C4 leads £50m digital media investment

Channel 4 is to lead an investment fund for public service digital media worth at least £50m over two years.

The broadcaster will put £20m into the Four Innovation for the Public (4IP) project and has secured commitments of millions of pounds from other public agencies.

Channel 4 announced the plan as part of its blueprint for reinventing its public service duty and securing support, and funding, for its future. The scheme's aim is to "kick start a wave of new investment in public service digital media for audiences around Britain".

Digital media commissioners will be appointed around the country after a launch in Birmingham in July. The scheme will see individuals and digital production companies "deliver publicly valuable content and services on digital media platforms".

Channel 4 will make it permanent if the two-year pilot is a success.

It is already working on a number of projects under the 4IP banner. They include work with social networking site Bebo and others at how news and current affairs for young people; looking at how to bring sport, comedy and drama to new online audiences; and developing computer games for public purposes.

Chief executive Andy Duncan, who will chair the 4IP steering group, said: “4IP sits at the heart of a wider strategic blueprint for Channel 4, which demonstrates how we can use digital media to deliver our unique creative remit with even greater impact.

"Digital technology transforms our audiences’ ability to create, access and engage with our content, making it easier for us to identify the best new British creativity and bring it to a wider UK audience and catalyse a new generation of digital media production companies.”

Jon Gisby, Channel 4's director of new media and technology, and director of nations and regions Stuart Cosgrove have also been involved in setting up the scheme and will sit on the steering group.

> Click here to read about Channel 4's vision of its future