Informed 07 Update Channel 4 sale faces a batle


Te NUJ has vowed to fight against the government’s privatisation of Channel 4, saying its sale would be bad for employment in the sector, bad for journalism and bad for the UK. Following a public consultation which overwhelmingly rejected proposals to privatise the public service broadcaster, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted: “I have concluded that government ownership is holding Channel 4 back from competing against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon. A change of ownership will give Channel 4 the tools and freedom to flourish and thrive as a public service broadcaster long into the future.” Tis is the same secretary of state who


revealed to a commitee of MPs that she did not realise Channel 4 was financed by advertising and not the taxpayer. She expects to raise £1bn from the sale and industry experts predict it will be bought by an American-owned media company. Sir Ian Cheshire, former chief executive of B&Q, has been appointed as chair of Channel 4. Shadow culture minister


it has a remit to champion unheard voices and its award-winning series, It’s a Sin, is an example of its innovative programming. It is financially secure and has developed a digital offering appealing to young viewers. It is a major supporter of independent programme makers in the UK and its headquarters have been moved from London to Leeds with creative hubs in Glasgow and Bristol. Te union believes the plan would put at risk the hour-long Channel 4 News, produced by ITN as the remit could be changed later. Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general


Lucy Powell said: “Coming fresh off the heels of the appointment of a Tory peer [Michael Grade] as head of Ofcom, this decision stinks of more cronyism.” Ministers hope to find a buyer before the 2024 general election, but face opposition from the industry and in Parliament.


Te NUJ has argued that it is specious to compare Channel 4 with Netflix –


secretary, described it as a wanton assault and said: “What the Culture Secretary is proposing is to take away the tools which have allowed Channel 4 to flourish over 40 years, to thrive in the competitive marketplace of ideas. Te proposed sell off of Channel 4 would be bad for employment in the sector, bad for journalism and bad for the United Kingdom. Te NUJ will strongly oppose this dangerous move and will be seeking cross-party support for our campaign.”


Fears over Newsquest ‘toxic’ takeover


Newsquest’s acquisition of Archant by has been viewed with real concern by the NUJ because of its “toxic employment record” and history of slashing staff numbers following previous takeovers. Archant’s news brands included the


Eastern Daily Press, the East Anglia Daily Times, Norwich Evening News, and Ipswich Star. An analysis by the Media Reform Coalition shows Newsquest now controls almost one-third of the UK’s local newspaper market. Te three largest companies – Reach, Newsquest and National World -- control almost 70


per of all local newspaper circulation. A survey of NUJ Newsquest members


this year revealed they were struggling to meet high targets and cope with overwhelming pressures placed on them. Heavy workloads and limited editorial resources were proving damaging to their mental health and wellbeing. More than half said they were job hunting. Chris Morley, Newsquest NUJ national co-ordinator, described the newspaper group’s employment culture as toxic, saying: “Newsquest has an unenviable track record of stripping out staffing costs through


redundancies and non-replacement of vacancies. Following buyouts of smaller independent companies in Scotland, Cumbria, Wales and the Isle of Wight, few senior journalists remained aſter just a couple of years of its ownership. “Newsquest is owned by distant American shareholders with no real interest in supporting a strong and vibrant local media in the UK and has a harsh and reductive culture where pay is generally well below that of competitors and damaging stress is rampant, with long hours and high workloads.”


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