The Government should ditch Channel 4 privatisation proposals - The Yorkshire Post says

It culminated with the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) seeking to privatise the national broadcaster.

The business case for selling off Channel 4 has always been flawed.

Ms Dorries said that public ownership was holding the broadcaster back from competing with the likes of Netflix.

But in reality, Channel 4 is different to Netflix and comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.

The broadcaster is unique in that while it is publicly owned, the channel is funded through advertising.

Just as the business case is flawed, the broadcaster continues to be financially viable despite the advent of on demand streaming platforms, so is the economic case when it comes to Yorkshire.

Its move to Leeds has led to a creative cluster forming around the broadcaster with a growing TV market.

Channel 4 itself has brought 400 jobs to the region and there is scope for more.

That is why it is welcome to hear the new Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan say that the Government is re-examining the case for privatisation.

A lot has been said of the economic virtues of levelling up but its importance culturally must not be overlooked either.

While levelling up was conspicuously absent from Liz Truss’s early public addresses since becoming Prime Minister, the Government would give hope to a lot of people who are quickly losing faith in the concept if it were to ditch this ill-thought policy of privatising Channel 4.