Game Changers: Channel 4

Develop:

Channel 4 has a history of breaking new ground in entertainment. Lesbian kisses, reality TV, free film stations and 3D TV. The broadcaster’s educational output, however, rarely attracted much attention over the years.

Things began to change in the latter part of 2007, however. Alice Taylor arrived from the Beeb in the summer to take over as comissioning editor for the education department. A few months later, and a substantial chunk of that department’s budget was shifted from broadcast media to digital media. Taylor explained the move as helping the educational content reach its intended audience of 14 to 19-year-olds, who were for the most part otherwise engaged during the ring-fenced time-slot for TV content aimed at them, which had been going out between 9.30 and midday on weekdays.