The BBC has survived repeated attempts to diminish or dismantle it. Each time, public affection for the institution has proved stronger than its critics expected.
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What the BBC Does Well
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News coverage at home and abroad that is trusted globally. Drama and documentary that the market would not fund. Coverage of national moments — from Coronation to Olympic — that creates shared experience.
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What the BBC Does Poorly
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The BBC has been slow to adapt to digital. Its management costs have been high. And too often, it has allowed itself to appear politically captured — damaging the impartiality that is its greatest asset.
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The Funding Question
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The licence fee is increasingly difficult to justify as a matter of principle in a streaming age. A subscription model with a public content guarantee deserves serious consideration.
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Our View
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Britain without the BBC would be a poorer country — culturally and informationally. But the BBC must earn its continued public support through excellence and genuine impartiality.
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