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Krishnan Guru-Murthy Profile picture
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Apr 27 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Govt will publish plan to privatise Channel 4 tomorrow. Ministers say will 'unleash its potential' to compete with Netflix (which is seeing subscribers cancel, is massively in debt and changing business model to start advertising) reuters.com/world/uk/brita…
Just by way of reminder : C4 is owned by the state but does not cost the public anything as it is funded by advertising. It currently has a public service remit you can read about here channel4.com/corporate/abou…
C4 bosses also want to ‘unleash potential’ but warn being sold to a media giant would slash spending on British independent production. On competing with streamers they point out we at #C4News don’t bump into Netflix/Apple war correspondents in Ukraine thetimes.co.uk/article/4232a9…
Govt clearly sees privatisation of C4 as a priority. Some Tory MPs oppose it but with a large majority govt defeat is unlikely. The Lords may amend to safeguard some public service content, the amount of British independent production required and investment outside London
What many look forward to hearing tomorrow is what ministers think C4 would become if sold and the 'potential' was 'unleashed'? Why would being swallowed by Paramount/Comcast/Warner/ITV be better for UK viewers and our TV industry?

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More from @krishgm

Krishnan Guru-Murthy Profile picture
Dec 23, 2021
Can’t quite believe tonight is the last #C4News anchored by @jonsnowC4 - who would require a very long thread to properly do justice to. He’s an extraordinary human being, who’s been there at some of the most amazing moments of history. (1)
He’s always been the most energetic, enthusiastic, committed and questioning TV journalist - who has brought compassion and humanity to his reporting wherever he goes. Viewers love him. And even those politicians who disagree and get angry with him respect him. (2)
He’s been an example to generations of journalists and while being the star, he’s also a team player - he still insists on carrying the tripod, he still goes and buys the coffee. He still has more to say in the meeting than anyone.
Read 6 tweets
Krishnan Guru-Murthy Profile picture
May 23, 2021
Extraordinary thread additions from Cummings ahead of evidence. Suggests if only he, No10 and DHSC paid attention to people such as @devisridhar and had actually watched programmes like #C4News et al they might have prevented tens of thousands deaths, economic disaster and more.
Did they read this, for example? theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Several experts who were derided as lockdown obsessives had wanted to avoid lockdowns, had explained how they might be avoided if Test, Trace and Isolate had ever been actually sorted and pointed to places that had. ‘It’ll never work in UK’ they were told.
Read 5 tweets
Krishnan Guru-Murthy Profile picture
Jul 21, 2018
I used to interview her all the time. Then things changed and it became normal for senior politicians to refuse to account for their actions and defend themselves more often than not. As Ken Clarke told me recently it’s one reason so many voters despise politicians
But it’s also why I respect those like Jacob Rees-Mogg who don’t run away from the argument. It’s easier - and kind of your job - as a backbencher without executive power but I think instinctively he’s one of those who will always take questions.
It started under Labour, got worse under the coalition (who would often just put the Lib Dems out for interviews), and now is worse than anytime I can remember. But I’ve always felt voters want to see their politicians - even those they support - facing the hard questions.
Read 4 tweets

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