Channel 4 wants to 'air' the Christmas Broadcast. Really?

 

Well, well, well, now there's a turn up.  According to reports Channel 4, that most Left-leaning and near-subversive of British television networks, is keen to 'air' the Queen's Christmas speech.  Following the Royal Family's well-publicised fall-out with the BBC over its recent documentary The Princes and the Press, relations between the Palace and the publicly funded broadcaster - which have never been quite the same since the infamous Martin Bashir interview with Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995 - are at an all-time low and, according to an insider, Channel 4 have spotted an opportunity to produce the annual Message: ' they've made it clear they would like to film the speech this year — especially if the Royals punish the Beeb and withdraw their rights, although that does seem unlikely. But the Royal family have shown they have backbone and won’t stand for much more nonsense.'  Apparently Channel 4 'would definitely love to show the Queen’s speech this year should the BBC be punished again.'

 Channel 4's interest seems, to say the least, unlikely.  There appears to have been no evident reason in the past why the network would not have been granted permission to air the Broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Day in line with other main and news channels if it had requested to do so.  Instead, Channel 4 has since 1993 courted controversy by airing its own 'alternative' message to rival the Queen on Christmas Day at 3pm.  Last year, C4 even produced a spoof 'deep fake' message from "Queen Elizabeth II" which was considered disingenuous by many and generated more than 200 Ofcom complaints.

It would seem surprising, therefore, if Palace officials were to reach out enthusiastically to this unexpected 'olive branch'.  In any case, Channel 4 will have to wait:  The BBC completed its turn of "back-to-back" Broadcasts in 2020 and rotation reverts to ITV for the next two years - and then onto Sky.  Production of the Message is not due to return to the BBC until 2025.  What kind of relationship the Corporation will have with the Royal Family then remains to be seen.  Still, it is an interesting thought:  what would a Channel 4 produced Royal Christmas Message look like?