MAYOR of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has backed the Culture Secretary's recommendation that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should drop plans to privatise Channel 4.
Channel 4 was created in 1982 and is entirely funded by advertising, out of public ownership.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said she has “concluded that pursuing a sale at this point is not the right decision and there are better ways to secure C4C’s (Channel 4 Corporation) sustainability and that of the independent production sector”.
Ms Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Finally, we have a Culture Secretary who has listened to those of us who have long argued that the privatisation of Channel 4 made no sense.
“Not only did it risk losing the channel's commitment to diversity and inclusion, but also the vast economic benefits it brings to places like West Yorkshire at a time when the UK economy is crying out for growth and stability.
"If the Government is truly behind levelling up, they should be supporting our creative sectors to be the driving force.
“I hope Ministers can now draw a line under this saga and concentrate on solving the real problems our country is facing.”
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