The war against the BBC - how an unprecedented combination of hostile forces is destroying Britain's greatest cultural institution ...and why you should care

by Patrick Barwise & Peter York Prior to reading this book I have to admit to not being the BBCs biggest fan. Long having regarded the Corporation as hostile to the Left, with a notable recent chapter in this process being some of the appalling treatment of Jeremy Corbyn. However, having read this book, the importance of defending the BBC against an unholy coalition ranging from the likes of Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, Rupert Murdoch and a number of spurious right wing think tanks becomes all the more apparent. The authors meticulously examine all of these forces set on destroying the BBC, from those like Cummings, set on creating a US media type landscape dominated by right wing commercial operations to the Murdochs whose opposition - whilst dressed up in neo-liberal idealogy clothes - is more about removing a powerful commercial opponent. The biggest threat to the BBC over the past 10 years has been the Tory government, which has tried to destroy the Corporation by stealth. First, there has been the freezing of the licence fee, then the decision in 2015 to make the Corporation pick up the bill (of £750 million) for the free licence fee for over 75s. The effect has been a 30% cut in. funding of the Corporation - £1.4 billion, if funding had kept pace with inflation. The unfairness of it all is underlined by the fact that the Corporation saved the government £2.34 billion by the way in which it handled the digital switchover from analogue. None of that saving was given to the BBC. These cuts all come at a time when the Corporation faces growing competition from the likes of Netflix and Amazon, as well as the social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. The Tory opposition seems mostly grounded in a fundamentalist antagonism to the BBC on market economic grounds. Many Tories just seem to see the BBC as another nationalised industry in need of removal. The authors destroy the classic Tory argument that the BBC is left leaning and biased against them They find that the BBC usually bends toward the government of the day but more so when it is Conservative. Given the electoral success of the Tories over the years, it is difficult to see what that parties problem is with the BBC. One illuminating bit of data concerns where the public go for impartial news, with the BBC way out in front on 44%. Next comes ITN on 10%, Sky News on 6% and Channel 4 News on 5%. The papers hardly register, with the Guardian highest on 3%. Yet there has been this unruly coalition of the right, made up of the likes of the Daily Mail, Sun, Telegraph, Times and Express continuallly attacking the BBC. Much of the ammunition has been supplied by right wing think tanks such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, Newswatch, New Culture Forum - all situated around Tufton Street in central London. One of the central accusations is that the BBC is anti-Brexit and pro-EU, despite the lack of evidence to support the accusation. This detailed study is essentially a call to arms to defend the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). The ongoing assault of the BBC's myriad opponents seems determined to inflict a death of a thousand cuts. Make it impossible to compete in the ever more competitive world of media market place, then let it die away. In reality the BBC has battled valliantly despite this onslaught. It is efficient and continues to provide a comprehensivr service. The BBC remains popular with the public, a survey in 2015, showing 99% use at least one of its services in a single week. In the days of fake news, the need for PSB has never been more important. The period of the pandemic should be one of value for the BBC, with ever greater numbers turning to its news services for reliable information. Moving forward, the Tory government needs to be persuaded to call off its dogs. The BBC needs to be valued for what it provides in this country and beyond. A proper funding settlement is required that can provide certainty and adequate resourcing for this public service going forward. The BBC needs supporting so it can prosper, not demolition at the hands of a bunch of baying market fundamentalist fanatics. This book makes that argument comprehensively. Published by Penguin - price - £10.99