Channel avoided, reportedly? (4)
I believe the answer is:
duct
'channel' is the definition.
(I know that channel can be written as duct)
'avoided reportedly?' is the wordplay.
'avoided' becomes 'ducked' (duck can mean to avoid).
'reportedly?' shows a homophone (sound like) (I've seen 'reportedly' mean this).
'ducked' is a homophone of 'DUCT'.
(Other definitions for duct that I've seen before include "Tube for conveing cable, liquid etc" , "Tube, passageway" , "The Eve of St - is a narrative poem by Keats" , "Air passage" , "Enclosed conduit for fluid" .)