Viewers say Channel 4’s Bake Off is best, head of broadcaster tells MPs | Television & radio | The Guardian
Viewers say Channel 4’s Bake Off is best, head of broadcaster tells MPs | Television & radio | The Guardian: Abraham said Bake Off, which reaches the semi-final on Tuesday night, has attracted 10 million viewers per episode on Channel 4 when live, catchup and repeat viewing is totalled.
The Channel 4 chairman, Charles Gurassa, said: “If we had been unsuccessful we would have seen millions of pounds of advertising – it is the biggest show on TV – potentially going to a competitor. We were competing with ITV, Sky and Netflix. There wasn’t a nil-cost option for us.”
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Abraham said the show had “met and exceeded” financial targets, recouping more than the �25m a year needed to make it a profitable deal.
He also defended the controversial documentary My Week As a Muslim, which aired on Monday night, featuring a white woman in brownface and a prosthetic nose to make her look Pakistani.
The documentary, which was made without consulting groups such as the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), happened to be filmed in the week of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.
The Channel 4 chairman, Charles Gurassa, said: “If we had been unsuccessful we would have seen millions of pounds of advertising – it is the biggest show on TV – potentially going to a competitor. We were competing with ITV, Sky and Netflix. There wasn’t a nil-cost option for us.”
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Abraham said the show had “met and exceeded” financial targets, recouping more than the �25m a year needed to make it a profitable deal.
He also defended the controversial documentary My Week As a Muslim, which aired on Monday night, featuring a white woman in brownface and a prosthetic nose to make her look Pakistani.
The documentary, which was made without consulting groups such as the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), happened to be filmed in the week of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.