If we care about the BBC, we must fight to defend it

[oldironside]

"There is a scandal in British politics that is passing almost unnoticed in the night. It will alter the ecology of our politics – and our culture – in ways that will damage us for decades to come.

There is one thing most British people think we do best: broadcasting. A recent ICM poll found that 77 per cent think the BBC is an institution to be proud of, and 63 per cent say it is good value for money. This makes the BBC by a long way the most popular public institution in Britain – yet both main political parties are lining up to happy-slap Auntie. The link between the licence fee and the Beeb is about to be broken by a Labour government, and a Tory government will sweep in and widen the gap, while unleashing a snarling pack of Fox News-style hounds across the rest of the channels. And for what? To win the favour of a foreign right-wing billionaire."

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-if-we-care-about-the-bbc-we-must-fight-to-defend-it-1796270.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Although it doesn't surprise me, I hadn't heard the Tories will scrap impartiality rules

Though they admitted this last year - an interview with the shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt:

One point of difference between the main parties on broadcasting is the Conservatives' idea that non-public service news services should be freed from rules on impartiality. With video-rich websites already operated by newspapers, and what the shadow media minister regards as a blurring of edges between digital TV and IPTV, he thinks the case for having a range of opinionated news channels in a free society is self evident.

Would he object if Sky News morphed into a UK version of Fox News? “It is not going to happen. Sky News knows that audiences want it to remain an impartial news channel. It is not pushing to relax the impartiality requirement because it's very happy with it.”

But would it matter if Rupert Murdoch owned two TV news channels in Britain? “The important thing is not whether a particular owner owns another TV channel but to make sure you have a variety of owners with a variety of TV channels so that no one owner has a dominant position both commercially and politically.

“Rather than worry about Rupert Murdoch owning another TV channel, what we should recognise is that he has probably done more to create variety and choice in British TV than any other single person because of his huge investment in setting up Sky TV which, at one point, was losing several million pounds a day.

“We would be the poorer and wouldn't be saying that British TV is the envy of the world if it hadn't been for him being prepared to take that commercial risk. We need to encourage that kind of investment.”

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/interview-jeremy-hunt/1797590.article

Wow - what a brown-noser. There will indeed be big trouble for British TV if Hunt is allowed to get his hands on the culture portfolio in government. Murdoch's contribution to British TV has consisted of expensive sport channels. To credit him with making British TV 'the best in the world' is ridiculous.

[oldironside]

2. I bet Murdoch can hardly wait...

... for these bastards to get into power. It will be like Thatcherism without the stern moral compass. Anyone want to buy a country? Yes, sir, you, the elderly Australian gentleman at the back.

[LeftishBrit]

3. He's bought a lot of it already

And it looks at though his son is waiting in the wings. Who needs democracy when you can have your very own 21st century brand of monarchy?

[T_i_B]

4. Yet the Tories are the biggest whiners about "bias" in the media

Just shows what a bunch of hypocrites they all are.

Anyway, I think it's time for me to re-post the 38 Degrees Stand Up For The BBC petition

http://38degrees.org.uk/page/s/BBCStandup#

The BBC is a great British institution, respected the world over. We don't want to see it undermined. This means we must:

- Protect the BBC's funding by preserving the license fee, and the clarity that comes with the current funding model.

- Help the BBC develop by putting first value for money and quality of service for license fee payers, not the commercial interests of rival media companies.

- Ensure the BBC's independence by preventing politicians from interfering in its day-to-day running, keeping the corporation impartial and independent, working in the best interests of and accountable to the British people.