$12.$ In developing a competitive position, deciding what 'channels' to use is one of the key decision areas.

Which of the statements below is NOT true?

A$.$ A channel is a means by which the products or services will be sold to the customer

B$.$ A channel of communication is another way of saying what medium will be used to provide information to the customers

C$.$ A channel is a chain of entities through which the product or service passes until it reaches the end customer

D$.$ A channel is a sales distribution network which is always directly owned by the company producing the product or service