UK's Channel 4 won't merge with BBC, but content sharing on table, CEO says

Channel 4 CEO Rejects BBC Merger but Open to iPlayer Content Sharing Talks

Channel 4 and BBC Collaboration Discussions

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Britain's Channel 4 has ruled out merging with the BBC but is open to sharing content on the BBC's iPlayer streaming service, the broadcaster's chief executive Priya Dogra told the Royal Television Society's London Convention 2026.

Background: Publicly Owned Broadcasters Facing Challenges

• Channel 4 and the BBC are both publicly owned British broadcasters facing funding challenges and audience fragmentation.

Channel 4 CEO's Stance on Merger

Priya Dogra's Comments

• "It is fair to say I don't want to merge with the BBC because it will be a takeover by the BBC," she said.

Exploring iPlayer Content Sharing

Ongoing Talks and Considerations

• But the broadcasters were talking about putting Channel 4's content on iPlayer, said Dogra, who has been CEO since March.

• The BBC's Director-General Matt Brittin said in July the two broadcasters had held talks about collaborating, for example around iPlayer.

Monetisation and Public Service Broadcasting

• Dogra said there was a lot to be considered because Channel 4 content "is monetised by advertising, so it has to accommodate that".

• "But the idea of having a platform that's British owned, that showcases public service broadcasting content, particularly content that's made without the profit motive, I think is important," she said. "So I'm open to collaboration."

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah Young)