Stakeholder Submissions to the 2021 DCMS Consultation on Ownership of Channel 4

British Screen Forum has published for the first time the full list of 139 organisations identified by DCMS as ‘stakeholders’ who had submitted responses to the 2021 government consultation on selling off Channel 4. In addition to a complete list of the 139 organisations who DCMS defined as ‘stakeholders’ who had made a submission, this document contains links to the consultation responses that stakeholders have agreed to make publicly available.

A copy of this publication can be found under the ‘Reports’ section on our website here.

In a break with normal practice, DCMS had failed to identify respondents or to publish any non-confidential submissions. British Screen Forum obtained the organisation names through a Freedom of Information request and asked each for permission to publish their submission if it was not already in the public domain.

This publication follows the recent announcement by the new Culture Secretary, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, that Ministers will now “re-examine the business case” for selling Channel 4. This also follows a series of private roundtables at which British Screen Forum members have shared views on the issue with Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Select Committee Chairs.

We are very well aware that there are a range of views on this issue – including among our Members – and as an organisation have taken no position on Channel 4’s ownership. That is not changing. However, we do believe that the debate about this important issue should be as open and informed as possible and so this initiative is aimed at insuring that all stakeholders have the fullest possible information with which to frame the debate.