Following Channel 4’s confirmation that it will be establishing an in-house production arm, Channel 4 Productions (C4P), following the removal of its exemption from doing so in last year’s Media Act, Llyr Morus, Chair of TAC, (Teledwyr Annibynnol Cymru) which represents the independent television production sector in Wales, said that the broadcaster would need to ensure a level playing field for commissioning, suggesting that this was crucial to ensuring that C4P is not party to conversations or data which gives it an advantage over external suppliers.“We have also seen reports that the in-house production team will be in the same building as the commissioning team, which obviously raises concerns as to the extent that true separation and a level playing field will be in operation,” he added.“TAC is raising with Ofcom how the relationship between Channel 4 Corporation and Channel 4 Production will be regulated and the extent to which there will be any stakeholder consultation.”“Simultaneously Channel 4 has announced it will be closing its Indie Growth Fund, from which several production companies in Wales benefited in the past, and instead launching a new Creative Investment Fund, which ‘will look to take larger equity stakes in scalable companies, with a clear path to 100 per cent ownership’.”“This will be a retrograde step in terms of Channel 4 no longer supporting indies’ development in cases where they wish to remain self-owned.”“TAC will be discussing with Channel 4 whether it will be proposing any further support for indies which does not involve a subsequent ownership takeover,” he confirmed.
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