Finally, the government has taken the leap. A new model of funding is in place for the BBC’s licence fee. This is the plan anyway and it’s well past due.
It is important that BBC survives into the 21st Century. This was not possible while it operated under 20th-century business models.
There will always be people who moan, carp, and whine. People with vested interests in the status quo, such as the extravagantly remunerated Gary Lineker, who is paid more than £1 million a year.
He tweeted this response to the news: “The BBC is respected, revered and envied all over the globe. It should be considered the national treasure most prized.
BBC license fee will be refunded by a new, unspecified funding model. Pictured: BBC director-general Tim Davie
Yes, I agree. The BBC is hands down one of the greatest things about this country — one of the main reasons we’re at the forefront of the creative industries.
I grew up with the untrammelled squalor of Silvio Berlusconi’s Canale 5 in Italy, and I can tell you the BBC was — and remains — an oasis in a cultural desert.
However, if it continues to behave like a spoilt trustfund brat it won’t be able survive in an age of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and all the rest.
The Government is responsible for reforming it, as successive directors-generals failed to see the point.
For years the signs have been there. Tony Hall assumed control in 2013, and I can recall having a lengthy conversation in which I discussed the possibility of changing to a subscription model. I can recall him looking at me as though I had just shot his dog.
Licence fees are not only about money. The Corporation has been able to escape into an echo chamber that is insulated from real life, in which certain attitudes have prevailed not because they are useful but because they fit the taxpayer-funded top management.
It’s the worst type of closed shop, and cannot be tolerated.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries confirmed the BBC licence fee will be frozen at £159 for the next two years as she also announced a review into the long-term future of the annual levy
That is what connects the scandals, from Martin Bashir interviewing Princess Diana to Cliff Richard harassment and accusations of political bias. The Corporation’s inability or refusal to address the second problem has led to the devaluation of its public image and the birth of rivals like GB News.
The concern is, I think, that without the licensing fee, the organization won’t be able to attract punters and raise enough revenue to keep its output.
However, the BBC is already an important player in global markets and has been since a long time.
It can compete with the best in the field by having the right revenue model and creative management.
Far from sounding the death knell for the BBC, removing the licence fee is a chance for it to rethink its priorities, realign its political outlook, scale back on waste — and, crucially, cut the umbilical cord with the British taxpayer.
Although it may feel painful, Lineker will have to make a decision about whether they want to continue working for the company or not. Their loss will not make me weep.
WHO’D PAY £2,000 FOR DRESS THAT DOESN’T EXIST?
Selfridges was the first retailer in the UK to sell fashion NFTs last week (that’s not-fungible tokens for thee or me).
These are ‘virtual’ assets — from paintings to the first ever tweet, which recently sold for an astounding £2.13 million — which are fast becoming very profitable in the digital marketplace.
Selfridges offers fashionistas digital copies of 12 original Paco Rabanne designs. Prices start at £2,000.
Selfridges is offering fashionistas the chance to own digitised copies of the first 12 dresses created by French fashion house Paco Rabanne, with prices starting at £2,000
Call me old-fashioned, but I wouldn’t pay £2,000 for a real dress — let alone one I could never wear.
Who can resist the new Emperor’s clothes?
There’s something that I can’t grasp. Why is it that people are required to pay private firms for “fit-to fly” PCR tests, when the NHS has plenty of test centers who can do them?
It may not be free but it might be a cheaper option.
We would all be happier to donate our cash to the NHS over pandemic profiteers.
Sadiq Khan is planning to introduce ‘pay per mile’ fees for cars. What is his excuse? ‘To meet net zero targets.’ “To meet net zero targets.” I see.
This was a statement from an individual who used a three-car car cavalcade, including a V8 Jag engine and a diesel VW to travel a short distance to take his dog for a walk.
Would you be kind enough to suggest that he reduce his carbon emissions before inflicting more misery upon already struggling Londoners?
My knowledge of Dominic Cummings is so enlightening that I cannot believe he would like to bring in Sir Beer Starmer as the new president.
However, if he keeps up his guerrilla tactics to Boris Johnson’s detriment that is what will happen.
Come on, Dom, you’re a clever fellow. Stop allowing your desire for revenge to blind you and open your eyes to the wider picture — if Boris goes down, he may well take the whole country with him.
AMANDA MEMES REMINDER MY GRAN’S STRING BAGS
Yellow is believed to be the colour of madness. Amanda Holden wore this gown at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions last night.
This version is slightly more racy than the Heidi Klum model (which was even more limiting).
Yellow is the colour that brings out madness, according to some. Amanda Holden’s (left) dress could have been any other explanation. The dress is slightly different from the Heidi Klum version (right).
Holden is able to wear whatever she likes and still be able to get away with it.
It’s a shame, however that the frock is more than just a hint of those orange-preserving string bags my grandmother used.
The simple reason why the Duke of Sussex would like access to Met Police security is obvious.
You get all the bells and whistles you need, including motorbike riding and access to privileged information that common-orgarden security firms simply cannot provide.
The prince lost all of that when he decided to give up on the royal lifestyle. Harry, save your cash! There are certain things you can’t purchase with your Netflix subscription.
Are Meghan and Harry using people solely to search the internet looking for things to offend?
This is because the BBC has received a complaint from the Duchess Sussex after Amol Rajan stated in his podcast that she’d apologized for misleading the High Court.
She asked the radio broadcaster for clarification, stating that she regretted not having asked her PR chief to help with Finding Freedom.
It was noted. However, it is not clear to me how I see the difference.
CATS CAN BE CHATTED
One woman was reunited after recognizing the miaow of her missing cat during a telephone call with her veterinarian. It resonates with me so strongly.
I can recognise my cat’s voice instantly — as I did when she got trapped in a neighbour’s garden the other day and proceeded to howl the street down.
I can recognise my cat’s voice instantly — as I did when she got trapped in a neighbour’s garden the other day and proceeded to howl the street down. Sarah Vine with Sarah’s cat
I can tell when she’s hungry (a low, plaintive growl) — and if I stand outside at night and call her name, she will miaow to let me know she’s on her way.
Although I love my dogs dearly, they are just basic beings. They need food, exercise, strokes and walks. But cats never cease to amaze me.
Emma Raducanu, who won her first round at the Australian Open, deserves our congratulations.
While No-vax Djokovic is still in Serbia, she has cleared the first hurdle to show the world that she’s not just a fluke.
It’s easy to forget Emma’s just 19 — a ridiculously young age to have to deal with all the scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye. It’s a good thing she won again.
Vicki Young (current deputy to Laura Kuenssberg) has said that she is unable to apply for the position of BBC Political Editor. You can’t blame her.
Kuensberg was subject to more abuse than anyone should have ever endured for their work.
Is that really what anyone would want?