C4 CEO: ‘Government policy may change’
September 27, 2022
Colin Mann @ RTS London Convention 2022
Alex Mahon, CEO at UK public service broadcaster Channel 4, has acknowledged that the change in leadership of the governing Conservative Party and arrival of a new Secretary of State with responsibility for the broadcast sector, may impact on the previously announced intention to privatise the service.
“Where we are now is that the government are re-examining the business case,” she told delegates at the RTS London Convention 2022, during an interview with journalist and presenter Amol Rajan. “We’re in discussion with the DCMS. Quite a lot has changed in the UK since July, it’s a government decision and policy may change with a new government,” she admitted.”
As to earlier suggestions that Channel 4 need to be privatised to enable it to complete with global streaming services such as Netflix, she described Netflix as “a brilliant service, but Channel 4 is here to provide public service broadcasting that is interrogative, challenging and at times specific to Britain.”