We demand that the BBC remains a fully funded, politically neutral and culturally diverse public-service broadcaster, formally and robustly independent of any political influence from government
BBC Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) is one of the last remaining bastions against "the marketisation of everything", and is also one of the few remaining possibilities for preventing our media and access to information becoming monopolised by right-wing, brazenly pro-Conservative forces.
Any genuine democracy demands a media that gives people fair access to a full range of political viewpoints. Yet the Conservatives' apparent determination to scrap the BBC's licence fee and change it into a subscription-only service is not only a grave threat to PSB, but to our very democracy itself.
The BBC is far from perfect – but even with all its shortcomings and imperfections, its current contribution to a balanced and fair democratic media is essential – and infinitely preferable to what will happen if it is marketised and, consequently, dumbed down by subscription-funding. The Conservatives have no democratic mandate whatsoever to make such drastic changes to the funding of the BBC.
We, the undersigned, demand that the BBC remains a public-service broadcaster funded by a licence fee, or its equivalent; and that robust institutional safeguards ensuring a de-politicised management and governance structure are put in place to ensure the BBC's political neutrality and fairness at all times, and especially during general election campaigns.
Launched by John Han and Dr Richard House
