Channel Five

EDM number 1093 in 1994-95, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 09/05/1995.

That this House is concerned that the Channel Five bidding is likely to become yet another farce as damaging in its consequences as the third channel bidding arising from the Broadcasting Act 1990; and urges the Independent Television Commission to reopen the bids for Channel Five in view of the apparent collusion by two competitors who have come up with identical bids despite the enormous odds against this, and who can, if asked to submit further bids for a run-off, exploit the apparent loophole in the invitation to apply by making the further bids lower, thus robbing the Treasury and creating the possibility of getting the channel on the cheap, in a way which would be unfair to both the highest and the lowest bidders, whatever its benefits in further discrediting the ludicrous bidding procedure. (Relevant registered interest declared)

This motion has been signed by a total of 16 MPs.