What are peoples feeling about the ‎British Government. Wanting to sell off Channel 4

lgs 4

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jun/23/ministers-will-push-to-privatise-channel-4-in-tv-shake-up

The J Stands for Jay

Channel 4 has long been the channel I find myself watching programmes on most often. If they went to a commercial basis, they'd just be like it or Channel 5.

I know there'll be people arguing that they put on a lot of awful ****e (they do), but there's a lot of great programming that wouldn't be made on a commercial channel, or on the less risk taking BBC.

lgs 4

The J Stands for Jay wrote: »

Channel 4 has long been the channel I find myself watching programmes on most often. If they went to a commercial basis, they'd just be like it or Channel 5.

I know there'll be people arguing that they put on a lot of awful ****e (they do), but there's a lot of great programming that wouldn't be made on a commercial channel, or on the less risk-taking BBC.

My fear is that Channel 4 will be sold off to Comcast. Who owns Sky. In British Government greed.

The J Stands for Jay

lgs 4 wrote: »

My fear is that Channel 4 will be sold off to Comcast. Who owns Sky. In British Government greed.

In this case, I'd wonder if the motivation is to stop criticism of a Conservative government more than profit.

Drummerboy2

Channel 4 News certainly give the British Government a hard time.

Delta2113

Bad move and for God sake I hope it never get's taken away from availability on Virgin Media Ireland.

lgs 4

Delta2113 wrote: »

Bad move and for God's sake, I hope it never gets taken away from availability on Virgin Media Ireland.

Depending on who buys Channel 4. On the bright side, you could see the Channel 4 channels . The HD versions going FTA (free to air) Like Channel 5 HD went FTA after it was taken over by Viacom-CBS, from the RTL Group. On the other hand, you could see channel closures.

crossman47

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

Channel 4 News certainly give the British Government a hard time.

That's definitely their best programme but they show hours of rubbish every day.

Elmo

Channel 4 News is produced by ITN.

You also have to remember that Channel 5 was set up in a different era. It was always going to be largely driven by its commercial ideology, ITN also produce their news (or at least they did). I think Sky News have produced both news programmes in the past.

Channel 4 is a successful broadcaster/content provider I can see a commercial operator changing it that much.

The only problem it might have is that Channel 4 re-invest profit into programming, something a commercial operator would not to rather it would pay out dividends (there was talk of the British Government getting a dividend from Channel 4, I am not sure if this happened).

OfCom could insist on certain things being done based on the license issued.

As for Channel 5, over the last 5 years I would say it has got better, particularly since being owned by Viacom.

Capt'n Midnight

Channel 4 don't produce their own programs. It's all bought in. There's no studios etc.

The assets are some buildings in London, the #4 slot on the EPG and the back catalog, and the brand.

The charter is what makes C4 what it is. It's a not for profit that makes minority interest programs. They don't get any license fee money. They can't make programs that are too popular because of the charter.


David Attenborough accuses ministers of ‘short-sighted’ attack on TV networks

Attenborough, once polled as the most trusted man in Britain, signed an open letter stating that the UK’s “unique” system of public service television channels – which are heavily regulated but operate with independence from government – is now in danger.

In Other News

BTW the BBC charter is also up for renewal in 2027

At the last royal charter renewal in 2016, the government made sweeping changes scrapping the corporation’s regulator, the BBC Trust, ending 94 years of BBC self-regulation.

And the BBC will be charging over 75's for TV licenses now
https://web.archive.org/web/20210629150342/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57649657

The BBC said continuing to fund free licences for all older viewers would have forced it into "unprecedented closures" of services. But in 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the BBC should "cough up" and cover the cost.

dulpit

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

In Other News

BTW the BBC charter is also up for renewal in 2027


And the BBC will be charging over 75's for TV licenses now
https://web.archive.org/web/20210629150342/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57649657

Tories gonna tory...

Delta2113

"They can't make programs that are too popular because of the charter." - so explain Big Brother.
They also recently got the cooking show that was on the BBC which is popular.
Grand Designs is very popular. I could go on.

icdg

I’m a bit concerned that some posts on this thread have strayed too far into political discussion. Posts should confine themselves to discussion of Channel 4 and the broadcasting aspects. Anyone who wants to discuss the general policies of the British government or any particular political party should find somewhere else to do so - there are Politics and Current Affairs forums on boards where such discussion is happily entertained.

robinph

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

And the BBC will be charging over 75's for TV licenses now
https://web.archive.org/web/20210629150342/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57649657

The BBC had always charged over 75s. Just until a couple of years ago the government covered the costs such that the over 75s didn't get a bill. The BBC still got that funding money topped up from the government.

Some clever PR by government has managed to make the population think that its now the BBC who have decided to change the system so that over 75s have to pay, rather than government changing the rules and withdrawing the funding.

Elmo

Delta2113 wrote: »

"They can't make programs that are too popular because of the charter." - so explain Big Brother.
They also recently got the cooking show that was on the BBC which is popular.
Grand Designs is very popular. I could go on.

They dropped Big Brother. They could always say that to support their Public Service remit they require some popular programming.