Sir David Attenborough accuses ministers of ‘political attacks’ on television channels
Naturalist’s intervention comes amid speculation that the government will privatise Channel 4
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Your support makes all the difference.Sir David Attenborough has accused the government of making “political and financial attacks” against British television channels.
The famous naturalist’s intervention comes amid reports that the government will soon announce the privatisation of Channel 4.
Ministers have also been criticised recently for making political capital of the publication of the Dyson report into how Martin Bashir secured his infamous BBC interview with Princess Diana in 1995, with culture secretary Oliver Dowden declaring that the organisation required far-reaching “cultural change”.
The 95-year-old television presenter became the latest public figure to criticise the government for “short-sighted” attacks against British television channels.
Sir David made his opinion known by expressing his support for the British Broadcasting Challenge campaign, which seeks “an open and transparent debate” about the future of public service broadcasting.
The group has told the culture secretary that public broadcasters are too important to be “tainted by any sense of party politics or political agenda”, adding that the privatisation of Channel 4 is “a major decision with far-reaching consequences”.
In an open letter to Mr Dowden, the British Broadcasting Challenge campaign condemned the government for ignoring Cabinet Office guidelines by discussing these issues in secret and by not publishing their agenda.
The campaign said that the country should “build up our Great British public service broadcasters rather than diminish them”, arguing that their “soft power” is a “significant national asset” in the post-Brexit world.
As well as Sir David, other signatories to the campaign include the author Salman Rushdie and the actor Hugh Grant.
Alex Mahon, the head of Channel 4, warned on Tuesday that the government should not do anything “irreversible” to the organisation, which could “possibly damage some of those things that we do for the sector”.
She added that the broadcaster was “financially in a really strong position”, suggesting that the government should only act to make it “stronger”.
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