Michael Crick suggested the channel should have spent more time “giving space to a range of alternative viewpoints, left and right”, noting that previously the channel had welcomed Eurosceptic voices. Writing on Twitter, Mr Crick – who was a founding member of Channel 4’s news team in 1982 – said: ‘If only Channel 4 had stuck to its original mission under Jeremy Isaacs, serious programming and giving space to a range of alternative views, left and right.
“Remember, Sir James Goldsmith first voiced his opposition to the EU during a talk for Channel 4’s ‘Opinions’ series in 1993.”
Sir James Goldsmith was an early campaigner against UK membership of the EU.
He founded the Referendum Party in order to contest seats in the 1997 general election and force a European referendum.
In March 1993 he gave a televised lecture publicly declaring his opposition to the EU, which was shown on Channel 4.
Mr Crick’s scathing comments follow news of the privatization of Channel 4.
The plans come after a 10-week public consultation and will be included in the Queen’s Speech in May.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said public ownership prevents the channel from “compete with streaming giants”.
She said: “I have come to the conclusion that government ownership prevents Channel 4 from competing with streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon.
“A change in ownership will give Channel 4 the tools and the freedom to thrive and prosper as a long-term public service broadcaster.”
She added: “I will seek to reinvest the proceeds from the sale into leveling up the creative sector, putting money into independent production and creative skills in priority regions of the country – delivering a creative dividend for all.”
READ MORE: ‘Greatest moment on air’ Brexiteer mocks Channel 4 as broadcaster s…
But Channel 4 said it was “disappointed” by the decision.
In a statement, the broadcaster said: “With over 60,000 submissions to the government’s public consultation, it is disappointing that today’s announcement has been made without formally acknowledging the significant public interest concerns that have been raised.
“Channel 4 has engaged in good faith with the government throughout the consultation process, demonstrating how it can continue to commission much-loved programs from the independent sector across the UK that represent and celebrate all aspects of the British life and increase its contribution to society, while maintaining public ownership.
The channel added that it had presented the government with an alternative solution to privatization that would “safeguard its future financial stability” and allow it to do more for the public, the creative industries and the economy.
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Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said the move “makes absolutely no sense”, calling it “cultural vandalism”.
She said: “Nothing screams rudderless government more than this.
“Selling Channel 4, which doesn’t cost the taxpayer a penny anyway, to what is likely to be a foreign company, makes absolutely no sense.
“It will cost jobs and opportunities in Yorkshire and hit our creative economy.
“This is cultural vandalism from a government that is out of ideas, short of road and has no interest in getting up to speed.”
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Source: www.express.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-05 08:25:13
