Lord Gordon of Strathblane
Main Page: Lord Gordon of Strathblane (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Gordon of Strathblane's debates with the Leader of the House
(8 years, 11 months ago)
Lords ChamberWhat we are doing is looking at the options in an objective way, engaging with Channel 4, and in the fullness of time—in due course, as they say—we will reach conclusions.
Even if one takes the Minister’s reply at face value and is reassured by it, she surely must recognise that if Channel 4 were to be privatised, that capital would have to be serviced, either by dividends paid to investors or interest paid to those who provided loans. That would represent money that would otherwise have gone to creative programming—surely an undesirable outcome.
I can understand the noble Lord’s comments but we have to look objectively at all the options in the light of the changing media market and the needs of Channel 4 and its viewers.