\u201cI will seek to reinvest the proceeds of the sale into levelling up the creative sector, putting money into independent production and creative skills in priority parts of the country \u2013 delivering a creative dividend for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the government launched a consultation into the move last year, it outlined the potential advantages of selling Channel 4 to a private company.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are constraints that come with public ownership, and a new owner could bring access and benefits, including access to capital, to strategic partnerships and to the international markets,\u201d it said at the time. \u201cPrivate investment would mean more content, and more jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

However, the move has proved controversial, with Channel 4 calling the news \u201cdisappointing\u201d and a host of TV industry figures hitting back at the decision.<\/p>\n

Saoirse-Monica Jackson recently told BBC News<\/a> that shows like Derry Girls would \u201cwould never get made\u201d by a privatised Channel 4, and called the news \u201cdevastating\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Meanwhile, Armando Iannucci wrote in The Guardian<\/a> that \u201cthe truth is, though, it\u2019s not the government that owns Channel 4: we, the public, do\u201d, and said \u201cthe debate on Channel 4 isn\u2019t over\u201d.<\/p>\n

Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp also spoke out on the government\u2019s announcement, claiming that, if Channel 4 is sold, \u201c[p]rofit will be king and the passion and inclusion of Channel 4 will be lost\u201d.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s just get this out of the way, LLL makes a fortune for C4, shows like mine are very unlikely to be axed, it\u2019s news & current affairs, and cutting edge dramas which are likely to be thinned out. Profit will be king and the passion & inclusion of Channel 4 will be lost. https:\/\/t.co\/8wPGn1fo2r<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Kirstie Allsopp (@KirstieMAllsopp) April 4, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>