The war of words continues over Channel 4’s sales plan: UK culture secretary criticizes “ill-informed leftist Luvvie Lynch Mob”

A war of words has broken out in the British media over the imminent privatization of Channel 4, with Nadine Doris, Secretary of State for Culture, in one corner and Alex Mahoney, the station’s chief executive, in the other.

After the government’s plan to sell off an ad-supported state-funded station was approved this week, Doris wrote a column in the Daily Mail highlighting the channel’s “unique and important cultural role in British life.” She says he takes care of himself, along with the rest of the family. You have called the criticisms of the government’s plan “lazy, exaggerated and misinformed rhetoric of the Luvie mafia lynch of Leftie”.

However, he also wrote of the huge amount of money streamers spend on producing original content, saying, “The hypothesis that Channel 4 is no longer competing with new platforms for audience share, talent, ideas and experienced staff is voluntary “.

He added: “In fact, Channel 4 has reduced the amount it spends on new content by 8.158 million at a time when it needs to invest in new software, technologies and skills.”

“The channel is a niche and state-owned, in itself a limiting inconsistency.

“Due to the ownership of Channel 4, you cannot create a back catalog to export or have an internal studio to create and sell content. Instead, it relies almost entirely on advertising migrating more and more online. It would be irresponsible for any government to sit down and extend the status quo.

Doris called the sales plan a great opportunity to contribute to this government’s promised agenda – shifting opportunities more equitably between north and south – and described it as the pinnacle of Margaret Thatcher’s vision. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who in 1982 approved plans to create Channel 4. Doris wrote: “In 1988 Margaret Thatcher was right. You saw that Canale 4 would only reach its full potential if it were free from state restrictions, and this is the vision and the result that we will achieve.

Meanwhile, in the Sunday Times, Alex Mahon, head of Canale 4 since October 2017, highlighted the crucial role the company has played in supporting new and different voices on the channel, financing independent content: Channel 4. No original content – and a very healthy balance. Including the fact that Canale 4 has received no money from taxpayers for 40 years in business. Მor he wrote:

“Over the past two years, our revenues have hit record levels and, unlike other broadcasters, we are debt-free and have 0.270 million cash in the bank. More importantly, we’re as creatively healthy as ever, and our shows received fewer than 44 Bafta nominations last week.

He also highlighted Canale 4’s favorable position in terms of attracting digital revenues and stated:

We have already led the transition of British television from traditional to online ad revenue and we know that many British consumers want free content and are ready for the digital future. The plan we proposed to the government as an alternative to privatization accelerates our existing digital strategy and also multiplies the secondary benefits of public ownership, such as job creation and training outside of London, places where media companies private individuals do not normally invest.

Mahon added that more than 60,000 responses to the government consultation on privatization came from broadcasters, manufacturers and members of the public. The government has not yet released this material.