For those of us living in the UK, the government are currently looking to go ahead with the privatisation of Channel 4, in yet another money-making scheme selling off an asset into private control.

Channel 4 was launched in 1982 as a publicly-owned, commercially-funded public service broadcaster. It does not receive public funding but is ultimately owned by the government, with all money going back into the broadcaster, which commissions all of its programmes from independent producers.

Here's a link to a petition on the government website against this for anyone who is interested:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/613995

Thanks for your post.

I've watched Channel 4 news for years.

I can't help feeling that the intent is to silence questions.

Maybe by the next election, the only media left will be providing the lowest common denominator of junk.

Peter

Yes, theres been a lot of speculation that it's due to Channel 4 News being the only major challenge to Conservative Party activities for a long time now...

U'm yes.
I gather that someone called Nadine Dorris has been put in charge of this.
God Help Us.

Peter.

Apparently she was totally unaware that they are commercially-funded & thought part of the TV licence fee went towards their upkeep! She was informed during a parliamentary committee session!

It's not just the Channel 4 news aspect - they keep saying that privatising it will "allow it to grow and compete with Netflix and Amazon" - exactly what it was never designed to do. A lot of C4 content *already* shows up on streamers precisely because their productions - or rather commissions - are financed the way they are. It's nonsensical to do this. The Tories absolutely cannot conceive that a business can be run this way, so they ruin it with help from their mates. Making C4 news less likely to bug them is just a bonus.

As for Dorries, she's an over-promoted, barely-functioning idiot, like all the current z-list dreg cabinet. Since coming into the job she's already shut down a brilliant initiative that was working well, AND was the main reason I was able to be paid so well for a job last year (after several years of unpaid work on it) It also means the rest of the job - in fact the main part - might now never happen. She - and the rest of the current government - cannot exit the planet swiftly enough for my liking.

I agree, and at the risk of being too political, may I say that this will only happen if everyone in opposition works together? I live in Scotland, and here it is clear to see the effect of division. We've had 15 years of SNP government in Scotland, and 12 years of Tory rule across the UK.
In my mind, the two facts are not unconnected. The majority of the electorate vote for one of the opposition parties, and all of them have more in common with each other than with the Tories. Until the opposition works together and puts up only one candidate in each seat, I see no alternative but to back Labour.

This is turning into the Sunday Political Slot!

Unfortunately without a credible opposition, many voters are just choosing to disengage completely, which only lets the same ones continue with the way our voting system works.

What is the point of voting, if you do not feel you will be suitably represented by whoever gets in?

There is no option of: 'I wanted to vote, but there are no candidates I wish to vote for!' on the ballot paper, and a 'spoilt paper' only gets recorded as a voter who cannot follow the instructions properly, not as a protest against the selection of candidates given.

Therefore, I am sure a lot of eligible voters simply don't bother.

From a report in The Guardian this morning: "A dramatic loss of faith in the ability of British democracy to serve the interests of UK voters is revealed in a new report that finds that donors to political parties and big businesses are now commonly viewed by the electorate as the main drivers of government policy."

" Disturbing evidence that millions of voters feel their voices and views go largely unheard while big money interests hold most sway is uncovered in the latest report by the IPPR thinktank, in collaboration with the Observer, on the future of democracy."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/10/young-adults-loss-of-faith-in-uk-democracy-survey

Yes, what you say is true and it is happening.
All politics is imperfect and discontent always rates higher than mild satisfaction.

But there is no option to opt-out.
That just leaves the field clear for the hard right.
All that is required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

We must, instead, choose positively what is the "least bad option."

A Labour government, even in a broad alliance with other parties, would be so much better than these rich kids who seek cheers by sending the poorest people in the world to seek asylum in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Nye Bevan said that they were lower than vermin. And that was in 1948.
Peter

Interesting how this thread is going & the debate created.

I created it to make people of the UK aware there was a petition on the government website to protest the sale of Channel 4.

That part has currently gone quiet in the news whilst our politicians enjoy their Easter break

Ironic, given that it was Thatcher who started the whole initiative to begin with.

Looks like Fishy Rishi is to shelve the whole idea...

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/nov/05/rishi-sunak-expected-to-shelve-privatisation-of-channel-4

As a follow-up to my original post of a while back, it looks like Channel 4 might be saved, according to The Guardian today:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jan/05/channel-4-privatisation-plans-formally-abandoned

Plans to privatise Channel 4 have been formally abandoned, ending years of threats to the broadcaster that cost the government millions of pounds and were opposed by the vast majority of the media industry.

The culture secretary, Michelle Donelan, said Channel 4 was a "British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries" and therefore should not be sold. Instead, she is suggesting a relative modest series of tweaks to Channel 4's remit, with the business continuing to be owned by the state.

Channel 4 said: "We welcome the government's decision that Channel 4 will remain in public ownership. This decision provides a firm basis on which to establish the sustainable direction of Channel 4, safely in the hands of the British people."

sounds like good news. and some common sence for once.
I hate to think how much tax payers money was wasted on trying to sell it off.
"modest series of tweaks" could be worrying, but we'll see what happens.

Been following the news on this, very, very happy to hear the idiotic and ill-conceived privatisation has been axed. The Truss regime really was an utter disaster in every way possible.

The good news is that Channel 4 is to remain in its existing funding arrangement.
Strong governments should never fear fair scrutiny.