Hollyoaks creator Phil Redmond calls for transparency in Channel 4 relocation

TV producer and screenwriter Prof. Phil Redmond CBE has called for the Government to initiate a “transparent” debate around plans to find a new home for Channel 4.

Speaking at the first national debate on the proposed relocation of the broadcaster, Redmond – creator of TV shows including Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks – said the organisation’s future is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy to “rebalance the economy” and readdress what he called an “acute media deficit”.

He told an audience at the event: “It’s therefore important, that this particular debate should be conducted transparently, in the daylight and with academic rigour – as it was when Channel 4 was first established in 1980.”

Redmond, a Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) ambassador fellow, said the creation of a regional panel that is “representative of all potential stakeholders – not merely those dependent on Channel 4” should be among the next steps taken to make the Channel 4 relocation a reality.

Liverpool is one of a number of cities, among them Sheffield and Birmingham, bidding to for Channel 4.

Speaking further, Redmond said the media relocation debate should be expanded to include the regulator Ofcom – which, he believes, would also benefit from a new HQ outside the capital.

The event, held on Monday (October 16), was opened by LJMU vice chancellor Prof. Nigel Weatherill, who said: “Today isn’t about making the case for Liverpool, it’s about encouraging open discussion around what the key challenge is and what we need to do differently.

“We need to understand if it’s a case of reforming the system, transforming the system or maintaining the status quo.”

Channel 4’s head of features, Gill Wilson, commented: “While there is a clear media deficit in the UK, I question whether relocating Channel 4 is the answer to the problem we’re trying to solve.

“Championing regional production companies and investing in the creation of production hubs across the Northern Powerhouse would – in my view - offer a more effective solution. In turn, this would create opportunities for a diverse range of voices to be heard and provide a valuable training ground for young talent to develop.”

The debate was the first in a new series of events planned by the Channel 4 to Liverpool Partnership, the group driving the city’s bid.