<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/05/sell-off-channel-4-wont-benefit-anyone-but-boris-johnson>
"In 1982, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government established Channel 4 in
order to create an independent television production sector in the UK. Unlike
the BBC or ITV, it was not to make any of its own programmes, not even its
flagship Channel 4 News. All over the UK, independent companies sprang up to
make its content. In the 40 years since, they have made billions of pounds –
not just for themselves but also for Britain, selling their wares around the
world. And, unlike the BBC, they have spoken with many voices, bringing diverse
and radical ideas to the fore which had barely been heard before in mainstream
broadcasting.
Yesterday, Boris Johnson’s Conservative government announced it was selling off
the channel, claiming that by doing so it would boost independent production
companies. This makes no sense. Instead of Channel 4 being a publicly-owned
organisation that pumps hundreds of millions of pounds a year into the
independent sector, it is being sold off, almost certainly to a giant TV
production company, possibly from overseas. It will be in the interests of that
company to make as many of its own programmes as it can and retain the rights
in them.
Many people have never understood Channel 4’s business model, and among them is
the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, the minister who announced yesterday
that selling off Channel 4 would boost the independent sector. Appearing before
the culture select committee last November, she said it was right that the
government should evaluate the channel’s long-term financial viability because
Channel 4 was in receipt of public funding. She looked embarrassed when the
Conservative MP Damian Green pointed out to her that Channel 4 gains its income
from advertising, not the public coffers. How can a woman who didn’t even know
what the organisation’s business model was claim to be motivated by protecting
its finances? Of course, as a publicly-owned organisation, Channel 4 also does
not make a profit, pumping all its income back into programming, whereas its
new owner will rightly expect a profit."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
