Award-Winning Indie Falls Victim to Tough Market

Proper Content, a distinguished factual producer, is ceasing operations after almost ten years in business. Founder David DeHaney announced the decision on Thursday, citing a challenging economic environment that hinders the company's ability to evolve and expand.

DeHaney highlighted that commissioning budgets have shrunk, development cycles have lengthened, and scaling opportunities for growing independents have become severely restricted. These pressures, affecting many across the sector, contributed to the closure. Proper Content, one of the industry's few Black-led independents, was celebrated for its diverse factual content.

Its notable productions include the BBC's "P Diddy: Rise and Fall," the Channel 5 docuseries "The King's Guard," and the multi-award-winning Channel 4 show "The School That Tried to End Racism." Despite achieving a turnover of £6 million, the company could not sustain operations against prevailing market headwinds and industry consolidation.

DeHaney expressed immense pride in the company's achievements and its contribution to societal reflection through storytelling. His priority is now to support staff, freelancers, and broadcasting customers through the transition. While Proper Content concludes, DeHaney's passion for creating ambitious projects remains strong, looking towards future endeavors.