The BBC

Comedy songwriter and modern-day Richard Stilgoe Mitch Benn recently posted a song up - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q2iZuU5WM - and I commented on it and tweeted the link a couple of times and I got a few slightly harsh responses. The two main arguments against supporting the BBC seem to be:

Why should I be forced to pay for something I hardly watch?

and

It’s a corporation that promotes left wing propaganda.

Right. I’ll try to make my point on this blog since I get more space to do so than in either a tweet or on YouTube’s comments section which quickly descends into a girly bitch-slapping contest between groups of people who wouldn’t be able to agree on anything if their collection of little pink dollies depended on it.

Firstly, let me make it clear that I do not like a huge chunk of the BBC’s output. I hate Strictly Come Dancing. I loathe Eastenders and all it’s grey misery. I don’t like Casualty, Holby, Antiques Roadshow, Songs of Praise, The One Show, most of BBC3, Radio One, Doctors, Homes Under The Hammer, Cash In The Attic, Watchdog, the execrable Reggie Perrin remake, Waterloo Road… in fact this list could go on for some time. But this isn’t the point. I have friends who like some of the aforementioned shows. My grandparents like other shows. My mum enjoys drivel I wouldn’t allow my lovely shiny TV to be soiled by.

None of this is important.

The BBC attempts to cater for all of society. It tries to represent all facets of our diverse culture. It frequently fails. It is a long way from being perfect. It gets itself tangled up in political correctness and reacts slowly to criticism. For every stereotype that is quashed, another three are reinforced.

None of this is important.

I pay for a TV licence because I have to. This is slightly annoying but it isn’t exactly earth-shatteringly expensive. I pay far more for my broadband connection and cable TV package. I happily chuck money down the drain so I can own an iPhone. I buy films that I would probably only watch a couple of times. I get irritated by the amount of shite on the BBC. I got angry at the new dumbed down newsround version of Film 2010 complete with squealing host and some know-nothing talking foetus called Charlie. I hate Bruce Forsythe and the Tweenies.

None of this is important.

I love Question Time - a show not replicated by any other broadcaster in the world. I love Dr Who - a show that would struggle to exist anywhere else and is supremely British in its approach. I love a lot of the output of Radio 4 because I’m getting on a bit and I find it funny and comforting. I love their website and the way they try to embrace and push forward digital broadcasting. I love and frequently use the iPlayer. I love not having to sit through adverts. I love how my sprog gets excited every time In The Night Garden comes on and I’m happy to let him watch it because I know that his head won’t be getting rammed full of vile and misleading adverts hawking plastic bilge fabricate in China by people barely older than he is. I love Sherlock - another show that would not get made by any other broadcaster because of it’s odd format and short runs (it just wouldn’t be considered profitable enough by a commercial broadcaster to even try it in the first place, apparently). I love the fact that the people who work for it feel free to slag it off. I love the fact that it is the only news outlet in the UK not answerable to a sponsor or a commercial corporation - you may say it’s left wing but I think it tries to be liberal which is very very different.

None of this is important.

The BBC cocks things up. The BBC make a mess of things. The BBC tries hard to please all of the people all of the time. The BBC makes easily as much dross as it does great shows. The BBC is a big sprawling messy confused bumbling buffoon with multiple personality disorder and a tendency to kick itself in the face.

None of this is important.

The BBC is unique, complicated, fallible, generous, daring, careful, annoying, stupid, intelligent, deeply flawed, highly developed and highly respected across the world. Over the years it has produced some truly great programmes. It has educated and entertained people of all ages. If you watch the Mitch Benn video and don’t think that at least a couple of the shows he mentions are brilliant then you probably need psychological help to reactivate the part of your brain capable of stringing a sensible opinion together. If Sky and The Daily Fail had their way it would be trimmed right down at no significant cost saving to us. A lot less British talent would get a chance to create new shows and have a voice. Britain’s cultural impact on the world would be greatly reduced. News would have a considerably worse bias than it does at the moment. People in positions of power and responsibility would be less accountable. Murdoch would be even richer. We’d all have to sit through a lot more advertising and American TV shows starring people who look like they’ve borrowed someone else’s face. We’d lose something truly unique, truly British.

There is no doubt that the BBC has to change the way it operates in a media industry in deep trouble and a state of flux. But don’t let a small group of rich, self-serving arseholes who absolutely do have an agenda, and it isn’t one of serving the public interest, steal something from us that we all own. It would be a crime. It would be a shame. It would change our broadcasting landscape for the worse forever.

I think that’s quite important.