BBC in C21

Unfortunately, I believe the BBC has changed for the worse in C21 so is being criticised sadly, for being "Woke TV" today. Quite what the meaning of "Woke" is in that context is unclear to me save that it is not at all connected with awakening after a night's sleep though I would agree that much seems wrong with our supposedly public service channel.

Of late,  switching from BBC Radio 4 morning news to listen to the news on the recently formed Times Radio, is illustrative of the modern format of the latter broadcaster and the outdated political format of the former. Times Radio has many interesting international pieces which educate or at least intrigue the listener whereas to my ears at least the BBC appears usually to play to  a more local political agenda, for example,  BBC Radio 4's 10pm news  programme going on interminably literally for days, about the algorithms used to asses students who could not sit their A level examinations during the pandemic. Whether one agrees with the algorithm or not is a fair question but the BBC simply reverted to appearing to be the Bash Boris Corporation. Sadly BBC Radio 4 news at 10pm used to be excellent but now I wonder...

 It was even reported recently that a BBC reporter who often  works on the Newsnight programme wrote an anti government piece for the left wing magazine The New Statesman. 

I have no issue with  left wing politics being written or broadcast about but the BBC is supposedly a UK public service with a neutral outlook on political matters. This must be difficult for an organisation with so many workers within it, who are on the political left at least of the armchair variety.

Then take BBC TV. One of the most popular channels for older reasonably well educated viewers  is BBC 4. BBC 3 was  the channel geared to the tastes of the more trendy younger generation. Sadly the decision was taken  some years ago to save money by ending live transmission of BBC 3 programmes and restrict these to the iPlayer. The young moved in droves to new  non BBC channels including Netflix and Amazon Prime. Too late, the BBC  tried to  revive interest from the younger generation but alleged shortage of cash resulted in BBC 4's success with older people being curtailed in the process. The probable result will be that neither the older or younger viewer will be adequately catered for by the BBC.

Of course the BBC will say that it is constrained by lack of cash. Yet the salaries many of its well known staff are paid seem huge running into six figures so there is no shortage there. Such large salaries also appear at least to me, to be out of key with concept of a public service broadcaster.

The BBC now appears to be concentrating on what at first sight appears fair and reasonable namely an equality agenda. Thus the BBC is right to call for more ethnic minority appointments to the police force but  its concerns about using gender neutral language such as fire fighter for fireman seem less important.  The old BBC TV programme known as Fawlty Towers recently had a section banned by the beeb because it showed the hotel  proprietor Basil Faulty berating the Spanish waiter Manuel. Only after protests including some from Spanish fans of the programme was the banning rescinded. 

I could go further with concerns about the BBC but instead conclude with the personal view that the BBC should cease to be the free public service it claims to be, as it does not or perhaps cannot, be all things to all men or women in C21. 

Rather those who wish to watch BBC TV should subscribe for that service. BBC Radio 1 and 2 should be abolished leaving such light music broadcasting to the private sector and saving large sums of money in the process. BBC Radio 3 used to be excellent but sadly Scala Radio is now in my view at least as good.

I would add that the BBC broadcasts programmes such as "East Enders" which are already dealt with well by independent TV channels for example "Coronation Street" on ITV so considerable costs savings by the supposedly public service  broadcaster, could be made by letting independent stations get on with what they are doing  well rather than attempting to compete with them.