Opinion: The BBC Is Worth Fighting For — But It Needs to Earn That Fight

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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