Channel Four Television
(asked on 6th April 2022) - View Source
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of commissioning by Channel 4.
Answered by
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Her Majesty’s Government consulted extensively on a change of ownership of Channel 4, and the views and evidence gathered from a wide range of interested parties – including from Channel 4 itself – has informed the Government’s assessment and wider policy-making.
Following this consultation, the Secretary of State has come to a decision that, although Channel 4 as a business is currently performing well, public ownership is holding it back in the face of a rapidly-changing and competitive media landscape. The Secretary of State is now consulting with Cabinet colleagues on that decision.
Her Majesty’s Government will set out its plan for Channel 4 in a White Paper shortly. The Government will also publish a rationale for its decision regarding Channel 4’s ownership model.