I will admit my agenda straight away. I do not have much affection for the BBC at this moment in time. I support the licence fee and believe the BBC to be, historically speaking, a great institution for this country. I also strongly enjoy the BBC output. The trouble is, as a BBC viewer, I rather feel as though it has become the political wing of the Tory-led government - far from being independent, and far from being the left-wing biased organisation it often finds itself accused of.
Whether it is Jeremy Clarkson and friends sharing their very centre-right world view with viewers, or the BBC appointing a past Tory chairman - Chris Patten - as chairman of the BBC Trust, or inviting David Cameron on to the popular teatime tribute to touchy-feeliness The One Show, there are times when I feel the BBC has its colours nailed to the mast in a way we are supposed to believe they do not.
With that in mind, I will not be sorry to see the BBC pared down a little. Not that it would fill me with pleasure, nor would I not want to see the BBC cut to the bone, but it certainly has some fat to lose.
The BBC director general, Mark Thompson has outlined some cuts which could be made. Here are a few I would like to see:-
1. There is a lot of waste in channel use. Are BBC3 and BBC4 vanity projects or are they really needed? Regarding BBC3, I can live well enough without Snog Marry Avoid? (Produced by Endemol - who else?). In fact most people of most ages could live without the cheap and tacky rubbish that fills BBC3. If they cannot, then there is always ITV2. BBC4 has more depth, but I have noticed a few repeats on the channel. It did give me a chance to watch Electric Dreams - fantastic viewing. BBC3 and BBC4 could be merged though, and renamed. Alternatively, they could be abolished altogether and their programming used to fill gaps on BBC1 and BBC2.
2. For earlier in the day, I do not believe the BBC need to spend on two children's TV channels, even if they are pitched to different age groups. I was lucky if I got to see two hours of children's TV after school.
3. Abolish all the lifestyle shows in the daytime on BBC1 (which usually involve an auction room or rebuilding a property) and replace them with the testcard. I have missed that blackboard and chalk.
4. Local radio should be peak only and give us Radio Five Live at other times on FM.
5. Stop sending George Alagiah on holiday to disaster zones when the news can be presented from the studio.
6. Bring more BBC World news to our British screens. We would love it.
I am sure I could think of many other savings the BBC could make. However, the BBC must remember the inclusive principles that guide it. That means protecting the Asian Network. It also means continued support for 6 Music, which is one of the few refuges from the R n' B and pop which saturates mainstream radio elsewhere. The BBC is at its best when it caters for everyone, regardless of interest. It must be kept that way.
