Abraham attacks, Dacre departs and the ads 'don't work'

Channel 4 chief David Abraham has criticised the government’s ‘interference’ in appointing members to the channel’s board. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

MediaGuardian’s top stories

Channel 4 boss attacks government interference after board veto

Daily Mail group refuses to rule out sale of newspaper titles

Paul Dacre to step down as chair of journalists’ code of practice committee

Andrew Sachs, Manuel from Fawlty Towers, dies aged 86

Burst your bubble: five conservative articles to read this week

Best of the rest

The 2016 crop of Great British Bake Off contestants Photograph: Mark Bourdillon/BBC/PA

Great British Bake Off : BBC and Channel 4 in bust-up as show makers start search for new contestants (Mirror)

CNN’s coverage of Trump was biased, presidential candidates’ aides say (New York Times)

AT&T’s $85bn Time Warner: Fears ebb of Trump blocking deal (Financial Times £)

‘Sons of Anarchy’ spinoff pilot ordered at FX, ‘Mayans MC’ will shoot in March (Variety)

UK government spent nearly £5m last year advertising with Sun, Times and Mail titles (Press Gazette)

And finally...

Jane McTeer in Marks & Spencer’s Christmas ad Photograph: Marks & Spencer

All the money, time and fuss expended on the big Christmas ads may not be having much impact, according to a poll suggesting they do little to influence where people spend their money.