Historically the BBC was an expansionist corporation, rapidly increasing its radio network in the 1920s instigating, albeit under government pressure, a TV service during the late 1930s, first colour TV studios in 1960s first colour TV service in UK 1967, the list goes on and on.
Now the BBC is about to contract and contract voluntarily lopping down a couple of networks and slashing online staff. The BBC created an unfair playing field in the 1920s when it was turned into a corporation by a government fearful of the expansion of commercial radio that was already starting to occur in the US. The privately owned BBC became quasi-government owned. Remember we had to wait until 1973 for land based local commercial radio was allowed.
So why have they done this? A preemptive strike before a fresh new government rips away the licence fee and hands is out to anyone who fancies 'having a go at local news'? A recognition that actually you could get Radio 1 and 2 to do the things that 6music did? And The Asian Network always did smack of ghetto radio, I mean what happened to The Jewish Network or The Gay Network?
One thing for sure the BBC is on the run and still might be caught. With the brilliance and reliability of the BBC iPlayer and a back catalogue of TV and Radio shows that commercial operators would sell their mother, granny and wife for; we are in for a very interesting few years ahead.
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