Richard Attenborough: Passed away shortly before his 91st birthday
(Picture: Getty)The son of Oscar winner and former Channel 4 chair Richard Attenborough says he would be turning “in his grave” at the plan to privatise the broadcaster.
The Government has confirmed it will privatise Channel 4 which has been publicly owned since being founded in 1982 and is funded by advertising.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries previously said that while the broadcaster holds a “cherished place in British life”, she feels public ownership is holding the broadcaster back from “competing against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon”.
Theatre director Michael Attenborough said Michael Grade, who was the channel’s chief executive from 1988 to 1997 and will monitor the process as the new chair of broadcast regulator Ofcom – had broken a promise to his father.
In a letter to the Guardian, he said: “Perhaps Lord Grade needs reminding of the promise he gave my father, Lord Attenborough, when he was running Channel 4 and my father was its chairman. Namely that he ‘would die in a ditch before he’d see Channel 4 privatised or its public service commitment in any way diminished.
“My father must be turning in his grave. I only wish he was here to face, expose and oppose him.”
Divisions in the Conservative Party over the proposals mean it is likely to face a bumpy ride in Parliament.
A string of Tory MPs and peers, including Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley, former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee Julian Knight, and former cabinet ministers Damian Green and Jeremy Hunt publicly questioned the plans.
Sir Peter, who represents Worthing West, said he opposes the sale “because I am a Conservative”.
He added: “If you are considering a change, have a proper reason for doing it, if you say it cannot compete with Netflix, my answer is it is not supposed to compete with Netflix.
“And secondly, look at the number of people who view Channel 4 and its associated streams and compare that with the people using Netflix. Channel 4 wins hands down.”
