Government's Channel 4 privatisation plans accidentally revealed

The paper, labelled 'official - sensitive - commercial', was titled 'Assessment of Channel 4 Corporation reform options'

Clare Hutchison
Friday 25 September 2015 13:07 BST
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Channel 4 launched in 1982
Channel 4 launched in 1982

Channel 4 could be up for sale, it has been revealed, after an official document was captured by a photographer on Downing Street.

The paper, labelled "official - sensitive - commercial", was titled "Assessment of Channel 4 Corporation reform options".

According to the photo, captured by photographer Steve Back, it said: "Work should proceed to examine the options for extracting greater public value for the Channel 4 Corporation (C4C), focusing on privatisation options in particular, whilst protecting its ability to deliver against its remit."

Channel 4 is a public service broadcaster and not-for-profit organisation owned by the government.

Its chairman Lord Burns has reportedly been considering a partial or complete sale to address its budget deficit.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the "government has made no decisions regarding reform of Channel 4".

"Channel 4 has an important remit and we are looking at a range of options as to how to continue to deliver this, including options put forward by Channel 4," the spokesman said.

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