THE Government is reportedly seeking to ditch plans to sell off Channel 4 in a remarkable U-turn which would signal a clean break with Boris Johnson’s approach to the broadcaster.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan has written to the Prime Minister advising against the sale of the channel, according to a letter published by the podcast The News Agents.
It would be an about-turn on one of Johnson’s flagship cultural policies, which was widely criticised by his political opponents and voices across the media and arts.
SCOOP: Letter from Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan to Rishi Sunak confirming her recommendation is that Channel 4 privatisation does NOT go ahead. Says there are “better ways to ensure C4’s sustainability.” Direct opposite of what the Johnson government said. pic.twitter.com/KOH78NVJjt
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) January 4, 2023
In the letter, published on Twitter on Wednesday, Donelan told Rishi Sunak: “I have concluded that pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure [Channel Four’s] sustainability."
Author, broadcaster and Sunday National columnist Stuart Cosgrove told this paper there were two key reasons the Government dropped the policy.
He said: "Obviously, the industry-wide backlash... Secondly the economics; the value to the Treasury was limited and the whole project was ideologically motivated."
The revelation was welcomed by the SNP's culture spokesperson John Nicolson, a staunch opponent of the plans.
He said: "Privatising this highly successful and much-loved public institution has been an obsession for right wing zealots in the Conservative Party for years. But it never made commercial sense. Channel 4 has a growing audience and has made record profits.
"Channel 4 has a long and illustrious history of innovative commissioning, allowing creative production all across the UK - with Scotland an especially strong centre for programme making.
"Channel 4 News is universally recognised for its outstanding journalism. Privatisation would have threatened its long format news.
"And profit focussed decision making put at risk the future of ‘Unreported World’ - Channel 4’s award winning documentary strand which is expensive to make but an invaluable resource for viewers."
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) attempted to downplay the letter, saying: "We do not comment on speculation.
"The DCMS Secretary of State has been clear that we are looking again at the business case for the sale of Channel 4. We will announce more on our plans in due course."
Channel 4 is owned by a state-owned company but entirely funded through advertising, unlike the BBC which is funded through the licence fee.
Johnson’s stated reason for seeking to privatise the broadcaster was to ensure its long-term sustainability, though he was accused of targeting it for political reasons, with the channel seen as being more to the left than its competitors.
Last year it posted record revenues of £1 billion – its strongest-ever financial performance.
