A Conservative MP has questioned the Government's plans to privatise Channel 4 and asked whether the sale is 'revenge' for biased coverage. Julian Knight, MP for Solihull, said that many Tory MPs believe the sale is 'payback'.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Knight published a string of posts which started by claiming that Channel 4 would have 'greater freedom to compete' once it is privatised. However, he added that it was a 'big risk' as the service might not be able to compete with the likes of Apple TV and Amazon.
But he soon moved on to claim that the timing of the announcement suggested that the sale of the broadcaster was being carried out for reasons other than improving the service. He added that Conservative MPs believed the sale to be 'payback time'.
In his tweet, Mr Knight said: "Now, elephant in the room time - is this being done for revenge for Channel 4’s biased coverage of the likes of brexit and personal attacks on the PM? The timing of the announcement 7 pm, coinciding with Channel 4 news, was very telling…
"Undoubtedly, across much of the party - there is a feeling of payback time and the word privatisation tickles the ivories of many. The money is irrelevant - equivalent to four days national debt interest - so it must be used to support skills in creative sectors."
The Government announced on Monday that it plans to privatise Channel 4, with reports saying the sale plans will be set out in a White Paper later in April. It will likely be included in a new Media Bill for spring 2023.
Mr Knight is chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS). He added that the views expressed in his tweets were his and did not represent those of the 'committee more generally'.
Discussing the new freedoms Channel 4 will experience he said: "It is certainly true that Channel 4 will have greater freedom to compete once privatised and if managed well it should be able to continue to innovate and crucially appeal to young audiences - a real usp in today’s broadcast landscape. However, this is a big risk.
"The question has to be, do you think a restricted but brilliant small state broadcaster will part compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon or does it need to be able to borrow and grow in a way only privatisation can unlock? In all this, It’s crucial the government protects the prominence of all public service broadcasting through the new media bill, in order to give the likes of a new privatised Channel 4 a head start."
He concluded: "So to sum up. Privatisation- even for some wrong reasons- can work for C4 but must be part of a thorough overhaul of all public service broadcasting. If this is in the media bill I will support the government. Finally, these are my views not those of the Committee more generally."
The plans to privatise the broadcaster have been met with criticism, with Channel 4 itself stating it is 'disappointed' at the Government’s decision to proceed with plans to privatise the broadcaster without “formally recognising the significant public interest concerns which have been raised”. Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson also described the announcement as the 'opposite of levelling up'.
In a tweet, Baroness Davidson added: “Channel 4 is publicly-owned, not publicly-funded. It doesn’t cost the taxpayer a penny. It also, by charter, commissions content but doesn’t make/own its own. It’s one of the reasons we have such a thriving indy sector in places like Glasgow."
