WECA Mayor calls cancelled Channel 4 sale plans "victory for West of England"
Dan Norris has reacted after the privatisation of Channel 4 was scrapped yesterday
Dan Norris has called a move by the Government to scrap the privatisation of Channel 4 as a 'victory for the West of England'.
The Metro Mayor has reached with delight at the news, announced yesterday (January 5), which means the broadcaster can carry on with its plans to bring more jobs to our region.
The channel has been under public ownership since its inauguration 40 years ago - with the news yesterday coming following a decision by the culture minister being initially leaked.
The news was hailed by Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who said: “Finally, we have some eleventh-hour common sense from the Government who have listened to those of us who have long argued against these short-sighted and damaging privatisation plans.
“This is a huge a victory for public service broadcasting, and for the West of England. It would have been nothing less than an act of economic vandalism to flog Channel 4 off to the highest bidder.
“Channel 4 costs the taxpayer nothing, and gives us a thriving independent production sector, supporting thousands of jobs in my region.
“I’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with Channel 4 right from the beginning to keep it public, and keep it in the West of England. It’s a relief that the Government has finally seen sense. I wholeheartedly welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to scrap these petty and harmful privatisation plans”.
Channel 4’s board will now work on their legal duty to ensure "long-term sustainability" of the station amid competition from Netflix and Prime.
The firm will double roles outside London from 300 to 600 by 2025.
Jobs will be boosted too, at the Channel 4 Bristol Hub in Bristol.
That will meanhalf the company’s workforce will be based outside the capital.
Channel 4 is publicly owned and non-profit but receives no taxpayer cash, instead being funded entirely through its commercial activity. Last year it posted record revenues of ÂŁ1 billion - its strongest-ever financial performance.
Yesterday, the WECA Mayor said he was 'cautiously optimistic' about the scrapping of the plans.