1. Origins as a bulwark against ‘subversion’
2. It failed its first test of independence
3. In bed with MI5
4. Soft (and not so soft) power
5. Pillars of a Tory Establishment
6. Pro-business bias
7. The BBC’s impartiality is not so impartial
8. A state broadcaster
I find the licencing model bizarre and it’s that way because it’s designed to make it feel as if auntie is separate from state when in fact that is not at all true.
The output of the BBC has never been an issue however the quasi tax that they hire capita to enforce is.
Many are getting wise to the fact now they don’t need to pay if they don’t wish to use the services.
Long term that means a decision needs to be made whether to allow the corporation and the power it wields to shrink as licence payments do or give up all pretence of government separation and just collect the fee from taxes.
A subscription model would utterly decimate income and that’s why it’s not even on the cards. Using capita and their FUD as heavies to ensure granny is paying, well that is just far more profitable…at least for now.
The Beeb is an empty vessel. It’s not innately a bad thing. The author is cherry-picking the times it’s been used to empower authority, but it’s also been used as the cornerstone of British people’s connection to culture for the past 100 years. Most people in the UK have watched most of their TV shows, movies, music concerts, comedy shows, documentaries and of course news, on the BBC. It’s all down to who’s in charge, it would be as simple as flicking a switch to turn it back again.
3 comments
Here you go:
1. Origins as a bulwark against ‘subversion’
2. It failed its first test of independence
3. In bed with MI5
4. Soft (and not so soft) power
5. Pillars of a Tory Establishment
6. Pro-business bias
7. The BBC’s impartiality is not so impartial
8. A state broadcaster
I find the licencing model bizarre and it’s that way because it’s designed to make it feel as if auntie is separate from state when in fact that is not at all true.
The output of the BBC has never been an issue however the quasi tax that they hire capita to enforce is.
Many are getting wise to the fact now they don’t need to pay if they don’t wish to use the services.
Long term that means a decision needs to be made whether to allow the corporation and the power it wields to shrink as licence payments do or give up all pretence of government separation and just collect the fee from taxes.
A subscription model would utterly decimate income and that’s why it’s not even on the cards. Using capita and their FUD as heavies to ensure granny is paying, well that is just far more profitable…at least for now.
The Beeb is an empty vessel. It’s not innately a bad thing. The author is cherry-picking the times it’s been used to empower authority, but it’s also been used as the cornerstone of British people’s connection to culture for the past 100 years. Most people in the UK have watched most of their TV shows, movies, music concerts, comedy shows, documentaries and of course news, on the BBC. It’s all down to who’s in charge, it would be as simple as flicking a switch to turn it back again.