Bectu responds to Rishi Sunak’s Channel 4 privatisation pledge

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“This is incredibly disappointing news and suggests Mr Sunak does not understand why the Channel 4 model is so successful and why there is such unified and vehement industry opposition to the sale. Channel 4 is a hugely successful public service broadcaster, consistently pushing the boundaries of entertainment and thought-provoking content for British audiences. This success is built on the back of the current model, which supports a thriving independent production sector and allows commissioners a degree of risk and creativity, of which the viewing public reap the benefits.

“Make no mistake – privatisation which will have major consequences for the UK broadcasting landscape, for the jobs of UK freelancers and for the UK’s creative economy.

“Channel 4 costs the UK taxpayer precisely nothing, yet gives us a thriving independent production sector, thousands of jobs and world-renowned, innovative content. Once again we see that this Government seems determined to deal in ideology rather than fact when it comes to our world-renowned cultural assets. We will continue to fiercely oppose this destructive move.”