U.K.’s Channel 4 to Unveil Cost Cutting Measures as Ad Revenue Falls – Variety

U.Ok. broadcaster Channel Four is known to be getting ready to announce a spread of cost-cutting measures this week because it wrestles with a significant stoop in promoting revenues as a result of coronavirus disaster.

Channel Four is analyzing a spread of choices, which embrace a 20% voluntary discount within the salaries of its government board — which incorporates chief government Alex Mahon and director of applications Ian Katz — in addition to furloughing some workers through the disaster.

Channel 4’s £1.1 billion ($1.35 billion) in annual revenues have been notably onerous hit within the second quarter of 2020 as it’s nearly totally depending on promoting income, which has fallen dramatically as manufacturers have slashed advertising spend through the coronavirus disaster.

As a not-for-profit publisher-broadcaster, Channel Four has not been capable of diversify into manufacturing like rival U.Ok. broadcaster ITV which now derives a big portion of its revenues from program-making arm ITV Studios.

Final week, ITV introduced that its board and senior administration will take a 20% pay reduce and forgo bonuses for the 12 months.

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Channel 4’s cost-cutting measures will probably be introduced shortly after it paid out bonuses to senior executives and workers price a reported £5 million ($6.1 million) final month, in line with a report in The Guardian. The bonuses relate to the efficiency of Channel Four final 12 months, and it’s understood that the award was price as much as 10% of pay for many of Channel 4’s workers.

“Channel 4’s variable pay award for 2019 was agreed by the board in January, reflecting the sturdy progress made final 12 months in opposition to company aims,” a Channel Four spokesperson instructed Selection. “The award was communicated to all workers in January and was dedicated by the payroll system in February.”

Channel Four has additionally raised the prospect of tapping a £75m ($92.Four million) credit score facility throughout an everyday assembly with officers from the Division of Digital, Tradition, Media and Sport and the Treasury, in line with The Guardian. Channel Four arrange the power in 2018 as a monetary backstop for distinctive circumstances.

Final week, Channel Four additionally joined the UK’s main broadcasters and producers to name on the federal government’s Tradition Secretary Oliver Dowden to make sure a key group of tv business freelancers will probably be eligible to qualify for presidency assist schemes through the coronavirus disaster.

In a joint letter, ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Viacom and producers commerce physique Pact wrote to the Tradition Secretary mentioning the danger of freelancers paid by tax scheme PAYE “unintentionally falling by the cracks” of the furloughing and freelance schemes introduced final week by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

ITV pays round 400 freelancers by PAYE every month, whereas the quantity is simply over 1,000 freelancers for Sky.