Murdoch and the BBC

To paraphrase that old quote; "well he would wouldn't he!"

Whatever one thinks of the BBC, it goes without saying that it is in the unique position of being a nationalised industry within a competitive market. I think it's a bit crude for anyone from News Corp to refer to them as a threat given their own sphere of influence and certainly there are many independent media outlets that thrive and perform an admirable public service.

That said, the BBC is culturally unique in that it's main aim is to "Educate, entertain, and inform" and whats more from a neutral perspective. Admittedly it has not had a perfect record there but it always tries it's level best and in any case you could hardly call it a bastion of socialist thinking as Alex Smith of LabourList has pointed out.

I have mentioned my strong regard for the BBC before. Here and here, so I don't think I will repeat myself, suffice to say that the institution not only is as English as cups of tea, cricket, football, and decent newspapers. It provides a service of quality and thoughtfulness that few have. Ask yourself if you would want this nation to be full of Fox News viewers with its unfairness, bias, and lack of politeness, or BBC News viewers who are thoughtful and considerate and you get my point!