Celebrities and Yorkshire production companies back campaign to prevent privatisation of Channel 4

The campaign, which is supported by 27 production companies ranging from Leeds’ True North to Duck Soup Films, has the backing of the Archbishop of York.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s privatization plans have long come under fire, including within his own party, with former Minister Jesse Norman calling the move “unnecessary and provocative”.

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But the government insists it has already decided to sell the channel and has made it “crystal clear” that privatization is needed to give Channel 4 the best tools for innovation and growth.

The home of Channel 4 in Leeds. The majestic town square. Image: Simon Hulme

Now the campaign, dubbed ‘Channel 4 Ain’t Broke’, brings together voices of Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney with television writers and the Bishops of Ripon and Leeds.

The Leeds-based channel invests heavily in Northern talent through independent production companies representing Northern voices.

The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nicholas Baines, warns today: “The plan to sell Channel 4 is ideologically driven and therefore short-sighted and wrong.

“Channel 4 is on the rise, which is good for our region. It’s not broken – so the government shouldn’t try to fix it.”

Channel 4’s London Headquarters on Horseferry Road

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Channel 4 opposes privatization and publishes a “new vision” for its future

And Andrew Sheldon, founder and creative director of Leeds-based True North, emphasized the channel’s role in enhancing business, employment and educational opportunities.

“It opens the door for more working-class and northern voices to tell our stories on national television,” he said.

“It’s given a generation of talent a door to knock on without having to travel to London.”

The campaign is coordinated by We Own It, which argues that Channel 4 is giving the country’s economy £1bn.

It underscores concerns that privatization could hit the government’s agenda with a 35 percent drop in regional jobs and putting dozens of companies at risk.

The Archbishop of York is one of the supporters who has long been pushing for the station’s work to be recognized within the independent sector as part of the process. The Most Distinguished Stephen Cottrell was also a previous member of a House of Lords selection committee, which warned that the risks of such a move would “outweigh any potential benefits”.

Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney said: “Channel 4 is a huge success story and Derry Girls would not have come into being without it – it’s something to be proud of, not something to destroy.”

The Bishop of Ripon, Rt. Rev. Dr. Helen-Ann Hartley, Chair of the Sandford St Martin Trust, said: “We believe that one of the many risks associated with privatization would be the decline in the provision of religious and ethical content on the channel.

“Channel 4’s current public service mission is at the forefront of promoting tolerance and understanding across a range of social differences. We want to keep it there.”

A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “The Government, as the ultimate owner of Channel 4, has made the decision to sell it.

“Our task is to consider the long term how best to ensure the channel’s most prosperous future and we recognize that a change of ownership is necessary to give Channel 4 the tools to function in a rapidly changing environment pace to innovate and grow across the media landscape without the constraints of public ownership.”

Independent manufacturing in the UK is booming, the Department argues, with revenues reaching £3bn in 2019.

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