Save Channel 4 - please comment!

Nadine Dorries said that Channel 5 has done really well since it was privatised about 3 years ago.
Channel 5 has always been a private enterprise, it has changed hands but has never, ever, not been private.
This is our culture minister.
Does she ever do any research before she speaks?

Channel 4 sale to go ahead despite just 2 per cent support, Broadcasting White Paper confirms.

Ministers pressing on with sale of broadcaster despite 96 per cent of respondents being opposed to privatisation plans

But according to the public consultation of more than 40,000 individuals commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport just 2 per cent were in favour of the sale of Channel 4.

It comes amid mounting opposition to the Government’s plans, which were cemented in the publication of its broadcasting white paper, called “Up Next”.

Channel 4, set up by former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1982, has always been publicly owned and is funded by advertising.

inews.co.uk/news/politics/channel-4-sale-go-ahead-broadcasting-white-paper-1601028

What was the point in the DCMS carrying out a public consultation involving over 40,000 respondents if they were going to ignore such an overwhelming result?

This just shows how powerless UK voters and opposition MPs are if Dorries can do something supported by only 2% of the public. Setting up Channel 4 was one of the very few good things done by Thatcher.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy

On the day govt formally announce Channel 4 privatisation they have refused #C4News requests for an interview and no Tory MPs approached will do it either. We were just about to interview one and he cancelled moments before. Do they really want to ‘unleash potential’?

It seems that the Conservatives are intent on ruining everything that is valuable in this country.

“Liberal Democrats will oppose these dangerous plans in Parliament and will use all the tools at our disposal to block these changes – no matter how long that fight takes.”

@RichardNewby3
Liberal Democrat Peer and Leader of Lib Dem group in House of Lords.

There is a difference between catch up and the other services like Amazon, Apple, Disney+, Netflix as Aveline says. You pay to view these or have a family subscription but the mainstream catch ups are free. We have a Humax to record programmes and use catch up if we miss something. My DDs and DS use mostly Netflix and Disney+ and share the cost.
I never heard about CH4 being privatised. I watch that a lot. Thank you for posting that.

So a lot depends on those companies. What pressure can they bring to bear. Who pays the piper? So many potential agendas

My apologies Aveline. It seems that the IBA was abolished some years ago.

According to Ofcom’s website,
We are independent, and funded by fees paid to us by the companies we regulate

Who pays the Independent Broadcasting Authority? Where does Ofcom's funding come from?

janeainsworth

And the Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries doesn’t even know that Channel 4 isn’t funded by taxpayers ??‍♀️
m.youtube.com/watch?v=-E9WhayBfDY

So she bases her policy on something which is untrue!

The calibre of the present government ministers is pretty low so perhaps if she was minister in charge of potholes or dustbins we might excuse her ignorance of how Channel 4 s funded, but Nadine Dorries is the minister in charge of television!!

Is this level of ignorance and incompetence now just par for the course?

Channel 4 news is the best coverage of events. It’s the only tv news that goes into detail, analyses and challenges politicians effectively
Little wonder the government want it privatised. Govt ministers refuse to appear
On ch four news

And the Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries doesn’t even know that Channel 4 isn’t funded by taxpayers ??‍♀️
m.youtube.com/watch?v=-E9WhayBfDY

It's free to view (paid for by adverts) and independent - which is important to me. There's great support for keeping it that way too, thankfully. (I did like those ice sculptures too.)

More likely because it's more efficient to review business spending from time to time
But this isn’t about spending. It’s about who owns & controls Channel 4. At the moment it’s owned by the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

“Channel 4 is governed by a unitary Board made up of Executive and Non-Executive Directors, who are responsible for ensuring that Channel 4 fulfils its [public service broadcasting]remit and delivers its financial responsibilities.
Non-Executive Directors are appointed by Ofcom in agreement with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The Chief Executive is appointed by the Board and other Executive Members are appointed after nomination by the Chief Executive and Chair jointly.”
From www.channel4.com/corporate/about-4/who-we-are/board

I would certainly prefer things to remain as they are, with directors appointed by Ofcom, to a situation where Channel 4 is run for profit and owned by private investors.

But they have to be paid for separately. Channel 4 catch up is free.

I never mentioned 'catch up services'. I meant Netflix, Amazon TV, Disney+ etc etc

Surely catch up services are not "the old ways" they are part of the change in viewing habits.

Paranoid?
More likely because it's more efficient to review business spending from time to time. Same for BBC I suppose. Viewing habits have changed and all these subscription channels are having a marked effect. Goodness knows what will happen but we can't always stick with the old ways as new ones come along. Keep an open mind?

The Conservatives want to privatise channel four not despite their independent news coverage but because of it.
Channel four also gives us a huge and diverse catch up service which is free to watch. Conservative ideology would prefer this to be monetised.