If there was one thing I've learnt from TV people this year, it's that to do well, you've got to be a bit eccentric. C4 have always been very good at this, and anyone looking at its history will always see it striving to be different- after all, before Big Brother became a superficial game show, it was first packaged as a radical social experiment, very much akin to projects displayed in the wonderful film We Live In Public.
The decision by C4 to run special broadcasts accomodating the Ramadhan period have inevitably brought a fair amount of controversy. The expected ones are somewhat comical; the very right-wing blog, The Commentator, published a piece arguing that the broadcaster had effectively become an arm for Islamist extremism, stating : "Well, who needs Islamist extremists when core elements of the establishment of Europe's leading democratic nation are doing their work for them?". I'm not sure when the Aadhan (call to prayer) became a tool for brainwashing the masses, or how this whole Orwellian, 1984 nightmare world came to be invoked, but it does go to show just how contentious the debate has become. In any case, what is simply a gesture to engage the UK Muslim population (though in part I imagine this has much to do with an opportunity to boost late-night ratings) has suddenly been turned into accusations of Islamification and appeasement.
I think we should consider three points;
1. Does anyone watch TV at 3am? I'd hardly call it family hour. Late night TV is crappy; the BBC tend to broadcast reruns of comedy shows or educational programmes, while others tend to show rather bizarre documentaries. If this really is an attempt to 'Islamify' the public, then C4 are doing a pretty lousy job. In any case for the few that don't have TV on demand, you still have the freedom to change the channel. In fact, C4 are being super nice and notifying you three times that the call to prayer will be broadcast.
2. Channel 4 is a Public-Service channel, but not quite like the BBC : C4 have no obligation to cater to a specific group, nor the tight boundaries that come with a taxpayer funded TV station. At the same time, under the Digital Economy Act 2010, the broadcaster must "[make] a broad range of relevant media content of high quality that, taken as a whole, appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society." . Considering that C4 have reflected this concern through their 4thought series, and have generally been very good with provocative TV (Think Dispatches, Black Mirror, or Drugs Live), the move isn't actually that different- or radical, in comparison to other projects. In fact, I'd see it as an extension of their responsibilities as a public broadcaster.
3. There are reasons to oppose C4's move: but #creepingsharia isn't one of them. In fact, as Nesrine Malik argues, not only could the effort backfire, but its also capitalising on one of the most important, and introspective festivals in the Islamic calendar. Many Muslims see Ramadhan in a private capacity- a way in which to spiritually cleanse and affirm one's own relationship with God. Should C4 really be turning individual spirituality into commercial television? More important, if the aim is to make Ramadhan more accessible to non-Muslims, why not produce better documentaries or programming during family hours? Here, its not so much the intention than the method in which C4 is trying to convey diversity, that could render the broadcaster's project superficial.
In any case, such a move is unprecedented, and I wish C4 the best of luck.
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