Privatization of U.K.’s Channel 4 Officially Scrapped  

It’s official: the controversial plan to privatize U.K. network Channel 4 has been canceled.

The news was announced by the British culture secretary Michelle Donelan on Thursday, just a day after a letter of hers to Rishi Sunak in which she recommended against going ahead with the sale was leaked.

The decision represents a dramatic u-turn by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government to that of Boris Johnson, which was forging ahead with privatization proposals last year under then culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

“Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries” said Donelan. “After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold.”

More to come