Privatisation pushback: New documents reveal Channel 4’s final fight against sale April 7, 2022 New documents have revealed that Channel 4 attempted to fend off the government's privatisation push with an alternative hybrid model earlier this year.
ITV ready to launch Channel 4 takeover bid April 6, 2022 ITV is set to launch a takeover bid for Channel 4 following the government’s announcement that the broadcaster is set to go up for sale. As reported by the Telegraph, ITV told ministers that it is interested in making a bid for its rival and it is understood that it has taken advice from bankers [...]
Many Tories believe Channel 4 sale is ‘revenge for biased coverage’ on Brexit and Boris Johnson, says Julian Knight MP April 5, 2022 Government plans to forge forward with the privatisation of Channel 4 are “revenge”, adding that many Tories believe the move is “payback time” for “biased coverage”, according to Tory MP Julian Knight. In a string of tweets, the MP addressed what he said was the “elephant in the room time” as he tweeted: “Is this [...]
Channel 4: Some key questions about the Government’s privatisation plans answered April 5, 2022 The Government is set to proceed with plans to privatise Channel 4. City A.M. sought answers to some of the key questions about the decision. Firstly, why does the Government want to privatise the broadcaster? The Government has argued that Channel 4’s long-term future needs to be secured amid concerns for its survival in the [...]
Ex Kingfisher boss Sir Ian Cheshire appointed Channel 4 chairman April 2, 2022 Former Kingfisher boss Sir Ian Cheshire was appointed today as chairman of Channel 4, Ofcome announced. The 62-year-old retail former executive will join the broadcaster’s board on 11 April, succeeding media executive Dawn Airey. Interviewed for the post in late February, Cheshire went against Rita Clifton, who ran Interbrand and now sits on the board [...]
Channel 4 hits record spend for out of London commissions March 15, 2022 Channel 4’s proportion of commissions and spend outside of London hit an all-time record high last year. Two thirds of all original programming commissioned for the main channel was produced in the nations and regions – nearly double the broadcaster’s 35 per cent quota set by Ofcom. Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: [...]
Former Kingfisher chief and one of the UK’s top brand experts battle it out for Channel 4 chairmanship February 22, 2022 Former chief of DIY retailer Kingfisher and one of the UK’s top branding experts are fighting to become Channel 4 chair as question marks remain over the broadcaster’s future. As first reported by Mark Kleinman for Sky News, Sir Ian Cheshire and Rita Clifton were interviewed for the role by Ofcom earlier this month. Clifton [...]
Why sport is taking over terrestrial TV airwaves again February 21, 2022 If you’ve turned on your subscription-free, Nadine Dorries-unfriendly, terrestrial TV recently you may have been transported back to a time when moustachioed behemoths like Dickie Davies and Des Lynam ruled the afternoon airwaves – for we again live in an era of live, free-to-air sport. Of course, you may not have noticed. Sky and BT [...]
‘Leave it alone’: Tory MPs push back against Channel 4 privatisation plans February 20, 2022 Senior Tory MPs have urged the Prime Minister to drop the Channel 4 privatisation push this morning. In a letter to Boris Johnson, the MPs, including former culture secretary Karen Bradley and ex-cabinet minister Damian Green, said that a case for privatisation had not been made and the move would undermine the founding vision of [...]
Channel 4 News under fire for ‘gagging clauses’ February 10, 2022 Channel 4 News has come under fire for the alleged use of “gagging orders” against women in equal pay, discrimiantion and victimisation cases. Maria Miller, a former culture secretary and a campaigner against the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), said she is aware of several cases in which present and former employees have been silenced after alleging [...]