Channel 4 must remain in public ownership

“The Public Media Alliance believes that there is no economic, cultural, or societal benefit to be gained from the privatisation of Channel 4.”

In September, the Public Media Alliance (PMA) responded to an inquiry into the future of UK public broadcaster Channel 4, launched by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee. The inquiry was run in response to the UK Government’s consultation regarding the possible privatisation of Channel 4.

Using our international perspective, we firmly stated our reasons as to why Channel 4 should remain in public ownership as an integral and trusted part of the UK’s internationally respected public service media landscape. We also evidenced as to how privatisation would not only be detrimental to the channel’s editorial independence and diverse output, but also to its significant contribution to the creative economy, especially on a local and regional level.

Channel 4 is doing well in terms of its finances. It is hitting its targets and reaching diverse audiences. But most importantly, it has played a critical role during the pandemic, which makes any push to privatise the organisation even more suspect.

The Public Media Alliance continues to call on the UK Government to withdraw and halt any attempts to privatise Channel 4.

You can read PMA’s full submission to the House of Lords inquiry below.