Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Abolish the BBC Licence Fee!

Have you ever noticed how hypocritical the BBC is?  For an institution so left-liberal, which no doubt deplores the lingering traces of the hereditary principle in the House of Lords, it has more than its fair share of reporting dynasties based upon what might charitably be called that very principle - and uncharitably be called nepotism - the Dimblebys, the Adamses, the Sergeants, and goodness knows who else (perhaps even that nice but bumbling weekend newsreader with a paternal link to BBC Radio Stoke).  And then, despite the BBC's frequently absurd genuflections to political correctness in other areas, there's the ageism - primarily against women, whose on-screen life ends rather early, as Selina Scott and a host of other over-50s can testify - but also, according to Peter Sissons, against men as well.

And then, at a time of general belt-tightening and redundancies in society at large, there's the grotesque continuing wastage of licence-payers' money - the obscenely inflated salaries commanded by top executives and top "talent", the junkets, the lavish parties, the frivolously-taken expensive taxi rides ...

Not to mention the absurd initiatives, many of them of an online nature, that have little to do with the BBC's core remit - one of the latest being the pompously-titled BBC Academy and College of Journalism, which (no surprises here in an institution branded by a former BBC director general as "hideously white") seems to display a distinct preference for persons from ethnic minorities.  Forgive me, indeed, for sounding so politically incorrect, but I sometimes feel that the best advice that could be given to a young white male "average Brit" applying for a job at the BBC would be to change his name to something exotic - and add Gustafsdottir for good measure!

But I digress.  There is also, of course, the outrageous long-standing bias against Israel from such people as Barbara Plett, Orla Guerin, and Jeremy Bowen - even a recent documentary series on "Syrian Schools" managed to have a good old bash at Israel, and touted twinning British schools with schools in the Arab world in a voice-over at the end of each episode.  (In a forthcoming blog I will suggest how the BBC became Al Beeb, so stay tuned, folks!)

Last month, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt indicated support for the yearly licence fee that subsidises the BBC - now a steep £145.50, although he did foreshadow its eventual reduction.  Yesterday the Adam Smith Institute published a report calling for the fee to be replaced by a voluntary subscription service for certain programming.

I believe that the licence fee is anachronistic and should be scrapped altogether.  One of the most cogent blogs on this subject was made way back in 2006 by Professor William Rubinstein on the website of the Social Affairs Unit, and remains relevant today. Here's the link:
http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001219.php

7 comments:

  1. Encryption my dear BBC, this would show you how popular you really are. And why did the new Sec' of State for culture on a recent T.V. programme ( think it was Andrew Marr show ) dismiss out of hand a FOX UK style channel ?

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  2. Ah, yes, Fox - "fair and balanced" ...
    Always a good antidote to a dyspepsia-inducing diet of the BBC!

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  3. Have a look at this;

    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/are-we-too-critical-israel?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kramerlinks+%28Linkage+by+Martin+Kramer%29&utm_content=Twitter

    Douglas Murray is a legend!

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  4. Many thanks. Douglas Murray is someone I admire hugely.

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  5. Having now had a chance to watch the video to which Anonymous provided the link, I have to say that Susanna Reid of Al Beeb was out of her depth as an interviewer, and exasperating as well. She interrupted Douglas Murray far too often - hardly allowing to speak half a dozen words before chiming in with some ludicrosity. Edwina Currie was deeply cringeworthy at times. Selma James, the as-a-Jew anti-Israel fanatic, was allowed to rant on for far too long.

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  6. Edwina Currie's 'performance' was not just deeply cringeworthy, it also showed an incredible depth of ignorance. I can never understand how politicians can be so out of touch with facts and yet still feel it is their right to pass judgement on the things they know nothing about.

    ReplyDelete

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