The BBC should not ‘defend’ the licence fee – it should boast about it

Editorial: The principle of public service broadcasting funded by a licence fee is a priceless bulwark against corporate media interests

The broadcaster is facing a deep financial cut this year (Getty)

The BBC is fighting to defend its funding. It faces a deep cut in June this year, when it will be forced, under a law passed by David Cameron and George Osborne, to pay for free TV licences for over-75s out of its own budget.

Hence the controversial decision to close the BBC2 programme Victoria Derbyshire. Unfortunately, the BBC seems to have handled this badly. As a result, more people are upset by the corporation’s failure to tell Ms Derbyshire she was being taken off air than by the government’s policy that prompted the decision in the first place.

The next phase of the BBC campaign appears to be a leak suggesting that Newsnight and Radio 4’s Today programme are going to have their budgets cut. While we applaud the BBC for the vigour of its campaign, we suspect that there may be something of the “6 Music ploy” about this story.

In the early days of the 6 Music radio channel, while the BBC was negotiating the licence fee settlement, the corporation proposed that the station would be closed. It was doubtful that the BBC really intended to do so, but the announcement served a purpose in mobilising artists and listeners to defend the tiny budget of the niche station.

It may be that by appearing to take the axe to such high-profile programmes as Newsnight and Today, BBC bosses hope to generate a similar wave of support. If so, that is a dangerous game. It would make more sense, we believe, to take visible action first to cut back some of the excessive salaries of presenters and bureaucrats.

On the principle of defending the BBC against this or any other government, however, The Independent stands firmly with the BBC. We think it is tactically wise for Lord Hall to stand down as director general now, so that his successor will be appointed by Sir David Clementi, the current chair of the BBC, rather than by the next chair, who will be appointed by Boris Johnson.

The prime minister has already foolishly embarked on a feud with the corporation. Usually it takes the occupant of No 10 several years to fall out with the BBC; Mr Johnson is already refusing to appear on the Today programme. This will do him no good in the end, but that does not mean that supporters of the BBC can afford to sit back and wait for Mr Johnson to fail.

We must fight back against a government that, in its heart of hearts (that is, in the heart of Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s senior adviser), does not believe in a public service broadcaster financed by a licence fee. The modern Conservative Party is full of people who call the licence fee a poll tax and who fail to shudder at the thought of something like Fox News in British broadcasting.

In this fight, the best form of defence is attack. The licence fee, even now that it has been grafted on to a multimedia online environment, is a priceless bulwark against the British media being dominated by partisan wealthy interests. On top of which, it is also remarkable value for money.

The BBC should not “defend” the licence fee – it should boast about it.