James Murdoch Criticizes BBC For Providing "Free News"

Hugh Pickens writes "News Corporation's James Murdoch says that a 'dominant' BBC threatens independent journalism in the UK and that free news on the web provided by the BBC made it 'incredibly difficult' for private news organizations to ask people to pay for their news. 'It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it,' says Murdoch. 'The expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision.' In common with the public broadcasting organizations of many other European countries, the BBC is funded by a television license fee charged to all households owning a television capable of receiving broadcasts. Murdoch's News Corporation, one of the world's largest media conglomerates, owns the Times, the Sunday Times and Sun newspapers and pay TV provider BSkyB in the UK and the New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and Fox News TV in the US." Note that James Murdoch is the son of Rupert Murdoch.

Comments

Re:Threatening plurality?

[FourthAge]

I think you are correct and most undeserving of a Flamebait moderation.

The BBC is left wing, in the social sense of the word. The BBC slavishly supports the New Labour social programmes, from really big things like the public sector expansion, the quangos and the NHS, through the whole authoritarian anti-terror laws, right down to small but important things like political correctness and the doctrine of equality. New Labour may not be left wing in economic terms, but in terms of social policy, they are most definitely hard left.

The BBC helped New Labour gain power, and celebrated when they did:

"I do remember... the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. I'll always remember that"
Jane Garvey

BBC Five Live, May 10th, 2007, recalling May 2nd, 1997.

And now the BBC is using its considerable power to ensure that the Conservatives must continue to support New Labour policy, even though it has led Britain into recession and is badly in need of reform.

The BBC's greatest achievement is making people believe that "left wing = good". The BBC has done this incredibly well. I see that one of your other replies conflates "right wing" with "Islamic dictatorship".. well, we can thank the BBC for that one. And another suggests that you are "off with Enoch Powell". I suspect this is meant as an insult, implying you are a racist, although the poster may be aware of Tony Blair's gushing praise for Mr Powell on his death in 1998 and may simply be implying that you are a Blairite.