The other night a BBC presenter was interviewing one of the three Labour Party crooks who have been charged with false accounting. He retaliated to her questioning by asking how much she earned. The lady grandly announced that she earned a sum in excess of £90,000.
She was not a particularly well known presenter.
We hear today Here that nearly 400 BBC employees are being paid in excess of 100,000 a year. Of these, 58 earn more than the Prime Minister (£196,000). Of course all of these individuals will be on what can only be described as excellent pension, sickness and holiday allowances. Don't forget this is nothing to do with the so called “talent” who are paid even more.
While this may be shocking, excessive pay is not the problem with the BBC. It is simply one of the symptoms of a much more serious malaise.
Each year the BBC is guaranteed £3.8 billion to spend roughly how it likes. As we all know, most of this money is raised by what amounts to a poll tax on televisions. A single mum living in a bedsit pays the same a multi-millionaire.
The BBC aggressively and proudly defends what it declares is its independence. I would argue that what the BBC actually defends is its own position. If anything threatens their cosy guaranteed tax income they will pour on the pressure and vilification until the threat is removed. Everything they do is subservient to this.
Long ago the BBC ceased to have a real objective viewpoint. Today everything is tailored to ensure it can maintain its own power base and maximise its already bloated income. It's news reporting is only as objective as serves its purpose. It is out of control, self serving and threatens our democracy. The BBC has become a monster.
But it would have to be a very brave government who took on this state within a state. Today the BBC is capable of breaking any government that threatens its position. It is in an almost unassailable position. They have the ability and ruthlessness to manipulate any presentation of the truth so that it comes out in the BBC's favour.
I do not know how the BBC can be brought to heel. I only hope that as time goes by, the already obsolete and corrupt licence fee will become more and more unacceptable. Then perhaps something will have to be done.
Really, if we are to have a any form of public service it should be funded centrally by direct and fair taxation by the democratically elected Government.
Allowing the unelected and unrepresentative BBC to raise its own grubby poll tax in order to fund its excesses is frankly an outrage against our society.
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