Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications, wrote an article for The Conversation on why selling the broadcaster Channel 4 is a risky move for the UK government.
In the article, Professor Steven Barnett explores the beginning of Channel 4 and its establishment in the broadcasting sector. He then goes on to discuss the consequences of selling the broadcaster, as well as challenges it may face from competitors such as Netflix.
Exploring the government's reasoning, Professor Barnett states: “According to the government, putting Channel 4 in private hands would enable it to “build on this success and compete more effectively with new players” like Amazon Prime and Netflix. Supporters say it would allow more access to capital, facilitate competition with the streaming services, and foster innovation. But the risks are huge. Independent analysis suggests that Channel 4 generates nearly £1 billion for the UK economy and supports over 10,000 jobs.”
He added: “Those voters may also not want to give up their ownership of a television channel with such a distinctive institutional ethos and which does not have to worry about shareholders. All the evidence suggests that turning it over to private hands – even circumscribed with quotas and obligations – would inevitably result in fewer jobs, fewer programmes for UK audiences, less diversity of content, less innovation, and less new talent. If revenge is not the government’s rationale for such a risky move, it’s difficult to see what is.”
Read the full article on The Conversation website.
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