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Channel 4 Lost £42.3m

(May 2012)

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:-(
A former member
Does this not prove that channel 4 has lost its way completely, and its failed big time to try and provide decent level of service for all viewers, there talk that ch5 will overtake the channel in all area. INbetweeners Thats it? that all the channel has to shout about?

That station really cant be a lost in advertiser, that was the problem a couple of years ago for ITV and there turned it around


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18071780

Quote:
Channel 4 made a loss of ¢G42.3m in 2011 although the 4Channels group, of which it is part, reported an overall increase in profits. The 4Channels group, which includes digital channels More 4, Film 4 and E4, made ¢G941.4m, up ¢G6.2m on 2010.

The group's annual report showed the success of the Inbetweeners movie and an improved performance by its digital channels helped boost revenue. The main terrestrial channel's loss was driven by a drop in advertising. it coincided with the channel's first year without long-running show Big Brother. Profits for 4Channels would have been slashed had it not been for the success of The Inbetweeners, which became the most successful British comedy to date, making �45m at the box office. More than two million DVDs have also been sold.

Spending on entertainment and comedy was increased in 2011, although there was a decline in the amount used for film and drama programming, largely due to a reduction in the number of US shows it bought in. Spending on factual programmes also decreased, mainly due to the loss of Big Brother. The focus in the coming year will be original content, with a planned budget of about �450m for programmes made in the UK. This will be the biggest investment in the group's history.

"Many organisations will try to weather the economic storms by pulling back investment," said the group's chairman, Lord Burns.

"The Channel 4 Board, however, had taken a longer view: we believe the right thing for Channel 4... is to increase content investment in 2012." There will be an increase in one-off single dramas and drama serials, such as Coup - a four-part political thriller starring Gabriel Byrne - and Complicit, which will examine whether torture is ever justified in the war on terror. New entertainment shows will include vehicles for comedians such as Micky Flanagan with the Mad Bad Ad Show and Lee Kerns's Massive Thing. A sequel to the iconic children's animation The Snowman will also be aired
Last edited by A former member on 15 May 2012 6:34pm - 2 times in total
OV
Orry Verducci
Not sure I agree with you there, yes they've made a loss but they have had a lot of successful shows this year, it seems purely they've been let down by ad sales. I've found myself watching the 4 channels more this past year, to the extent that most my viewing is now from the 4 channels.

Only thing I will say for Channel 4 (not the digital channels) is their out of peak time programming could be looked at.
MS
Mr-Stabby
I personally think E4 is the strongest non-terrestrial channel. It has a great mix of imported and original British programming. But I can't remember the last time I actually watched something on Channel 4. Or More4 to be honest.
SW
SWatson7
Big Brother is to blame for the situation they are in. They cut costs in most areas to afford the rights for the final few series, just when it started to fail meaning an overall reduction in innovations and quality, with an increasing reliance, expectation and need for Big Brother to perform, only it didn't. When they tried to reduce their reliance they just shifted the burden onto other shows such as Secret Millionaire, Come Dine With Me, Gordon Ramsey, Embarrassing Bodies etc all of which were capable of attracting 3m+ viewers, in some cases over 4m. Those became overexposed along with new hits such as Million Pound Drop and everything has taken a hit as a result.

There are still some gems in their schedule that have been well looked after such as One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E and Gypsy Weddings, although the latter has taken a significant drop in viewing figures, but their overall strategy at the minute is poor and they are still relying on shows that were once great performers but are now merely average. They need to find more breakout shows, but the only way they can afford them is through ad sales for their successes so its a vicious circle. E4 is very strong at the minute but maybe its time for them to begin to 'promote' shows to Channel 4 in the way that BBC and ITV do, freeing up E4 to find successes of the future.
:-(
A former member
Im still surprised there made More4 a more lifestyle channel, Channel 4 is full of lifestyle and that going down the plug hole, I doubt More 4 will managed to keep afloat.
SW
SWatson7
More4 was too specialist to keep afloat in its previous form, but there is a big female audience interested in lifestyle shows. It might be sending Channel 4 itself down the plug hole but it will be very profitable for a digital channel if it manages to pull in the numbers. Housewives are very lucrative hence ITV daytime.
GO
gottago
623058 posted:
Im still surprised there made More4 a more lifestyle channel, Channel 4 is full of lifestyle and that going down the plug hole, I doubt More 4 will managed to keep afloat.


Why? The lifestyle shows have always been the most watched on the channel. Why exactly do you think they restructured it that way?
:-(
A former member
gottago posted:
623058 posted:
Im still surprised there made More4 a more lifestyle channel, Channel 4 is full of lifestyle and that going down the plug hole, I doubt More 4 will managed to keep afloat.


Why? The lifestyle shows have always been the most watched on the channel. Why exactly do you think they restructured it that way?


Yet it still has a good number high class show bured away in thw listing's. I still think have my dount.
RD
rdd Founding member
Someone from Channel 4 was obviously onto the BBC since that report was published, since the quote no longer matches the linked article. As originally written it seemed to indicate that "4Channels" was the name of the company, which it is not (it is "Channel Four Television Corporation"), but merely a label for the channels (other than Channel 4 itself) which it operates.
IS
Inspector Sands
rdd posted:
Someone from Channel 4 was obviously onto the BBC since that report was published, since the quote no longer matches the linked article. As originally written it seemed to indicate that "4Channels" was the name of the company, which it is not (it is "Channel Four Television Corporation"), but merely a label for the channels (other than Channel 4 itself) which it operates.


Yes, 4Channels is E4, More4 Film4 etc.
The company made a profit of £44 million. Channel 4, the channel lost £42 million

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing - if Channel 4 (the channel) is making a big profit then it's doing something wrong - it doesn't exist to be populist. It's probably a good thing that they can let the commercial ventures to subsidise the main channel.
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 15 May 2012 7:50pm
BR
Brekkie
Obviously it would be better if C4 were making a profit but C4 pumping profits in from other areas of the business to invest in the main channel is exactly what it should be doing, although I do think C4 has neglected it's commercial vision in the last couple of years (well since the BB race row really) in an effort to prove how PSB it is, forgetting that C4 is actually built on a mixture of very PSB content and very popular youth content.

I do sense things are slowly beginning to chance in that regard but they still need to get comedy on Fridays year round and drama in the 10pm slot at least 2-3 nights a week alongside the PSB content to give the channel the kind of well rounded mixture it had about a decade or so ago. OFCOM seem to agree that they need to increase their share of younger viewers, notably for the news - which surprised me as I didn't think C4 were actually obliged to provide a news service - so surprised they had official targets for it.
BA
bilky asko
Inspector Sands posted:
rdd posted:
Someone from Channel 4 was obviously onto the BBC since that report was published, since the quote no longer matches the linked article. As originally written it seemed to indicate that "4Channels" was the name of the company, which it is not (it is "Channel Four Television Corporation"), but merely a label for the channels (other than Channel 4 itself) which it operates.


Yes, 4Channels is E4, More4 Film4 etc.
The company made a profit of £44 million. Channel 4, the channel lost £42 million

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing - if Channel 4 (the channel) is making a big profit then it's doing something wrong - it doesn't exist to be populist. It's probably a good thing that they can let the commercial ventures to subsidise the main channel.


Panic over - time to watch some Come Dine With Me on 4OD then...

In terms of watching Channel 4, I regularly watch The Simpsons, occasionally watch Come Dine With Me, Deal or No Deal, Countdown, and stuff like Four Rooms and Secret Millionaire. I can't say I ever watch Channel Four before 3 o'clock, where BBC One is the order of the day.

I don't think Channel 4 is in any trouble yet.

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