BBC licence fee – justifiable?
Just imagine that you had to pay National Rust £147 to access the Internet and you would be subjected to our own views of woman’s issues.
But that is exactly what I felt when with a heavy heart I paid my licence fee yesterday.
It seemed to me that the BBC has moved a long way from Lord Reith’s mission statement “to inform, educate and entertain”. I certainly find little to entertain and would substitute irritate for inform and educate.
The BBC have more or less destroyed commercial “pop” radio; gave protection to Jimmy Savile and collusion with the Met over the Cliff Richard arrest – both rightly generated national opprobrium: there is a sisterhood promoting female sport and many arts reviews and programmes carry their own overriding feminist agendas.
Yet it rolls on regardless, taking our money. Whereas even a few years ago I would have Today on the radio from its start, now I listen to the headlines and switch to the soothing tones of Classic fm.
Even on business programmes women’s issues obtain disproportionate amount of coverage. A friend of mine was tempted to ring up the duty officer and ask him:
“I am 61 years old, white and heterosexual – can you please direct me to any programme that might interest me?“
Of course any institution must adapt to survive. Lord Reith prohibited broadcasting before 12.30 on a Sunday so people could go to church and religion plays a bigger role in rhe BBC than most people’s lives. At our editorial conference we discussed new topics and I said we had no religion slot. I was met with the almost universal reply of “Who do we know that would write for it?”
I also find Auntie’s attitude to advertising and personnel confusing. Most sports events carry sponsorship e.g. Emirates FA Cup – does the commentator refer to Emirates or Sky Bet for the Championship and, in so doing, is the advertising prohibition breached?
In regard to personnel Gary Lineker, anchor man of Match of The Day resurfaces on BT Sport. Almost all of them are not employed by the BBC, but self-employed liberating them for other lucrative gigs. The one constant in this ever-changing broadcasting world is stumping up the licence fee annually.
