2. Channel 4

It was essential to do research on Channel 4 to grasp an understanding of where my advert will be aired and what it is made up of.  Researching the channel was crucial for understanding the tone they present and how my advertisement can tap into it.  Researching the timetable will give me an idea of which slots I should place my advert.

The majority of my researched was sourced from:

• Channel 4 Annual Report 2017
• channel4.com
• ofcom.org.uk

Channel 4 is a parent company, meaning that they own many subsidiaries such as E4, Film4 and 4Music.  The subsidiaries accompany more 'niche' groups among the youth  They are also a Public Service Broadcaster which makes them a statutory corporation and are therefore owned by the government.

I did some greater background research to know about who I was working with:

• Channel 4 Television Corporation is owned by the Public Corporation of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
• regulated by Ofcom, by establishing their broadcasting code upon them.  Channel 4 pays a fee to them.
• in cooperation with the Broadcasting Audience Research Board (BARB).  BARB show Channel 4's ratings for the programs which they air.
• have no in-house productions.  They commission independent production companies to make programs for their channel.  This with the intention of supporting the broadcasting industry in the UK.
• Channel 4 makes income through a 'Robin Hood System'.  This means that they fund loss making programs such as the Channel 4 News with high profit-making programs like The Great British Bake Off for example.

As a Public Service Broadcaster, Channel 4  has a Public Service Remit which they need to uphold.  Channel 4 aims to be "innovative", "experimental" and "distinctive" in their work as well as entertain, inform and educate their audience. This is agreed by the Houses of Parliament and exists in law.  The remit ensures that  perceptions and stereotypes are challenged in shows such as The Last Leg and Embarrassing Bodies.  The remit also makes sure that minority and 'alternative' groups are not marginalised in their programming.

The channel schedule from 7pm-9pm on weekdays is as shown:

As a result I will be airing my first advert in the first advertisement break in The Channel 4 News.  This is because there will still be viewers watching from after Hollyoaks after 7pm, as they are staying on the channel in order to watch The Great British Bake Off, assuming they are loyal to Channel 4.  The viewers of Hollyoaks are directly in my target audience of 16-24 year olds.  The second advert will be aired after The Great British Bake Off before 9pm.  This is partially because the there is an exceptionally high amount of viewers who watch the show in my target market (more than two times more 16-25 year olds than the average show).  This is also because many members of my target audience will watch Gogglebox which airs afterwards.

Channel 4 has a high amount of youth programming, which overlaps with their ABC1, 16-34 year old target audience.  The TV channel is the home of US comedy sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory and 3rd Rock from the Sun which appeal to the upper end of my target audience of 20-25.  Furthermore, they air shows that appeal to my entire target audience as Hollyoaks.

Researching Channel 4 was really important because it gave me greater background knowledge on how they operate, provided me an idea of where the available slots are to air my advert.  I will take greater consideration of Channel 4 when I am constructing my narrative, so it fits in with the ethos and tone they have set on TV.