Is this the end of BBC in its present form?

LONDON: BBC, an iconic British institution, has, of late, become embroiled in many controversies. Accused of tax evasion, BBC has put aside around £12 million to pay its dues. This money will be the money of the British public who pay the annual fee to the BBC. BBC is also under investigation by Indian authorities for irregularities in its financial affairs. Its documentary on the Prime Minister of India was deeply biased and designed to create unrest between communities both in the UK and in India.
The British public’s trust in the BBC has fallen by 20% points in the last five years. Complaints to the government of the day regarding the BBC inevitably met with the response that it is an independent institution. Herein lies the faultlines within the BBC. BBC certainly is not an independent institution. Its director and most of the senior figures are appointed by the Government. Its licence fees are set by the Government. The current chairman, Richard Sharp was appointed by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Richard Sharp, a multi-millionaire, had helped facilitate a loan of £800,000 for Boris Johnson.
BBC is seen as a soft power promoting British interests abroad. The way the BBC operates is complex. It is supposed to be strictly neutral and yet it manifestly is not. It was only a matter of time before the faultlines within the BBC would unravel. Gary Linekar, an iconic figure in the football world and a commentator for the Match of the Day, was asked to stand down for his tweet criticising the Government’s new law to curb the flow of refugees arriving in small boats from France. The BBC suspended Gary for expressing a political opinion. This action has backfired and many sports commentators have also walked out in solidarity with Gary. In a humiliating climbdown, Tim Davie, the director general of BBC, apologised to Gary Linekar and reinstated him.
Demands for the resignation of Tim Davie and the BBC chairman Richard Sharp are growing. Significantly Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has refused to comment whether he has confidence in Tim Davie. He has also indicated that after the current charter ends, the funding model of the BBC will have to reviewed given the changes in the way people consume media. This then is the death knell of the BBC as we know it today.
Let us look at the BBC’s organisational structure. At present the BBC sells 25 million licences, bringing in £3.8 billion annually. Director general Tim Davie is paid a staggering £525,000 after a pay increase of 16%. This is more than three times the amount that PM Sunak earns. Salaries of around 19 BBC directors range up to £321,000 each. The highest salary paid to a top executive is £402,000. This excludes any expenses claims. This at a time when the Corporation is looking to save more than £1 billion in overall cuts.
The BBC in its present form is smug, arrogant, dismissive of the licence-paying public, agenda driven and divisive. It is a liability to the British interests in an increasingly unstable world. As an example, while the Government of the day is actively pushing for a close alliance with the world’s biggest democracy and the fastest growing economy, India, the BBC continues to draw a negative and false picture of the country. The sooner BBC is completely overhauled the better.
www.nitinmehta.co.uk