[Community Television] C4 launches PSB campaign

[Michelle McGuire]

C4 launches PSB campaign
  22 November 2004 10:32


  Channel 4 has launched an on-screen ad campaign aimed at reminding 
viewers of its public service output.

The broadcaster, stung by recent high profile criticism that it has 
shifted downmarket and is obsessed with reality TV, has kicked off a 
campaign featuring a 60-second montage of "serious" programmes.

Shows featured included Sex Traffic, Death in Gaza, The Boy Whose Skin 
Fell Off and Touching the Void. To ram home the point, the trail ends 
with the ironic slogan: Reality TV.

The move is the latest in a string of PR stunts aimed at increasing 
awareness of its PSB efforts, which executives have admitted have been 
clouded out by more tabloid-friendly programmes such as Big Brother.

"We are now facing up to the fact that there is a perception problem," 
said C4 marketing director Polly Cochrane. "We understand why Big 
Brother has grabbed all the headlines but we need to do something to 
change that."

  The channel was recently publicly attacked by founding chief executive 
Jeremy Isaacs who said C4’s had "single-mindedly" concentrated on those 
viewers who wanted to watch reality TV – 16 –34 year-olds.

"It has been a terrible mistake to concentrate too on the support of 
just one section of the British public," he said. "There is a deep need 
for the channel to broaden its support beyond programmes like Big 
Brother and the kind of audience that attracts. "

C4 has also sent out several thousand brochures to stakeholders and 
media commentators outlining the year’s best programmes.

Source: broadcastnow.co.uk