Beeb Survives Shock Horror

It would be swept away as an act of revenge for all the leftist propaganda it was fielding against the poor and defenceless Tory Party. Its “chilling” ambition would be put to rest, and its ability to remain an irritant to Rupe and Junior would cease. Its charter would be “torn up”. Or maybe not.

Because the BBC is safe for the next six years at least. The licence fee will be frozen at its current level, the Corporation will have to take on financial responsibility for the World Service and S4C, but otherwise things will continue as before. For starters, its news output will still wipe the floor – both in quality and viewers – with the appallingly inferior offering of Sky News (“first for breaking wind”).

Not for nothing has the Maily Telegraph’s Neil Midgley asserted that the Beeb “has good reasons to celebrate”. The Corporation has the certainty of income in the medium term, and has escaped any party political interference. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that the licence fee negotiations would not take long this time round, and has been as good as his word.

But the Beeb had already embarked on a period of cuts: talent will no longer be rewarded as generously as before, reduction of management numbers has started, and ultimately the move to locations outside London, such as Salford Quays, will also lower the cost base.

Yes, Beeb spokesmen are saying that the deal is “challenging”, but the reality is that they will manage perfectly well, thank you. And so will all the whingers who try to paint the Corporation as biased and “left leaning”, for which latter read “it doesn’t serve the news in the style that I want it to”.

So no change there, then.