DNYUZ
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Television
    • Theater
    • Gaming
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
DNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Channel 4 Urged By CIISA Chair To Launch Independent Review Of Gagging Clauses

June 12, 2025
in News
Channel 4 Urged By CIISA Chair To Launch Independent Review Of Gagging Clauses
492
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

EXCLUSIVE: The chair of the UK’s Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) has called on Channel 4 to launch an independent investigation into its use of confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements.

Baroness Kennedy, who also serves as a lawmaker in the House of Lords, said Channel 4 should engage an external attorney to examine the agreements signed by former staffers who left the public service broadcaster amid an employment dispute. Channel 4 said it welcomed the debate, but stopped short of committing to a review.

Kennedy, a distinguished human rights lawyer, is now a powerful voice in the creative industries through her work at CIISA, an independent body through which TV and film workers will soon be able to report wrongdoing.

Kennedy’s intervention follows a Deadline analysis of 61 Channel 4 settlement deals signed by aggrieved ex-employees between 2017 and 2021. Channel 4 paid out £5M ($6.7M) to these individuals to prevent complaints escalating, but in doing so, stipulated that they do not discuss matters relating to the company.

Transparency campaigners said Channel 4’s confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses are tantamount to non-disclosure agreements. Channel 4 defended the deals, arguing that they are not NDAs and do not prevent people from reporting serious wrongdoing. Despite this, Channel 4 made changes to its settlement agreements in 2022, stripping back confidentiality clauses.

Kennedy told Deadline that an independent person should “cast their eyes” over the agreements, suggesting that Channel 4 should be open to such a process if “what they’re saying is right.”

Her concern is that Channel 4 has used so-called gagging clauses in cases that fall short of serious wrongdoing. She said other forms of misconduct, such as sexual harassment or discrimination, may not be criminal in nature, but “can make someone’s life a misery at work,” and people should be free to speak out on them.

Kennedy added: “There should be much more openness and transparency about excessive use of NDAs and when you see high numbers [of settlement agreements], it almost invariably means they’re not always being used in the most appropriate circumstances.”

Labour MP Louise Haigh, who has spoken out against NDAs in the media industry, said Channel 4’s use of confidentiality clauses was “desperately disappointing.” She told Deadline: “This tool must be removed entirely from employers; NDAs and anything that resembles them must be banned in cases of harassment or discrimination.”

Getting Legal Advice

Kienda Hoji, a music industry lawyer who sits on the CIISA board, said media organizations should be able to use confidentiality clauses when they are requested by departing employees, but they should never amount to blanket agreements that leave people “gagged for life.”

“It’s about the weight of the burden that’s imposed within the contract. If somebody’s barred for life from speaking about something which really affected them incredibly deeply … then that’s a real problem,” he said.

Hoji added that people should get proper legal advice before signing contracts that bind them to some form of confidentiality. Kennedy, who advised Zelda Perkins when she spoke out against her former boss Harvey Weinstein, has been working to address NDAs from her seat in the House of Lords. She tabled an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, which would entitle employees to access legal advice should they be asked to sign a settlement deal with confidentiality clauses.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Channel 4 is taking a leading role in challenging unacceptable behaviour in our industry and we welcome this debate. Channel 4 does not use non-disclosure agreements with exiting staff. We are very clear that wrongdoing should be called out and investigated.

“Our approach to agreements has evolved over recent years – and will continue to in future – and for the last few years our agreements no longer contain the broad confidentiality type provision. Nowadays, the only confidentiality is around any financial amounts that would be commercially confidential or when departing employee asks for confidentiality around the circumstances of their departure.

“Channel 4 was an early supporter of CIISA and we have committed our support to their industry-wide standards. We will continue to engage with Baroness Kennedy and other lawmakers to reassure them of our position.”

Although Channel 4 has watered down confidentiality clauses in recent years, it continues to stand by non-disparagement orders. The company’s position is that these clauses protect people at all levels and are sometimes requested by departing employees who do not wish to be disparaged by former colleagues.

Channel 4’s commitment to the clauses in settlement agreements puts it out of step with other industry players. The BBC removed so-called gagging orders from contracts in 2013, including non-disparagement clauses and those that stop individuals from discussing a settlement agreement or the circumstances of their departure.

The post Channel 4 Urged By CIISA Chair To Launch Independent Review Of Gagging Clauses appeared first on Deadline.

Tags: Channel 4CIISAZelda Perkins
Share197Tweet123Share
Does Putin hit back when Trump criticizes his ‘bullsh*t?’
Europe

Does Putin hit back when Trump criticizes his ‘bullsh*t?’

by CNN
July 9, 2025

Is there a direct link between what US President Donald Trump says and what Russian President Vladimir Putin does? Certainly, ...

Read more
News

UFC legend Randy Couture suffers serious burns and other injuries in racetrack crash

July 9, 2025
News

California bishop allows parishioners to skip Mass amid ICE raids

July 9, 2025
News

Zohran Mamdani Expands Campaign Team, Hiring Veteran Democrat

July 9, 2025
News

A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and legal experts divided

July 9, 2025
Sun’s out: Phoenix breaks heat record that was first set in 1958

Sun’s out: Phoenix breaks heat record that was first set in 1958

July 9, 2025
Insurer apologizes and withdraws case against Manny Hostin, the doctor husband of ‘The View’ co-host Sunny Hostin

Insurer apologizes and withdraws case against Manny Hostin, the doctor husband of ‘The View’ co-host Sunny Hostin

July 9, 2025
Trump Discusses Economic Investment With African Leaders at White House Meeting

Trump Discusses Economic Investment With African Leaders at White House Meeting

July 9, 2025

Copyright © 2025.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel

Copyright © 2025.