CHANNEL ASBO

One last snippet from today’s Independent, and it comes from the pen of Matthew Norman who writes in their media section. Norman begins his column with a small but poignant critique of Channel 4, emphasising that the last week has not been to good for the Channel. Just a few weeks Matthew, make that the last 12 months. Channel Four has become the most odious, immoral and reprehensible broadcaster in British history. It’s current Big Brother show is asinine and insulting, with the social insight of a herd of rutting stags. Together with other such turgid programmes such as “Embarrassing Illnesses”, the Channel has become the dustbin for British producers who have no talent and no moral out look.

Who possibly could believe that the recent eviction of a Big Brother contestant for the use of a racist remark was not staged and planned months in advance? With one of the worst pieces of racist bullying under it’s belt in the form of the recent celebrity travesty, programme makers needed to show they were “responsible” and how better to do it than have a removal before the ink was even dry on the contestants contracts.

What is sad is that Channel Four has produced some marvellous programmes in the past and has given airtime to a wonderful and thought provoking roster. Who can forget “Phoenix Nights”, “The Sopranos” or “West Wing”? However, when compared with the likes of the BBC’s “Coast” and Andrew Marrs recent modern political and social history of Britain, the Channel looks even more degenerate.

So what’s the issue then? Am I getting old, not understanding the words to pop songs anymore? To be honest I don’t think this is the case. The abjection I have to Channel Four’s output is not only is it aimed at a drunken Asbo generation, but we are funding it, a point that Matthew Norman should have really concentrated on. Channel 4 receives through “free spectrum” a public subsidy worth an estimated £100 million, that’s a not inconsiderable figure by any broadcasting standards. What does the public get in return? A schedule more fitting to a “Club 18/30” rampage. Where is the accountability, where is the responsibility to the public?

This is not a case of censorship: if Channel Four executives want to produce and broadcast programmes which verge on pornography, then so be it, but don’t do it with public revenue. Poor old Mary Whitehouse, where are you when we really need you!