Channel 4 is increasing its ring-fenced content spending with independent production companies in the Celtic nations to 拢35m.
The improved funding commitment forms part of the channel鈥檚 nations and English regions strategy announced in October last year. It aims to increase its commitment to indies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 9% of its current main channel content spend and hours to 12% by 2028.
It is part of its new 10-year licence and two years ahead of the channel鈥檚 2030 quota requirement set by regulator Ofcom. In the run up to 2028, the Channel 4 will commit to spending 拢10m in 2026 and 拢25m in 2027 with indies outside of England.
There will not be guaranteed spending levels in each of the devolved nations, As a competitive process this could see Welsh indies securing a higher, or lower, spending allocation when measured against the Welsh population share (around 30%) of the Celtic nations. Independents in Wales will also be free to bid, as they are currently, for other commissions from the channel鈥檚 main budget.
The channel has also assembled a seven strong team of genre specific commissioning leads in Wales that will support indies in seeking to win commissions, including for drama, comedy and reality and entertainments
The strategy will delivered by Jo Street, the channel鈥檚 head of lifestyle and director of Commissioning, nations and regions.
While focused on maximising the creative potential of indies outside of London, Channel 4 said it had to continue to operate within its means and in a sustainable way.
Ms Street said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e determined to increase our commissions from producers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland and this strategy will help deliver on that commitment.
鈥淕reat ideas surface when there are trusting and creative relationships between suppliers and commissioners. This plan aims to stimulate and encourage those conditions across the 海角视频. By strengthening the relationship and understanding between our commissioning leads and production companies in the nations, we鈥檒l give producers a better insight into the priorities for each genre, a sharper focus on what really cuts through for us and ultimately a better chance to get their ideas commissioned.鈥
Starting this year, each nation will be allotted an extra 拢100,000 of development funding. Channel 4 said this will enable indies to fully explore and develop potential programme ideas above and beyond any existing development budgets.
Chair of TAC, the representative body for independent production companies in Wales, Llyr Morus, said: 鈥淲e have been keen to see additional spend by Channel 4 in the 海角视频 devolved nations, which is why we pushed for greater spending commitments during last year鈥檚 licence renewal process.
鈥淲e do therefore welcome this additional spend and our members will no doubt be keen to pitch ideas for new compelling content, although we understand this new 拢35m will be allocated via a competitive process and therefore none of it is guaranteed to come to Wales. We look forward to discussing the details further with Channel 4, which at the moment still does not have a permanent presence in Wales, as to how this process will work.鈥
