Auntie's nice little earners

BBC must end sponsorship of its programmes - Foster

Commenting on today’s ruling by the BBC Trust that the BBC was wrong to accept sponsorship for some of its programmes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:

“Today’s ruling is a welcome reminder to the BBC about where the limits to its commercial activities should lie.

“While we all want the BBC to provide value for money, we cannot ignore the danger that programme sponsorship poses to editorial integrity.

“Commercial broadcasters are already struggling for funding. The last thing they need is for the BBC to make matters even worse.

“In response, the BBC has announced the ending of sponsorship of events around BBC programmes.

“Questions must be asked about why they were accepting sponsorship in the first place.”

That'll have the blondes, bouffants and blazers scuttling to the cellar for all of an afternoon. - 'Oh, oh... questions are going to be asked chaps! Last one who was on Newswatch... be a good lad and pop up next week and tell 'em you don't think that's fair. Should make it all go away 'til the next budget round.'

I should blooming well coco that more than questions should be asked that it has taken this long to get round to a report that has them immediately backing off and standing around whistling with a 'who me?' grin on their faces.

I rather hope this pretty wet response (why do even its victims feel the need to slap a 'we love Auntie' prologue to any subsequent 'what the hell...!!!' comment. Just makes 'em look like they are afraid of taking a stand) is not all that we'll be seeing about what is getting more and more murky regarding this organisation whose funding and what it chooses to do with it no longer adds up.

Many of us are finding we pay them to compete with us, and often with no thought to consequence or worry about revenue streams. Is the BBC commercial or not? And if it makes money as a commercial entity, why do we need to pay a licence fee? Or is that just to cover the pay packets and pensions?

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