Former Channel 4 chair urges the broadcaster to drop its non-profit status
Michael Bishop, the former chair of UK public broadcaster Channel 4 has stated that it may be time for the company to drop its non-profit status in a bid to differentiate it from the publically-owned BBC.
Channel 4
The Guardian reports that Bishop, who was vital in blocking privatisation of Channel 4 back in the 90s has now adopted a new stance as the role of public broadcaster adjust to a more global media scene.
“Britain doesn’t need two publicly owned broadcasters,” he said, claiming that the internet and other outlets is already providing the public with a lot of content. Instead, he claimed the BBC should be the only public broadcaster with the government instead opting to hold a share in a for-profit Channel 4.
He claimed that running Channel 4 with private shareholders would cut spending and give it room to grow, stating: "Not for profit is not a corporate philosophy that is appropriate for Channel 4.”