C4 and Red Bee confirm outsourcing plans

Channel 4 has finalised a deal to outsource broadcast engineering and transmission, post production, library and on-air graphics to Red Bee Media.

More than 100 staff will be affected, with the majority moved from the broadcaster's Horseferry Road headquarters to Red Bee premises at White City.

The transition will take place over 12 months from August 1 and, according to Channel 4, will save up to 15% on its operations budget.

Initially agreed in November, the deal covers playout production services for all the Channel 4 linear services, 4OD on the internet, Virgin Media, BT and Tiscali TV, and mobile streams for Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.

Red Bee will also take on the ingest, storage and archive of material, creation of programme clips, legacy video tape format transfers, QC and editing of standard definition and high definition content at the 124 Facility in Channel 4’s offices in Horseferry Road and technical support and "disaster recovery".

Anne Bulford, Channel 4 group finance director, said: "Outsourcing these functions to Red Bee Media will keep us competitive as digital technology transforms broadcasting." She said the deal offered "the best prospects of secure employment for the maximum number of staff, whose existing terms and conditions will transfer with them".

Red Bee chief executive Pam Masters added: "This contract is very close to my heart having been part of the original Channel 4 team and instrumental in setting it up over 25 years ago. I will personally ensure that the build and transfer goes as smoothly as possible for the operation and staff."