David DeHaney cites ‘dramatically changed’ market conditions for decision to call time

The School That Tried to End Racism indie Proper Content is to close due to a “dramatically changed” market, according to founder David DeHaney.

An administrator will be appointed shortly, after which the indie will cease trading. DeHaney said his priority is to ensure the closure has as little impact as possible on freelancers, staff, buyers and collaborators.

“This has been a very difficult decision. We have had nearly 10 years of making some of the industry’s most talked-about shows; entertaining programmes with social purpose. And that is exactly what I set out to do,” he said.

“But we want to do more, so much more, and the current environment does not support us in making that step-change.”

He added: “The reality is that the market has changed dramatically in recent years. Commissioning budgets have tightened, development cycles have lengthened and the opportunities for growing indies to scale have become increasingly limited.

“Those pressures have affected many companies across the sector and have undoubtedly contributed to the position we find ourselves in today.”

DeHaney, who is also the indie’s creative director, set up Proper Content in 2016, growing it rapidly to become an outfit with a turnover of £6m. It joined the Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund (now Creative Investment Fund) in 2020. Speaking to Broadcast in 2024, following a jump in its revenues by almost double, DeHaney reiterated his intent for the indie to do things differently, making impactful one-off or limited series such as The School That Tried To End Racism (C4) and Paramount+’s The Changemakers as a foundation to move into different genres.

Its output ranged from 999: The Critical List (C4), Chris Packham: Is it Time to Break the Law? (C4) to Mums On Strike (5) and The King’s Guard (5).

It was garlanded with awards, with its feature doc Suicidal: In Our Own Words winning a Grierson Award, The School That Tried to End Racism (C4) netting a Bafta, a Rose d’Or and Venice TV Award and Anorexic (5) shortlisted for Grierson and RTS Awards. More recently, its P Diddy: Rise and Fall (BBC3) was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award.

Its most recent project to air was the feature length doc Kidnapped By My Mum (BBC3). Proper Content will fulfil existing commitments, including a new surgery series for 5 and a luxury series for Channel 4 due to air later this year.

Commitment to diversifying the industry ecology was a key tenet of Proper’s mission statement, in an environment which does not tend to favour Black-led companies.

“We have achieved what we have achieved despite this,” he adds. “It is not the central reason for our decision. We feel we have so much more to offer and aren’t fulfilling that potential. That is why we are closing,” he added.

“We are extremely proud of what we have achieved with Proper Content. We have held up a lens to society in so many different ways, and to such a variety of audiences. As a growing indie, we couldn’t have done more. Yet, for a company like ours, at this stage in its development, going to the next stage is incredibly challenging.

“There simply isn’t the commissioning risk, or the time or space to let companies stretch their wings in new ways. And, as a result, companies get ‘stuck’ – which doesn’t feel like a good, or a creative place to be.”

He added: “While Proper Content is coming to an end, my passion for storytelling and creating ambitious new projects remains undiminished. I am excited about what comes next.”