Save the BBC

Ray Russell of Tartarus Press sent me the following:

Dear friends, Please take a look at this: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/BBC-stop-the-cuts

The BBC is under pressure from its commercial rivals to make massive cuts. It's expected this week to offer to cut two radio stations and half its web site, but Rupert Murdoch's still demanding even more - he even wants them to cut Radio 1. Public pressure can stop the corporate media barons getting their way and persuade the BBC to put its viewers and listeners first. Please help add to the pressure by signing the petition here:

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/BBC-stop-the-cuts

All the best, Ray

I have signed the online petition. While I have my reservations about the BBC, especially the unfair licence fee, I detest the lowest-common-denominator garbage of big corporate media. Yes, free enterprise is a wonderful thing - in its proper place. But let's remember that free enterprise in broadcasting effectively means the big guys usually clobber the little guy.

If we had a real free enterprise approach to broadcasting anyone could broadcasting anything at any time - let the consumer decide what to watch or listen to. Ah, no, Mr Murdoch and his overmonied pals would rather make sure the rules of the game re: frequencies, licenses etcetera, are rigged by the state. In favour of guess who? Oh, I forgot to mention Silvio Berlusconi. He's another one.

So until Rupert, Silvio and their ilk accept genuine free enterprise (and abandon such nasty, market-restricting statist concepts as copyright, for instance) I'm for the BBC as a gold standard of good journalism, good drama and good comedy. 'Good' in this sense shall be taken to mean 'about fifty times better than commercial TV and radio'.