[Politics] Government plans to privatise CH4

[Baldseagull]

I thought this had been decided upon and reported ages ago, a fait accompli.

Shirley public ownership of the vast BBC stable is enough.

Just 323k watch C4 News, 0.48% of the UK’s population. It has next to no impact.

Channel 4 as a whole is 3rd most popular channel, after Netflix and BBC One, Film 4 is 4th. This is based on the number of people that have a positive view of the channel, rather than pure ratings.
https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/media/popularity/tv-channels/all

According to Ofcom, 24% of adults say they use C4 as a news source, this is equal to the number that say they use Twitter as a News source, and the viewing hours of C4 news was 2% of all TV News viewing. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on-demand/news-media/news-consumption

What C4 News is good at is investigative journalism, Cambridge Analytica story being the best example, and also the Trump Campaign Data story, linked to Cambridge Analytica.
The News Channel breaking the stories showing how Political entities use and abuse data, launch secret counter campaigns and basically subvert the democratic system, could be bought and operated by those with Political affilliation, and it's the wealthiest Political Party in the UK that is wanting it to happen, I don't like the idea.

 

[Billy the Fish]

More’s the pity. It’s far more balanced than just repeating government propaganda.

C4 news is brilliant, I find they report in much more depth compared to BBC and ITV which are blatantly dumbed down (disagree about propaganda but that's for another thread). Their overseas reports are particularly good.

The problem is the timing. There's too much competition at 7pm on a weekday, I've almost always got something I need to be doing between finishing dinner and settling down for the evening.

 

[Weststander]

its a peculiar argument: under public ownship C4 editorial direction is to grill government, under private ownership they wont.

Presumptuous.

Beth Rigby and Sam Coates do, working for a private entity.

 

[Weststander]

Channel 4 as a whole is 3rd most popular channel, after Netflix and BBC One, Film 4 is 4th. This is based on the number of people that have a positive view of the channel, rather than pure ratings.
https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/media/popularity/tv-channels/all

According to Ofcom, 24% of adults say they use C4 as a news source, this is equal to the number that say they use Twitter as a News source, and the viewing hours of C4 news was 2% of all TV News viewing. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on-demand/news-media/news-consumption

What C4 News is good at is investigative journalism, Cambridge Analytica story being the best example, and also the Trump Campaign Data story, linked to Cambridge Analytica.
The News Channel breaking the stories showing how Political entities use and abuse data, launch secret counter campaigns and basically subvert the democratic system, could be bought and operated by those with Political affilliation, and it's the wealthiest Political Party in the UK that is wanting it to happen, I don't like the idea.

I only ever mentioned C4 news.

Loads of popular programmes such as GBBO.

 

[A1X]

BBC News when I lived in UK was dreadful. more than 50% of the show time seemed to be promoting BBC shows rather than 'news'.

CH4 was generally the best channel the UK had 5-10 years ago.

When quoting figures of how many watch Ch4 News, how much of the total population actually 'watch TV news'? Can't say I ever do these days getting my news online or from NSC

It's also worth remembering local news beats national news in terms of viewing figures hands down, and Channel 4 does not do local news.

 

[Baldseagull]

I only ever mentioned C4 news.

Loads of popular programmes such as GBBO.

You did mention the "whole of the BBC stable", which is why I pointed out that after BBC 1, two of the Channel 4 stable are ranking above the rest of the BBC Channels, the two other paragraphs are just about C4 News.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Imho the BBC and Sky do that already. The BBC get a shoeing from the right for alleged Remoan bias, Beth Rigby and Sam Coates are relentlessly critical of all things Tory. LBC too with several presenters are very socially minded.

GBNews is the silly outlier.

Would (low viewing figures) C4 News would lurch to the right if it wasn’t state owned?

And yet the left regularly pile in for the BBC being big 'Boris' fans – Laura K, in particular gets singled out for plenty of 'attention' – and pro-Government (https://www.thenational.scot/news/19593336.bbcs-lack-tory-scrutiny-failing-viewers-research-finds/).

It's *almost* as if it is somewhere in the middle...

 

[Weststander]

You did mention the "whole of the BBC stable", which is why I pointed out that after BBC 1, two of the Channel 4 stable are ranking above the rest of the BBC Channels, the two other paragraphs are just about C4 News.

BBC stable - I meant the sheer might of news/current affairs outlets and possibly influence. R4, R5, News24, the website, BBC1 News, Panorama and Newsnight. I would imagine these combined would have a vastly greater viewership/listeners than the 323k watching C4 News and Dispatches, and therefore influence.

My point is that's more than enough state ownership of broadcasting, imho.

Kuennsberg et al are relentlessly accused by other of being Remoaner and lefties, so hopefully that shows they're independent of governments and investigative. Anyone here watch Newsnight? ... often unpleasant viewing for GBNews devotees.

[I'm pro BBC all the way btw and a mandatory licence fee].

 

[KZNSeagull]

I watched a Lords Committee hearing about C4 the other day with the Chairman and Chief Exec. Interestingly, they were asked how many times they had been pressurised by the government re their content and the answer was an emphatic "never". Their argument for staying under public ownership was essentially the same as the BBC's - some programs would not be made if their aim was pure profit. As I didn't actually know it was publicly owned I am not too bothered if it were privatised to be honest as there isn't much on there that appeals to me other than Film 4.

As an aside, the CEO Alex Mahon was very impressive.

 

[clapham_gull]

One of the reasons Channel Four was set up was to turbo blast the UK independent production industry to create competition with the in-house production of ITV and BBC.

.. and it did, which also massively helped others set up supporting post production companies too.

Channel Four doesn't make any programmes itself, not even its news.

It's simply a publisher.

There was a very good reason why this happened under a Thatcherite Government.

So to me, allowing some investors from overseas to buy up the Channel is completely incongruous to why it was set up and the spirit of a post Brexit UK.




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[bobby baxter]

These are worrying times,

This government appears to be attempting to silence any criticism of themselves or their policies.

 

[clapham_gull]

hands up all those that knew Channel 4 was publicly owned?

currently run on commercial basis with remit to provide alternative content, would it change? on the other hand, why change ownership? will have people arguing over point of principle rather than any merits.

It will quite obviously change direction editorially, it will start making its own programmes for a start (it doesn't now) and will refocus on making them saleable overseas.

You will get less predominantly UK focused programmes because the return isn't there.

It's a rather pointless privatisation to me.


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[Thunder Bolt]

BBC stable - I meant the sheer might of news/current affairs outlets and possibly influence. R4, R5, News24, the website, BBC1 News, Panorama and Newsnight. I would imagine these combined would have a vastly greater viewership/listeners than the 323k watching C4 News and Dispatches, and therefore influence.

My point is that's more than enough state ownership of broadcasting, imho.

Kuennsberg et al are relentlessly accused by other of being Remoaner and lefties, so hopefully that shows they're independent of governments and investigative. Anyone here watch Newsnight? ... often unpleasant viewing for GBNews devotees.

[I'm pro BBC all the way btw and a mandatory licence fee].

Believe me, I haven't ever read or heard anywhere that Kuennsberg being accused of being a lefty or a remoaner! The exact opposite, in fact.

 

[studio150]

Just wonder who is in the VIP lane to get CH4 at a heavily discounted rate, before reselling for a huge profit.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

As someone who really enjoyed the Paralympics, it has been said that if C4 was not in public ownership that they would not be able to provide anywhere near as much coverage.

I'm sure that there are plenty of other events / topics that would soon disappear if there was less focus on their diversity because of the pressure to make money.

 

[clapham_gull]

Overall it's a 'so what' moment for me. I don't watch a huge amount of C4 output ( Gogglebox and the years old The Hotel being my dirty and shameful secrets )* so I'm not that bothered how it's owned.

You could look at it another way - it's currently 'owned' by the goverment and given it's broadcasting remit by the government. I'm not entirely comfortable with the governmemt owning a tv channel. Private ownership may allow C4 to be even more critical of Bojo and co. I'd rather it was publically floated in the same way say as BT was all those years ago than sold off enmasse.

* I'll add SAS into that list.

It isn't owned by the Government and I'm not entirely sure what real assets it has beyond property and a broadcasting licence. Anyone one who thinks it's "remit" wouldn't have be dampened down for sale is in la la land.

My issue here is

1) Many people will see Channel Four as an old state relic with a monopoly.

2) Completely misunderstand that it's very presence is a check on the market allowing small independent producers to make programmes.

Just a few years ago, the likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 got together to build a "streaming" service, way before the like of Netflix existed. This was shut down by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission after complaints from the likes of Sky and Virgin upset at the terrestrials mis-using their "market dominance".

Everything has changed...

We are now dominated by a handful of shareholder answerable monopolies mostly American owned. The also like to own their own "IP". Ownership of what you broadcast is the new "religion" in the television world, which is why Netflix pump billions into creating their own shows.

It's why the big guys are snapping up all the independent producers too. These companies are buying up chunks of other stations like Channel 5 and ITV. They will swallow Channel 4 whole.

No one predicted that.

To me this move looks completely incongruous to competition generally and supporting British Industries.

It's been predicted that at least 50 small and medium sized production companies up and down the country would be financially affected, so appears incongruous with "levelling up" too.

It may seem odd that you need to have a publicly own body to maintain competition and a diverse range of programmes (good or bad), but that's the TV landscape at the moment.

It was the very reason Thatcher set up Channel 4, only the "monopolies" now have changed.

 

[Motogull]

Shit news. Johnson is such a tosser.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

The news bias and woke agenda is just a turn off which people seem to be doing

Regards
DF

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

These are worrying times,

This government appears to be attempting to silence any criticism of themselves or their policies.

............... one of the marks of a Fascist regime.

I am not saying the current government are comparable to Hitler, BUT Fascist regimes do things like silencing their critics, discounting experts, telling lies so often that the become believed.... I could go on.

They ma not be fascist, but they are extreme.

 

[clapham_gull]

The news bias and woke agenda is just a turn off which people seem to be doing

Regards
DF

Best tell ITN then, Channel Four don't make it.