Re: @ Lee D
And that's why your argument is rubbish - the Beeb don't do anything that is or requires a natural monopoly
No, but it makes the discussion ideological. I, and many others, would argue that a public service (and not state) broadcaster is a key element in keeping citizens informed, something that is essential in a functioning democracy. This is not incompatible with free markets to have members that are not entirely motivated by profits; as the success of the BBC / ITV duopoly from 1957 until the early 1990s shows. Along with the football-based success of Sky, ITV became its own worst enemy.
For examples of an entirely "market-based" approach you can look at newspapers or social media: chasing market share at all costs combined with the exponential rise of partisan echo chambers.
So the calls from politicians (of all colours) to do something about the BBC are almost always ideologically motivated and why the charter should occasionally be reviewed but always renewed.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
