Channel 4

Channel 4 is a UK public-service broadcaster operating Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4 and the All 4 / Channel 4 streaming service. Owned by the UK state but commercially funded (advertising-led, no licence fee). Relevant to Irish indie producers chiefly through:

• Commissions of UK-set content with Irish co-production elements
• Film4 — the broadcaster's film division — co-financing arthouse + independent features
• Co-productions with RTÉ — Raidió Teilifís Éireann or TG4 — Teilifís na Gaeilge where content has both Irish + UK appeal

Commissioning structure

Channel 4 commissions through genre-specific commissioning editors (Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Factual Entertainment, Specialist Factual, Children's, etc.). Commissioning Briefs are published periodically setting out what the channel is looking for.

Indie publisher-broadcaster model

Channel 4 famously does not produce its own content — it commissions every programme from independent production companies. This is structurally different from the BBC — British Broadcasting Corporation (which has both in-house production + indie commissioning). Indie producers in Ireland + UK consider Channel 4 a natural commissioning home for material that might not suit the BBC's tone.

Film4

Film4 is the broadcaster's feature-film arm — co-financing UK + international features in development + production. Has been a consistent supporter of Irish indie features over many years.

Deliverables

Per UK standards: AS-11 DPP MXF masterfile or equivalent; subtitling per Channel 4 access spec; sustainability sign-off (Albert) increasingly expected; archive + music rights documented. Specific Channel 4 spec is in their published Producer Handbook.

In Togra

Per-broadcaster delivery checklist on each commission record. Channel 4 spec reference can be added at lib/c4_commissioning.md if a producer commissions through C4 (not yet in the codebase as a separate handbook).