Cheshire, the former CEO of Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q, served on a business team working for former Prime Minister David Cameron. He also oversaw the selection process under which Tory donor Goldsmith was appointed to the board of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He is the President of Goldsmith’s Investment Company. Cheshire’s appointment was received with surprise and concern by leading broadcasters. Two well-known former Channel 4 names, news presenter Jon Snow and Dorothy Byrne, the former head of news and current affairs, were among those who asked the new chair to protect the public services of the 40-year-old commercial channel. “We have to hope that Sir Ian puts the public good first and it is not just a part of the Conservative government,” Byrne said. “In a world where there is a lot of money for costumes, we must not forget that the broader transmission is vital to democracy.” Cheshire, 62, is a recent business consultant at Whitehall and has previously supported key Conservative policies. Until January 2020 he was president of Barclays UK. He is credited with the turn of Kingfisher plc, where he was managing director until 2015, after a radical restructuring. Channel 4 is owned by the public but funded by commercials. Its privatization has long been targeted by prominent members of the Conservative Party. The appointment this weekend has sparked new fears that the channel’s state ownership remains under threat. Lucy Powell, the shadow culture minister, accused Secretary of Culture Nadine Dorries of appointing a “yes man” to pave the way for the sale of a major British broadcaster in the face of strong opposition to independent production and backbenchers of the Tories ». Jon Snow says he hopes Cheshire will protect the channel’s public service strong points. Photo: Hayley Barlow / Channel 4 News / PA Cheshire’s appointment follows the controversial announcement last month that Michael Grad, a Conservative peer, would be the new president of Ofcom, the national broadcaster of communications technology. Lord Grad was openly skeptical about the value of public service on television. The approval of Great’s appointment last week led to an unexpected intervention by the Conservative chairman of the parliament’s broadcast watch committee. In an official statement, MP Julian Knight said: “The dating process seems to have broken down.” Grade, who has chaired ITV, BBC and Pinewood Shepperton for a long career, was asked last week by members of Knight’s digital, culture, media and sports committee about his knowledge of the digital world. and telecommunications. “The fact that DCMS [the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] “It only took a few hours to put aside our concerns. He reiterates that there are serious underlying issues here.” who has just been appointed chairman of the Charity Committee. “They both have a huge job on their hands and the committee will be there to monitor and help,” Knight concluded. Both appointments were quickly sealed by the culture department, although Knight’s committee had not formally backed Fraser and had expressed concern about Grade’s “clear lack of depth” on social media and cybersecurity issues. Powell said the appointments of Cheshire and Grad meant that key media positions went to the government’s political allies. “Following the appointment of a Tory peer to head Ofcom, this decision smells more friendly,” he said. “Instead of promoting their war on Channel 4, a major lever of creative pursuits outside London, the Tories should focus on independent appointees who can get the job done.” Jamie Stone, a spokesman for the Liberal Democrat culture, said there was an urgent need for “highly independent media like Channel 4” and added: “Given the long-term determination of this government to sell Channel 4, a great British success story, to their wealthy friends in the city. “This appointment needs proper control.” Approving Cheshire for his role as Channel 4, Dorries said he had “an impressive record at the helm of some of Britain’s biggest companies”. Speaking on Saturday, Snow hoped that Cheshire would confuse expectations and protect “the channel’s strengths for the public service”. “I can not believe that the government has time to think about the privatization of Channel 4 now, but unfortunately this seems to be the variant. Sir Ian should have no interest in the broadcast in order to be in favor of privatization. So let’s hope he gets interested in that. “ Byrne, who is now president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, said the right new Channel 4 chair should have the kind of business background that can “help find new business models to sustain its public broadcaster.” . Ideally, this would be someone who is a technician and digital connoisseur, so this is an amazing business appointment. We hope Sir Ian finds out. “It’s vital that we put the interests of the public first and protect Channel 4’s role in reflecting Britain’s diversity.”
