Controversial plan scrapped after discussions between ministers, network, independent production sector LONDON: The UK government confirmed on Thursday that the free-to-air public broadcast television network Channel 4 will not be privatized. The network, which is independently operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation, will remain under public control. However, it will undergo profound structural changes to support its long-term sustainability and growth, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said. “Channel 4 is a British success story and a linchpin of our booming creative industries. After reviewing the business case and engaging with the relevant sectors, I have decided that Channel 4 should not be sold,” Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said in a statement. “This announcement will bring huge opportunities across the UK with Channel 4’s commitment to double their skills investment to £10 million ($12 million) and double the number of jobs outside of London. “The package will also safeguard the future of our world-leading independent production sector. We will work closely with them to add new protections such as increasing the amount of content C4C must commission from independent producers.” The move was anticipated on Tuesday when a letter by Donelan advising Prime Minister Rishi Sunk against the controversial privatization plan leaked to the public. The announcement comes after months-long discussions with Channel 4 and the independent production sector. As part of the package of new measures, the DCMS said Channel 4 will increase its commercial flexibility and investment in skills and jobs across the UK. The network will also enjoy greater decision-making power over its own content, and a new statutory duty on its board members to protect the broadcaster’s long-term financial sustainability. Alex Mahon, chief executive of Channel 4, was said to be “delighted” about the decision, and promised that the network’s impact will continue to grow. She said: “The principle of public ownership for Channel 4 is now set for the foreseeable future, a decision which allows us to be even more of a power in the digital world. “Channel 4 is innovative, editorially brilliant, and loved by audiences that others don’t reach, most of all the young and underrepresented. “In the analogue world, we did this spectacularly; now, in the digital era, we are doing it again.”