Channel 5’s head of programming has rejected calls from ministers for more “distinctively British” TV shows, arguing the channel’s schedule is “not Government-led” and embraces a wide range of viewers. Ben Frow questioned plans to make it a legal requirement for public broadcasters to preserve programmes that “could only have been made in the United Kingdom”. It comes after ministers backed calls for God Save The Queen to be played more frequently by the BBC and other public broadcasters. As the Government considers plans to sell Channel 4, with Channel 5’s owner Viacom tipped as a potential buyer, Mr Frow welcomed the possibility of another creative opportunity. He said: “It wouldn’t be for me to decide about buying Channel 4… that said, I like any opportunity to be more creative.”

Source: The Times January 08, 2022 11:52 UTC