The end of the BBC?

Humphrys censured by BBC for continually interrupting minister

The whole point of an independent media is to be critical: to think for itself, to question, to challenge, to ponder the assumptions and to examine the alternatives. It is becoming increasingly clear that the BBC as an institution is dying, with its paranoia over the seemingly endless debates about the extension of its charter, and its complete and utter lack of backbone over the Hutton report - when it would have been well within its rights to, at the very least, ridicule the good Lord's pompous witterings, if not to reject them out of hand as utterly risible. That it felt unable to do so says much about the BBC, and may turn out to be the point at which the ship floundered.

These issues have severely limited the BBC's ability to act as an independent entity and to set its own agenda as a public service broadcaster. The organisation is increasingly run reactively, responding first and foremost to outside criticism and seems to effectively be floundering in its own wake - a neat trick and one that's difficult to pull off. As an organisation, the BBC seems increasingly committed to the touchy-feely [e.g. Comic/Sport Relief] and the populist [phone ins, even if they've temporarily sworn off of reality tv] in search of a popular relevance that helps preserve the institution at all costs.

But what is the point of preserving a spineless media rump? If the BBC's flagship political program can be cowed and told not to bully ministers by asking serious questions, is there any real need for the institution any more? Private companies are more than capable [and more than willing] to provide us with mindless rubbish - and if the BBC isn't willing to provide an alternative intellectual counterpoint there's little need for its continuance.