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Friday, September 18, 2015

BBC global ambitions trump UK audience preferences

My new piece for RT.com OpEdge

The BBC has announced some ambitious global plans, but is this politicized effort to increase its global influence in countries which aren’t in the NATO/Western ‘camp’ really serving the best interests of its viewers?
Make no mistake; the BBC is facing the biggest challenges in its 93-year history. Its current charter which sets out its public obligations expires at the end of 2016. Its license fee, which has been frozen for the past five years, is under threat, with a committee of MPs suggesting that it be replaced by a household levy.
For supporters of public sector broadcasting in Britain (and I am one of them) these are certainly worrying times. After all, the BBC has made some wonderful programs in its history and continues to make great television - Sunday night’s new television adaptation of the classic J.B. Priestley play An Inspector Calls, being a recent example.

You can read the whole piece here.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

A very thoughtful piece..halfway into to the article I'm formulating some sort of meaningful reply when once again I'm trumped!!! Yes it seems to me by there own admission that priority lies in propaganda (and disinformation?) as opposed to airing the quality programming it's famed for..it's totally correct that networks such as RT have stolen a March but maybe if the BBC and others reported news as opposed to a version of news this surely wouldn't be the case?? Dennis Skinners altercation springs straight to mind!! Without doubt it's the Internet that has killed television in many ways and maybe it's about time when it comes to current events as we the public seek the real answers. As regards to the BBC maybe less would be more like it was in its hey day.great comedy great coverage of newsworthy events ect ect..and not forgetting a great favourite which is as relevant today as ever! The boys from the Blackstuff!!! I put it up there with steptoes and son

Neil Clark said...

Thanks Del. Agree re Boys from the Blackstuff, also Steptoe. Golden era of BBC tv was definitely 60s- early/mid 80s.