The government has announced that it will no longer seek to approve controversial plans to privatise Channel 4.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has said that “pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision” and that the broadcaster “should not be sold”, according to the BBC.
Donelan wishes to propose other reforms for the brand as she still feels that “change is necessary”. Her predecessor Nadine Dorries has claimed in the past that government ownership was “holding Channel 4 back”. She feels that this cancellation is one of a number of “progressive” policies that are being “washed down the drain”.
Ms Donelan claimed to have reached her decision to scrap the privatisation plans “after reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors”.
“This announcement will bring huge opportunities across the UK with Channel 4’s commitment to double their skills investment to £10m and double the number of jobs outside of London,” Donelan added. “The package will also safeguard the future of our world-leading independent production sector. We will work closely with them to add new protections such as increasing the amount of content C4C [Channel 4 Corporation] must commission from independent producers.”
Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon welcomed the news, affirming her belief that “Channel 4 is a very special place.”
“The C4 staff have shown extraordinary dedication, commitment and focus during this particularly challenging period, and have had incredible resilience in the face of these many months of uncertainty. Our support across the industry has been both mind blowing and humbling and I am most grateful to so many of you.
“Thank you all for your calm, your focus, your spirit and your support throughout this process.”
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The plans to sell Channel 4 for a suggested £1.5 billion faced strong opposition from much of the TV industry and the brand itself.
A group of independent production companies behind some of Britain’s most successful TV shows called on Conservative Party leadership candidates to put Channel 4 privatisation plans on hold last July. In total, 16 production companies asked the government to abandon what they consider to be a harmful plan to privatise a valuable public asset.
“Channel 4 is the levelling-up broadcaster. Its unique business model makes working in TV and film production a realistic dream, no matter where you live in the UK,” We Own It lead campaigner, Matthew Topham said at the time.
“If the Government is serious about levelling up, they need to protect Channel 4, not sell it off.”
