Channel 4 has confused me for some time. It’s been promoting home-grown shows, usually comedy shows, in place of the imported American programmes, which, on the surface, isn’t a bad thing. However, it seems like Channel 4 don’t know a good thing when they’ve got it. Personally, I’ve become infuriated by the shunting around of the brilliant My Name Is Earl in favour of inferior progs like Star Stories. So with that, it’s mixed feelings about their confirmation that they are to scale back its investment in acquired US series, spending £35m less on imports over five years and instead switching the money into homegrown content.

The Channel 4 chief executive, Andy Duncan said the intention was to “reduce both the volume and the amount” it spent on imported series. Could this mean the end for The Simpsons, …Earl, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives? The first signal of Channel 4′s intent was when they dropped out of the running to retain Lost, which was instead snapped up by Sky One at a reported cost of £1m per episode.

Kevin Lygo, the Channel 4 director of television and content, said that in the past the broadcaster was in the “wonderful position” of having its pick of whatever US programmes it wanted and for a cheap price, but not any more.

“There are so many other digital channels that need American product that the price has gone up exponentially. They are just too expensive for Channel 4 now. It is no longer cost effective for us to buy these programmes. This is the moment when Channel 4 has to say we are not going to pay the money for these.” He added that this would give the broadcaster a “real opportunity to make more UK originated content”.

What do you think? Is this a good thing? Will we see great homegrown programmes shown on Four, or is the broadcaster cutting its nose off to spite its face?