Tuesday newspaper round-up: Channel 4, fuel crisis, Monzo

The UK fuel crisis could run another week, fuel retailers have warned, as military tanker drivers took to the roads to relieve pressure on petrol stations. One in five forecourts in London and the south-east of England were still out of fuel on Monday, according to the Petrol Retailers Association, compared with just 8% across the rest of the country, where the shortage appears to be almost over. - Guardian

More than 40 small TV and film production companies behind shows such as Derry Girls and Say Yes to the Dress have come together to warn that the government’s proposed privatisation of Channel 4 could put them out of business. The 44 companies, dotted across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire, have taken out a full-page advertisement in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Telegraph – apparently timed to hit readers during the Conservative party conference in Manchester. - Guardian

Households would be forced to spend almost £700 a year more on their food bills if supermarket supply chains were broken up, data suggest, after a Tory MP declared war on the grocers. Analysis of Kantar figures by The Telegraph suggests a shift away from supermarkets would have drastic consequences for consumers, who typically pay a premium for staple products when they shop at smaller stores. - Telegraph

Britain may have to build more polluting gas-fired power stations to help keep the lights on in coming winters, the boss of one of the country’s biggest energy groups has suggested. Alistair Phillips-Davies, chief executive of SSE, said it was not “beyond the realms of possibility” that more such plants would be needed because of the “issues” the energy system was facing. - The Times

Monzo has suffered a blow to its transatlantic expansion ambitions after withdrawing its US banking licence application before it was rejected by regulators. The fintech company, known for its distinctive coral-coloured cards, applied in April last year and had hoped that its experience of gaining a full UK banking licence would have helped it succeed where many of its peers have failed. However, in recent talks with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) it is understood it had been made clear to Monzo that its application was unlikely to succeed. - The Times