Kit Whitfield's Blog: BBC in trouble!

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Thursday, April 08, 2010

BBC in trouble!

Aside from being a producer of lots of really cool stuff, the BBC is the only media institution we have in this country that's owned by the British public rather than a corporate body - which is to say, it's the only outlet for media that has to stay relatively neutral about politics if it's going to serve its mandate rather than being owned by a hyper-rich conglomerate who have a strong interest in putting out a message that's as right-wing and corporate-friendly as possible.

Under pressure from such thugs - excuse me, commercial rivals - as Rupert Murdoch, the BBC has announced plans to cut two radio stations and half its website, apparently under the impression that feeding the sharks makes them go away.

We've seen this happen in politics over and over again. Compromising with the ruthless and greedy doesn't satisfy them. It shows them you're responsive to pressure, and they come back and back and back. If we don't hold firm now, the damage to our free press may never be repaired.

Please sign the petition here against this terrible, terrible idea. And soon, because there's some hurry involved.

posted by Kit Whitfield # 2:37 PM

Comments:

Can't sign. They won't take American zip codes.

# posted by

Emily : 3:16 PM

Same problem as Emily. Which is a shame, because I consider the BBC a global resource and not just a national one.

# posted by

Sheila : 4:23 PM

and ireland doesn't have any, which they don't seem to accept either. it's a shame, i grew up listening to bbc radio plays, and i can appreciate the importance of a non demographic-centric broadcaster, and what the lack of one can do to a place.

# posted by

michael : 12:57 AM

I wanted to start a petition to ask the BBC to let the rest of the world express its opinion of the BBC opening itself to outside influence... then I realized the irony and sulkily decided that no, it wouldn't be ethical to use the postal code from my semester abroad seven years ago. So I'll just sit here sending good thoughts your way!

# posted by

Mouse : 4:12 AM

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