Controversial plans to privatize Channel 4 are set to be dropped as British PM Rishi Sunak reassesses campaign and policy pledges made by his past two predecessors and gears up to set his own legislative agenda, according to new reports.
Sunak’s office has signaled his decision to scrap the sale of Channel 4 to industry heads and throughout Whitehall, the FT reported Friday morning.
The sale is expected to be dropped from the upcoming media bill. The plans to sell Channel 4 were initially drawn up under Boris Johnson.
The public service broadcaster is owned by the state but self-funded through advertising. Rishi Sunak had previously backed the decision during his failed campaign to become Conservative party leader earlier this summer, arguing that the channel needed a commercial owner to help it compete with streamers like Netflix.
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