Funding multiple broadcasters

Stephen Carter's Digital Britain report, published this afternoon, will propose that the licence fee be shared out among other broadcasters as well as the BBC. I guess the idea is to ensure a diversity of voices and that there is some competition within the public-funded media.

But the BBC is already providing that on its own.

perhaps the prime minister over-egged it this morning (surely not) when he wrote in the Times that "a fast internet connection is now seen by most of the public as an essential service, as indispensable as electricity, gas and water".

And yet, what did one of his colleagues at the BBC write last week but:
The Communications Consumer Panel, which advises Ofcom on broadband issues, recently conducted research among 2,000 people, both on and offline.

It found that 73% described broadband as essential a utility as water or electricity.
Now maybe Robert Peston does think that part of his role is to conduct a robust internal debate with his colleagues, and that other people in the BBC sometimes over-egg the news. Fortunately nobody could accuse him of that crime...

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