The BBC's funding is being raided and its output attacked more ferociously than ever, reports John Lloyd in this month's Prospect. Earlier this month Stephen Carter's Digital Britain report called for the BBC to share a slice of its licence fee with its struggling competitors. Could this mark the beginning of the end of public service broadcasting? And if so, should this matter?
It certainly should, argues Lloyd. The BBC's list of sins may be long, but this powerful, plural institution is crucial to the health of our democracy, and we must defend it. Read his impassioned defence of the BBC here.
Plus, Prospect has talked exclusively to BBC director-general Mark Thompson. In the wide-ranging interview, which is free to read online, Thompson forsees the internet becoming the leading BBC distribution outlet, talks about how a Conservative government would affect the BBC, and defends it against accusations of liberal bias.
So, should the BBC be forced to open its coffers to others, or must it be protected? Weigh in on this any many of the other issues Lloyd and Thompson discuss here.
Why we must stop worrying and learn to love the BBC
June 24, 2009
