Pros and Cons - Debbie Newman, Ben Woolgar 2014

BBC, privatisation of
Section I. United Kingdom issues

The British Broadcasting Service (BBC) is a public service broadcasting corporation funded from a licence fee. Anybody who has a television set or uses a computer or phone to watch television in real time must pay the licence fee. The fee is set by government and in 2013, stood at £145.50. The BBC was set up in the 1920s and has grown to encompass eight television channels, 10 radio stations and a website. Many people believe that the BBC is a national treasure which must be protected, but there is a growing voice calling for it to be privatised.

Pros

[1] The licence fee is unfair in principle as you have to pay it even if you never watch the BBC. People should not be made to pay for a non-essential service that they do not want, need or use.

[2] The quality of BBC productions does not merit special treatment. The BBC reproduces the same mix of quiz shows, lifestyle programmes and soaps as the other channels. Its drama, documentaries and news are no better than programmes on offer elsewhere. Home Box Office (HBO) (a US TV channel) shows that a private channel can produce quality programming that is watched around the world.

[3] State involvement in the media should be avoided. A totally independent media free to criticise the government is what is needed. The board of governors of the BBC is appointed by the government and this is not sufficiently detached.

[4] The BBC is a bloated bureaucracy that has been badly governed and has been involved in innumerable scandals since the early 2000s.A privatised channel would be more efficient and offer better value for money. Advertisements, sponsorship and product placement can provide the funding for all the television we need.

[5] The notion of a centrally funded television and radio service is outdated. It is a throwback to when BBC One was the only channel. In an age of multi-channel digital TV, on demand services and Internet downloads, there is no place for a nationalised media institution which is given funding above all others.

Cons

[1] There are many services that are paid for out of taxpayers’ money that not everyone uses, and the licence fee is the equivalent of a tax but is more inde- pendent.You can opt out altogether if you do not wish to own a television set.

[2] The lack of commercial pressure means that the BBC has the ability to innovate and take risks with its programming. It also allows the BBC to produce special interest and local shows that would not attract large enough audiences to be viable for a commercial provider. The BBC is famous worldwide for its drama and comedy and is seen as a badge of quality.

[3] Funding through the licence fee does not lead to lack of independence. The BBC is very effective at holding the government to account; you only have to watch a government minister being grilled by Jeremy Paxman or listen to John Humphrys on Radio 4 for evidence of the independence of the news. Commercial stations like Sky or Fox produce much more biased coverage than the BBC.

[4] With commercial stations come commercial interests. It is good to have the option of television which is not interrupted by advertisements or artistically undermined by product placement. Parents like the option of advert-free TV for their children and sports fans prefer to watch a match uninterrupted. In the 2010 World Cup, ITV were on a commercial break and so missed the only England goal against the USA.

[5] There is something fair about guaranteeing that everybody has access to national events such as the Olympics, Wimbledon or a royal wedding even if they cannot afford a Sky box. The BBC regularly attracts viewing figures of over 10 million, so even in a multi-channel market it is still immensely popular. It has also stayed up to date with the BBC iPlayer and a well-respected website.

Possible motions

This House believes that the BBC should be privatised.

This House would scrap the licence fee.

Related topics

Arts funding by the state, abolition of

Press, state regulation of the

Privatisation