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Britain The Economist April 25th 2020 45
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47 The government struggles
48 Bagehot: Back to abnormal
The BBC’s future courtesy of a £157.50 licence fee levied on
households that watch live tv.
The next episode After winning his large majority in De-
cember Boris Johnson, who has dubbed the
bbc the “Brexit Bashing Corporation”, set
out plans to decriminalise licence-fee eva-
sion, which the broadcaster says would
cost it more than £200m a year. He has also
The public-service broadcaster is having a good pandemic. But the loss of young leant on it to “cough up” and waive the fee
audiences poses a mortal threat to its funding
for elderly viewers, which would cost it an-
ey gang, good morning! Hope you roped in stars such as Sir David Attenbo- other £745m. (The bbc has agreed to let
“Hfeel real good,” bellows Derrick Ev- rough to teach online lessons to home- them off until at least August, during their
ans, marching on the spot in a dayglo span- schooled children, as the bbc food website quarantine.) Some senior Tories have even
dex leotard. The 67-year-old fitness in- highlights quick lunches for home-work- bigger designs on the corporation, whose
structor, better known as Mr Motivator, has ing parents. “As the national broadcaster, 11-year royal charter is up for a mid-term re-
been brought out of retirement to help the bbc has a special role to play at this view in two years. In January Julian Knight,
Britons stay trim during their covid con- time of national need,” the corporation’s who is chairing a parliamentary inquiry
finement. As he pants through a slot on director-general, Lord Hall, declared after into the future of public-service broadcast-
daytime television, he answers viewers’ the outbreak. ing, called the licence fee “an anachronism
questions. One couple say their heating has The pandemic has given the bbc a po- in a world of choice”. In March Oliver Dow-
broken down and they are cold. “Get up tentially life-saving answer to a question den, the culture secretary, warned that “the
now, and move the body!” he orders them. asked with growing frustration in govern- old model simply cannot sustain.”
As the country battles covid-19, the Brit- ment: what is the point of the corporation? So the covid crisis is helpfully timed.
ish Broadcasting Corporation has joined Two months ago a Downing Street source “There’s nothing like a situation like this to
the war effort. Plans to lay off 450 of its told the Sunday Times of plans to “whack” remind politicians of the value of the insti-
journalists are on hold, as new pro- the 97-year-old broadcaster. Long-simmer- tution,” admits one senior bbc executive.
grammes like “HealthCheck uk Live” ing resentment among Conservatives Television viewership is up by a third since
(home of Mr Motivator) are rushed out. Its about what they see as its left-liberal bias the outbreak, and the bbc’s 6pm news bul-
local radio stations are pitching in, one ar- had boiled over during the Brexit campaign letin is reaching more than 20m people a
ranging the live-streaming of a funeral to of 2016 and the two general elections that week, nearly a third of the population. A
the home of a quarantined relative. With followed. Tory complaints were amplified broadcast by Mr Johnson last month was
public worship banned for the first time by allied newspapers—which have their watched by 27m (the bulk via the bbc). The
since 1208, the bbc is broadcasting virtual own motives for attacking a rival that re- government has been forced to end its boy-
sermons. Bitesize, its educational arm, has ceives a subsidy of £3.6bn ($4.4bn) a year, cott of the “Today” radio programme, so 1
