The British government has decided to sell Channel 4, a publicly-owned but commercially funded broadcaster, saying privatisation would allow it to “thrive in the face of a rapidly-changing media landscape.” But the main opposition Labour Party called the move “cultural vandalism,” and a senior Conservative MP questioned if it was intended as the government’s revenge for the channel’s “biased coverage.” Channel 4 was founded in 1982 to deliver to under-served audiences and currently receives its funding from advertising. In a statement issued on April 4, a spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) said that Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries had made the decision to sell the broadcaster and is now consulting with other Cabinet ministers. “We want Channel 4 to flourish and thrive in the face of a rapidly-changing media landscape,” said the spokesperson, adding that privatisation would “give the corporation new freedoms to innovate and …