It's distressing to see the BBC breaking faith with its audience over phone-in shows, and there should certainly be severe consequences for those responsible. But it's far more distressing -- in fact it's downright nauseating -- to see the right-wing media putting the boot in with such undisguised glee.
We had a taste of this over the Hutton report, when the BBC's enemies were undeterred by the fact that the Corporation was clearly in the right, and apparently unconcerned by the fact that an unhealthy precedent for Government treatment of the media had been set. This time, the jackals are carrying on regardless of the fact that they are just as culpable as the BBC. So I suggest that the following should be barred from criticising the BBC over this issue:
* anyone who puts stories about the goings-on of "reality TV" shows on the news pages
* anyone who reports anything to do with "Big Brother" on the front page
* anyone who uses premium-rate phone lines to provide solutions for crosswords, sudoku puzzles etc
* the Daily Mail (as a matter of principle, and just in case it isn't captured by any of the other categories).
What we really need is to free the BBC from the necessity of taking part in the "race to the bottom" in which its broadcast competitors and much of the print media seem to be happily engaged. But it's hard to find much of a constituency for the poor old Beeb these days, either within the government or among the public at large. We are in danger of letting the rogues and hypocrites deprive us of something unique.
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