Nadine Dorries made a schoolboy error about Channel 5 and was owned into next week
Culture secretary Nadine Dorries is ploughing ahead with the privatisation of Channel 4 despite the vast majority of creatives and anyone who has had anything to do with the channel telling her it’s a terrible idea.
Dorries has just been on LBC telling presenter Iain Dale why she’s right and they’re all wrong.
In particular, she was at pains to point out how successful Channel 5 has been since it was privatised. Only one problem – Channel 5 has never been privatised.
I love how @NadineDorries justifies privatising Channel 4 by claiming that Channel 5 was privatised 3 to 5 years ago. Channel 5 launched in 1997 as a private business as a result of a franchise auction but I guess you couldn’t expect the Culture Secretary to know this 🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/9kbQVHZM3t
— Benjamin Cohen (@benjamincohen) April 28, 2022
Absolutely damning.
Not that it will do anything to alter her plans, or persuade anyone that maybe she might not be 100% the right person for the Culture Secretary job.
Here are just a few of the things people were saying about it today.
1.
The Culture Secretary, selling off Channel4 which she wrongly believed was funded by tax payers, now using the success of selling off a Channel which was never owned by the Government as a good example… I mean, a 30 second google if you are too lazy to be across your brief!! https://t.co/lsYHrtgEYy
— Deborah Meaden 🇺🇦 (@DeborahMeaden) April 28, 2022
2.
What? How can the Minister in charge believe Channel 5 was privatised? It’s always been a private entity although with different owners. How can she not know this? https://t.co/mpGt5ksqCv
— Adil Ray OBE (@adilray) April 28, 2022
3.
Channel 5 has never been in public ownership, therefore never privatised.
But hey, when you consistently don't have a scooby doo, what does a bit more bullshit and misinformation matter? 🤣
— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) April 28, 2022
4.
Is there anyone in the world who knows less about their own job than Nadine Dorries? https://t.co/vNE9XHfuro
— Greg Herriett (@greg_herriett) April 28, 2022
5.
She can't be this stupid – surely? https://t.co/TfJ1FxleJr
— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) April 29, 2022
6.
Nadine Dorries blocked me (as she does anyone else) for pointing out she made one of her million mistakes. It is beyond a disaster that she has any sort of power over anything. https://t.co/8GmtU3uiQ6
— Max Rushden 💛🖤 (@maxrushden) April 28, 2022
7.
Is there something one can take to get Nadine-level confidence? https://t.co/cJqhWXwpmX
— James A Wong (@Botanygeek) April 29, 2022
Dorries then got in touch with Benjamin Cohen, the chief executive of Pink News who shared the original clip that went viral.
And it was everything that you’d expect from the Culture Secretary – and more.
Yes, I misspoke- it was 2014 when Viacom bought C5 – a public service broadcaster – resulting in increased private investment, not a few years ago! However, the substance of my point remains exactly the same. But, you nit pick away if that’s what makes you really happy.
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) April 28, 2022
Cohen naturally replied.
You stated “privatised” twice. It was never publicly owned. This is not misspeaking. This is not understanding your brief at all. Can I ask would you like C4 to be US owned like C5 then?
— Benjamin Cohen (@benjamincohen) April 28, 2022
And Dorries, who has expressed such concern about the tone and language people use on Twitter, had this to say.
You have no interest in the sale of C4. From about 25 Qs in spoken interview today, you chose to focus on the few seconds I misspoke even though it did not alter the substance of my point.
You are only interested in personally attacking me, something you are making a habit of.— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) April 28, 2022
Cohen’s responses was 10/10.
I do have an interest. I used to work for @channel4news and I’m the CEO of a UK based digital media company reaching over 100m users around the world with most of our users in the US. It’s just we target LGBTQ+ people and Genz, both of which I guess you are disinterested in.
— Benjamin Cohen (@benjamincohen) April 28, 2022
I’d also say, someone pointing out a huge factual error in what you said should have seen you humbly correcting yourself, rather than blocking an unblocking someone who literally runs one of the fastest growing businesses in the sector you seek to represent at cabinet
— Benjamin Cohen (@benjamincohen) April 28, 2022
And so was this.
For someone so keen to privatise stuff, Nadine sure does make a habit of being publically owned. https://t.co/ijYRdLRszo
— Chay (@chayground) April 29, 2022
In conclusion …
Nadine Dorries is simply not up to the job. Not even close.
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) April 29, 2022
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Source Twitter @benjamincohen