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The Media Show: Channel 4 privatisation, Freeview Play, Corbyn's press jokes, Local World sale talks

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30/09/2015

Channel 4 privatisation, Freeview Play, Corbyn's press jokes, Local World sale talks

BBC Radio 4 - The Media Show, Channel 4 privatisation, Freeview Play, Corbyn's press jokes, Local World sale talks

Channel 4 privatisation, Freeview Play, Corbyn's press 'jokes', and Local World sale talks

Steve Hewlett explores plans to privatise Channel 4, the launch of Freeview Play, Trinity Mirror's talks to buy Local World and Jeremy Corbyn's 'jokes' about the press.

Plans to privatise Channel 4 have been revealed after documents were photographed as they were carried into Downing Street. A sale would raise an estimated £1bn for the Treasury. Steve Hewlett talks to David Elstein, former chief executive of Channel 5, about the potential benefits of having Channel 4 in private hands. Also joining him is historian and journalist Maggie Brown who explains the challenges the broadcaster would face in delivering its public remit, should it be accountable to shareholders, rather than the government.

New Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn began his maiden Party Conference speech with jokes aimed at the national press. He went on to talk about media commentators who have 'sneered' at the growth in Labour's popularity, and called for an end to cyberbullying. It's not the first time he's criticised the press - recently describing headlines about himself as 'unpleasant' and 'unfair'. Steve Hewlett talks to Fraser Nelson of The Spectator about the growing hostility between Corbyn and the media.

The free to air TV service Freeview is launching Freeview Play this week. It's a new TV catch up service bringing together BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 on demand services. Steve asks Caroline Thomson, Chair of Digital UK, the organisation behind Freeview, why people would buy a box when there are so many packages on offer?

Trinity Mirror is in talks to buy the shares of Local World it does not already own. Local World is one of the largest media networks in the UK - with over 100 print titles and 70 websites. The Daily Mail and General Trust currently own just over 38% of the business. So why does it want to sell, and why would Trinity Mirror want to buy? Ian Whittaker, media analyst with Liberum, explains.

Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

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