The new Channel 4 in-house productions biz is “preposterous,” “ridiculous” and “potentially disastrous” for the nation’s irreverent public broadcaster, according to Sony international boss Wayne Garvie.
Garvie did not hold back at the Deloitte Conference this morning when queried over the future in-house biz, which is currently seeking a boss.
Instead of focusing on owning new IP via in-house, he said Channel 4, which is soon to be without a CEO and a Chair, should concentrate on a future where it comes together with the BBC.
“Those of us who run in-house production businesses know how difficult it is,” said Garvie, who oversees the likes of Doctor Who, Industry and Sex Education via Sony labels. “If you’re starting out and you don’t own IP and have no institutional knowledge of how to run a production business it could be potentially disastrous for Channel 4.”
Garvie variously described the plan, which came in after Channel 4 avoided privatization and will allow it to own IP for the first time in its 40-year history, as “ridiculous” and “preposterous.” Last month, Channel 4 said it plans to take majority stakes in third-party production companies as part of the plan to move into in-house production. Jonathan Allan, Channel 4’s COO and incoming interim CEO, declined to reveal the value of the company’s indie investment war chest. Channel 4 has cash reserves of £111M ($150M).
“You lose money after the first three years,” added Garvie today. “Maybe you make money in five years if you have great people but not money that will help Channel 4 really grow.”
Instead, he said Channel 4 should be thinking in a blue sky way about how it can combine with the BBC.
“We have five PSBs here in Britain, most other countries have one,” added Garvie. “The future surely is the BBC and Channel 4 coming together and that should be focus of the new chair of Channel 4 and its CEO.”
Garvie was speaking at the Deloitte and Enders Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference after Sky boss Dana Strong and before Netflix EMEA chief Larry Tanz and UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
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