US TV giants Paramount and Discovery are said to be vying with ITV and Sky to buy Channel 4 for £1billion and take it out of public ownership amid years of rows over its treatment of the Conservatives.
She tweeted last night: 'I have come to the conclusion that government ownership is holding Channel 4 back from competing against streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon'. Ministers deny they are pursuing any vendetta, with Ms Dorries pushing ahead with plans to sell the broadcaster in what will be the biggest disposal of a state-owned asset since Royal Mail in 2013. Labour has called the decision 'cultural vandalism' - but some viewers have pondered whether a new owner might improve on shows such as Naked Attraction - an uncensored nude dating show repeatedly branded the 'worst programme ever shown on TV'. Labour and Channel 4 stars today accused the Government of deciding to sell the broadcaster for £1billion because of a 'petty vendetta' against its left-wing news bulletins and personal attacks on the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Ĭritics have claimed Nadine Dorries' pledge to take it out of public ownership is 'payback' for 'biased coverage', including of Brexit and climate change, with one hysterical MP branding it 'fascism'.