BBC monopoly

Discussions are going on urgently at the BBC over the recent recommendation that some of the TV Poll Tax (AKA TV licence), should be handed to non-BBC producers if they engage in public service broadcasting, such as regional news. There is a new urgency in that the commercial competitors are finding advertising revenue diminishing with the recession.

This seems fair, given that much of the BBC broadcasting and other enterprises such as internet, could not be said to be public service broadcasting, unless the term is emptied of all meaning. If so, perhaps some BBC programming might have to become "subscription" broadcasting, that is "standing on its own two feet".

It was interesting, and at times almost comical, to hear Sir Michael Lyons on the Toady programme trying to defend his corner - a channel which receives our poll tax, which enables it to more than compete with commercial channels, which must find advertising revenue, on broadcasting which are hardly public service.

What will happen?
I suspect that some sot of gesture will be made, in an attempt to buy off the growing anger in some quarters over the values, political loyalties and self-indulgence which are easily seen at the BBC. But the gestures will be small, at least immediately, and reluctant. There must be some or the could be an organised non-payment campaign. Charles Moore has already threatened to withhold payment, and others to follow, over the Jonathan Ross affair.

In the longer term, if non-payment takes off, and perhaps with a government less sympathetic to BBC political bias (- the Conservatives), there could even be a major reform to deal with one of the last protected monopolies in the UK.