Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to privatise Channel 4.

As part of its ongoing strategic review of the UK’s system of public service broadcasting, the Government launched a public consultation on the future of Channel 4, including its ownership model and remit, on 6 July 2021 .

The broadcasting landscape has changed beyond recognition since Channel 4’s creation almost 40 years ago, and it continues to change apace. Increased global competition, changing audience habits, the decline of linear advertising revenue, and a wave of consolidation in the sector all pose challenges.

The Government’s consultation seeks views and evidence on whether stakeholders agree that a new ownership model would give Channel 4 the broadest range of tools to continue to thrive as a public service broadcaster in the face of these new challenges.