If your figures are correct why not keep it and sell the BBC ?

No in answer to the OP.

Governments should not own broadcasters. C4 maybe be making money but there has been times when it hasn't.

Sell it off and give it the freedom to decide what type of broadcaster it wants to be. If they want to be like the Guardian so be it.

One more point

I can't see any reason for a privatisation, it is no drain on the taxpayer.

C4 was a bright innovation with its excellent news and it is still genuinely different.

Formula 1 among its many coups.

What is the purpose of a privatisation, Jon Snow is leaving that tells you something.

Lest we forget C4 is a Thatcher project that was set up to fund and boost British programming by investing it's profits back into the industry.

Given it continues to have much better output than the likes of ITV and C5, and has produced a healthy surplus in recent years I cannot fathom why it urgently needs to be privatised by the govt.

That is unless you consider how it challenges the current govt, and boy do they not like being held to account!

Any of those on here who truly cannot stand cancel culture should be up in arms...

Edited by Wilesy01 (24 Jun 2021 1.14pm)

Because a private company would not be obligated to invest it's profits back into British programming, nor would they willingly invest into creating creative hubs outside of London as C4 have done in Leeds and Bristol.

I would also point out that C4 only publishes content, it doesn't actually own it hence selling it off would not raise any significant sum for the govt (saw a figure of around £1bn quoted in the FT)

So why the rush to privatise it?

These numbers from Channel 4 accounts so can't vouch for the veracity

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.