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Hands off Channel 4


Broadcasting organiser, Paul Siegert, examines the government’s plan to flog off the station


the station will soon be celebrating its 40th birthday. Or will it? Culture Secretary Oliver


I


Dowden wants to move Channel 4 into private ownership. Te broadcaster, set up in 1982, does not cost the taxpayer a penny, it derives its income from advertising and any profit is ploughed back into


Send your MP the NUJ C4 briefing and ask them to lobby to save the station


Action•


from privatisation: htps://www.nuj.org. uk/resource/nuj-briefing-on-proposed- privatisation-of-channel-4-1.html


Ask your MP to sign the C4 early day motion 165:


•


htps://edm.parliament.uk/ early-day-motion/58608


f you enjoy Googlebox, Bake Off, It’s a Sin, the Para Athletics or as a news junkie Channel 4’s award-winning, hour-long news programme, then you will know


the programmes it commissions. It spends half of its money outside London and has a new headquarters in Leeds. Te broadcasting watchdog,


Ofcom, reported that it performed well and “regular viewers of Channel 4 value its offering as one that is high-quality and that demonstrates creativity… and Channel 4 outperformed the other public sector broadcast (PSB) channels in tackling issues that other broadcasters would not.” Importantly it is boosting its digital offering on All 4 and last year increased its digital advertising revenues by 11 per cent. So, if it isn’t broke why fix it? John Whitingdale, minister of state for media and data, claims a new model of ownership is needed so Channel 4 can compete against the likes of Netflix and Disney+. But the whole point is that the station doesn’t have to. Its job is to provide the sort of UK programming that a US-owned


broadcasting behemoth has no interest in producing. Its job


is to nurture home-grown TV stars, commission quirky, UK-based series, niche interests and sports. Te government isn’t going to


make a killing on the sale. Channel 4 does not have a programme library and most of its programme rights are held by its main suppliers – the independent producers who say the station has invested in hundreds of production companies and acted as a “catalyst for generations of entrepreneurs”. It seems completely counterintuitive, when there is the strongest evidence possible for a home-grown PSB which can connect with all citizens in the UK, to put it in a position where it could be sold off to a foreign owner. Te privatisation proposal was announced as part of a White Paper on the future of broadcasting to be published this autumn. Some of the ideas make sense; such as ensuring UK PSBs are given prominence on online platforms and smart TV guides, and plans to make the tech platforms take on the duties of traditional broadcasters in terms of accuracy, impartiality and not causing harm and offence. But privatisation of Channel 4 makes no sense at all. Get your branch organised to


lobby your local MP or mayor or get your local newspaper to back the campaign.


Consultation launched on potential change of ownership of Channel 4: htps://bit.ly/2UvUuLj


CAMPAIGN


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