I have no connection with either the BBC
Guest Blogger – Jack Lai – Chelsea
I make no complaint about the existence of a licence to support a a strong, non commercial, dedicated, impartial, and accurate broadcasting corporation maintaining the utmost levels of integrity in everything they do. The BBC were renowned for their technical expertise and their ruthless impartiality and fairness. However, the BBC ain’t it any more and I do have strong feelings on the level of the licence fee currently and whether it represents value for money. There is no doubt in my mind that it does not as the BBC have departed from their central and impartial role in a desire to become more commercial and competitive. Their programming has now become fragmented and like a straw in the wind. A large number of their more controversial politically sensitive broadcasts now have the feel of government censorship. Since the unmitigated disaster of the news broadcast on the subject of weapons of mass destruction and the tragic death of that expert in the field I have always had doubts on the ability of the BBC to retain it’s independence from successive overbearing government influence in both it’s broadcasts and program content.
It makes sense to think about the heavy, above inflation fee increase as being caused by a massive rise in the number of minority interest or cult and ethnic based programs which have limited appeal to a wide general viewing audience. As said elsewhere the BBC have diluted their claim for a greater increase in the licence fee by obtaining lots of “back door” sponsorship which grinds with their commercial broadcasting counterparts and brings accusations of undue effects on advertising revenue
I was of the opinion that the BBC charter should not have been renewed in 2006. There is consistent evidence of BBC broadcasters persistently “talking up” the economy and other sensitive issues. As there is so much of this there is little doubt that central instructions are being given. The BBC or any other so called independent broadcaster must never be used in such a way.
It is a pity because we do need a British Broadcasting Corporation. We don’t need another series of TV (and it has to be said some of their radio) channels that we have to pay for that do the same thing as all the other ones that are self financing. Somewhere in this mess may be something worth saving that I would be happy to stump up something for, but I am fed up with watching Parliamentary sub committees who have no clue about the subject,rubber stamping the BBC charter in the face of mounting criticism and constructive comments from the commercial operators. But most of all I get pissed by the BBC managers, half of whom in the past proved themselves incompetent, but still retain their attitude of having an unequivocal right to their job and to do whatever they want to just because of who they are.
Personally I am sad to say that in spite of my love for some aspects of the BBC that struggle to remain as part of the mainstream programming and especially it’s local radio stations, I can no longer see any major reason to continue to support the renewal of the charter and consequently the licence fee while the BBC remains in its current form.
Changing the BBC status to self financing will force managers to become more focused.It’s either that or wield the axe heavily on the huge number of stations currently in operation
I have no connection with either the BBC or any commercial media company, but I have in the past worked with managers from the major TV channels and those also from the film industry
Tags: tv license