Dorries contradicts herself – badly – over sale of Channel 4
Not making sense: Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has been telling us that Channel 4 must be sold because it is not making enough in advertising revenue – but it is in fact making record profits. Confronted with that fact, she said that means now is a good time to sell it. So it IS all about making money, then!
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has come badly unstuck on her reasons for selling Channel 4.
Giving evidence to the Commons Culture Committee on Thursday (May 19), she said Channel 4 is dependent on just one stream of revenue – advertising – but income is falling as advertisers have more choice. She claimed Netflix would be a better option.
And the government cannot allow Channel 4 to borrow to invest, because the taxpayer would be liable for those debts, she said. This actually does make sense of one of the restrictions on the channel’s funding.
But later in the session, the SNP’s John Nicolson pointed out that Channel 4 is currently making record profits – belying what Dorries has been saying about advertising revenue.
Her response?
“That means it would be a good time to sell.”
This is a woman who – like the character Eccles in The Goon Show – refuses to be defeated by logic.
If someone tried to make her understand how gravity works, we may reasonably expect her to say – like Eccles did – that she stays on the ground because she lives there.
What a goon.
And her answer reveals that this sale is not about what’s best for Channel 4.
It’s about making fast money for a spendthrift government.
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She also said that 96% of people who responded to a government consultation were in favour of selling it off, whereas in fact 96% were AGAINST the sell off.
Yes – here’s a link to video of it: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dorries-falsely-claims-96-surveyed-153921987.html