Monday, July 23, 2007

The BBC's Other Advanatge

What Guido said. People paid money to enter a competition that was actually rigged. If the landlord down the Red Lion pulled a stunt like this, he'd be charged in a flash. So how come the BBC gets a pass ?

This is what I've said before. Yes, the licence fee - and the consequent huge chunks of guaranteed filthy lucre - is a huge advantage, but that's only half of it. The other factor is the BBC's near-immunity to regulation. Liberals profess to lie awake at night, worrying about that nasty Mr Murdoch, yet here we have a broadcaster who's news division employs more people than their are journalists employed by every other outlet combined. Then there's the cross-subsidies, which not only allows the BBC to enter new niches and crush existing outlets, but - in so far as its activities are ultimately underwritten by the licence fee - means the crushees are contributing to their own demise. Und so weiter....

With a corporate culture like that, is it any wonder BBC staffers thought they could get away with outright fraud ?

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