After the destructive reforms to the NHS and the education system, the new Government now has the BBC in its line of fire.
Let's come together to protect the BBC!
Dear friends,
David Cameron just declared war on an unlikely target -- the BBC. With the NHS on life-support, another great British institution faces a nasty battle to stay intact.
John Whittingdale, the new Media and Culture Minister, a vocal critic of the BBC called its licence fee a "poll tax” and is known to be close to Rupert Murdoch's top brass. And the fate of the BBC now lies with him.
The public wants the BBC to be protected not persecuted and many Tory MPs agree. Let's wrap our arms around the 'beeb' and prevent one of Britain’s greatest assets coming under attack.
We have no time to lose. First, we’ll call on the opposition to chair the influential media committee. Then we’ll work with insiders, hire lawyers and build a ground operation to stop the government dismantling this global institution...
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The BBC is a flagship of journalism and plays a crucial role in British reporting at home and abroad. The government costs of running the World Service were dumped on the BBC last time and there’s no doubt that more is to come.
The BBC may have its faults and no one is saying it should be set in sepia. But current whispers from Tory HQ suggest that radical cuts and governance reforms are just around the corner with proposals due out in the coming weeks.
The BBC is much loved by many in this country and by 260 million people around the world who rely on it every week. Its costs are tiny compared to what it brings us. The good news is experts say that John Whittingdale does listen to others' views.
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Last Parliament the Avaaz community achieved what many said was impossible by helping to stop the BSkyB takeover. Saving the BBC, which people across the country wake up to everyday, will require all of us -- but together we can protect this vital institution for generations to come.
With hope
Loup Dargent
On behalf of Sam, Andrea, Alex and the whole Avaaz team
More Information
- Is the BBC safe in the hands of Britain’s new culture secretary? (The Conversation)
- Tory officials threatened BBC during election, says Miliband's strategist (The Guardian)
- Cabinet reshuffle: Minister in charge of the BBC's future believes the licence fee is 'worse than a poll tax' (The Independent)
- Tories go to war with the BBC (The Telegraph)
- Has war been declared on the BBC? (BBC News)
- MP who will grill the Murdochs admits he has links to News Corp (Daily Mail)