Channel 4 to be sold?

[the wombats]

The Treasury is reportedly considering a plan to raise £1bn by selling Channel 4. According to The Times, advisers to Gordon Brown are looking at both the political and economic arguments for a privatisation of the broadcaster, even though the Labour Party had a manifesto commitment to keep Channel 4 in public ownership.

The Times said prime minister-designate Brown would remove culture secretary Tessa Jowell within his first 100 days. Jowell has been an advocate of keeping Channel 4 in public ownership.

According to The Times, Five parent RTL Group and BSkyB are likely to be interested in bidding for Channel 4.

Earlier this month Channel 4 unveiled a 5% increase in turnover to a record £937m in 2006, but the group's cash surplus fell by 70% to £14.5m as Channel 4 invested in new programming and on-demand distribution.

Last month a report for Ofcom produced by consulting group LEK warned that Channel 4 was likely to be loss making after 2010.

:@ sky better not buy it. i'm not sure about the government side of things though....

http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?id=2447

[Eamonn]

They can sell C4? Woah what would like happen if it got sold? I am confused :(

[the wombats]

They can sell C4? Woah what would like happen if it got sold? I am confused :(

if the government get it then it will be more political, if sky get it then it will be fat americans, and if channel 5 get it then it will be crap.

[LondonGoons]

lmao thats true ^

[Crimson]

I love C4, its the only channel i watch! D: If it changes dramatically i will cry.

[xxMATTGxx]

Well I'm not having Sky buying it :l

[Helga]

Ugh, they better not.

[mat64]

Sky replied with the following message:

http://zoom.cafepress.com/8/1300838_zoom.jpg

[the wombats]

Sky replied with the following message:

http://zoom.cafepress.com/8/1300838_zoom.jpg

a picture involving loads of money would of been better.

[mat64]

a picture involving loads of money would of been better.

Well if you find that image do let me know, That was a 2 minutes spent on Google and not surprisingly the only thing that came up was the classic Uncle Sam picture.

[PriceTags]

if the government get it then it will be more political, if sky get it then it will be fat americans, and if channel 5 get it then it will be crap.

The BBC isn't political?
If Sky got it, there'd be more Simpsons and Futurama, and stuff.
If RTL get it, it wouldn't exactly be like Channel 5. They know their stuff as they run 34 television and 33 radio stations in 12 countries and It is one of the world's leading producers of television content such as Idol, X Factor and The Bill.

[Eamonn]

Well umm.. I will buy it! With my money tree.

[Jordy]

I've got £70 cause I've been saving up, so I'm not to far off atleast, you never know :)

Nah, I like it how it is. Channel 4 takes a risky approach to television and I don't like Sky, they've been mean to virgin media, stole all the sport off ITV and the BBC and they're getting to big (Like Tesco's but hey atleast Tesco's is decent!)

[Seacat]

Wow I didn't even know the Treasury owned Channel 4 - I only thought it was the BBC channels they owned... You learn something new everyday. :p

[Invent]

I'd prefer Sky to get it tbh.

Better show scheduling, better shows overall oh and they will probably show LOST on C4 then on E4 again :D

[:Hazel]

I'd prefer no one to get it ;l

[Jordie]

I'd prefer no one to get it ;l

i second that.

[Bear-Max]

if the government get it then it will be more political, if sky get it then it will be fat americans, and if channel 5 get it then it will be crap.
Erm, the Government does own C4.

I'm not sure I want it privatised. C4 is a very independant channel and has a great ethos and identity. It offers something different from the other channels and I think it being taken over by money-hungry, talent show-promoting, late-night phone-in abusing corporation would be a loss to the broadcasting industry.

[Earthquake]

I don't want sky or NTL buying it.. I want bbc to buy it so theirs no adverts! Also I wonder what will happen to big brother!

[Willz]

I don't want sky or NTL buying it.. I want bbc to buy it so theirs no adverts! Also I wonder what will happen to big brother!
NTL isn't around anymore.

[Hurts]

Virgin media should buy it! I like channel four, the only channel i seem to watch.

[Shawnstra]

Is it a big channel on UK?

[You]

All the basic channels suck. (bbc 1&2 ITV, C4 & 5) imo. So it wouldn't make a difference who gets it.

[Earthquake]

I would love channel4 to become a music channel ONLY.

[Samster]

who cares, never any decent programmes on it

[Carlos]

i want sulake to buy it?

o lol!