speaking to Deadline just hours after Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives confirmed Channel 4 will remain in public hands, Mahon said the government “felt it was important to legislate for” the in-house proposal, which could see Channel 4 producing and owning the rights to its shows for the first time.
The plan has already proved controversial, with UK indie trade body Pact saying it is “disappointed” by a move that will take rights and therefore money away from its member base of hundreds of UK producers.
Mahon stressed that Channel 4’s alternative privatization proposal – unveiled last year with claims that a sale would lose the UK economy £3BN ($3.6BN) over a decade – did not contain what was in the government’s “sustainable package” for Channel 4’s future outlined today, including the in-house plan. “This wasn’t in the [initial] package we set out but is something the government felt it was important to legislate for,” she added. “What’s important for us is that the sector is engaged and the work is done properly.” Responding to Pact’s comments, Mahon said: “The indie sector is the spiritual heart of Channel 4 and our success and their success is intertwined.
Read more on deadline.com
