If BBC turns Daily Mail-lite, I will not pay a licence fee for that – Kenny MacAskill

A quality public broadcaster’s essential in a society. America, despite its rich media resource, is the poorer for its almost total lack of one and its democracy’s distorted by its absence.

Prior to become the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie was chief executive of BBC Studios. In the 1990s, he stood as a Conservative councillor and was deputy chairman of his local Hammersmith and Fulham party (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

It wasn’t always like that, but political prejudice and years of underfunding have seen it become a pale shadow of what it once was, when wonderful historical documentaries and insightful journalism was the norm.

The BBC has for years been the gold standard for broadcasting, at home and around the globe, in political balance and quality of product.

But over recent years the grand old institution has sadly fallen from grace. Shameless promotion of Nigel Farage and the boosting of Brexit have long since taken the shine off supposed impartiality. On show along with that has been a reduction in quality of output – and in inverse proportion to the salaries paid to a few.

That hasn’t come about by accident but by design. There’s a section in the Tory Party who would like to close it down and replace it with Fox or some other right-wing channel.

But the majority, and certainly the Government, simply prefer to make it, if not complicit, then at least compliant with their policy.

A director-general who was a Tory candidate is a long way from Reithian principles, never mind the culture of fear imposed during the independence referendum, when even putting up a window poster was verboten and what was screened was overtly partisan. Now the plans seem ever more to make it an on-air organ of government.

Did the BBC give too much airtime to Nigel Farage? (Picture: David Lowndes)

Allied to that has been BBC Scotland’s failure to live up to the aspirations for a national channel. Its airtime is limited, its budget even more so. It doesn’t match what exists in Quebec or Catalonia never mind in Ireland.

As a result, Scots see the world through someone else’s lens and major national events remain uncovered. Restricting what we produce also limits the ability of our culture and artists to thrive.

Aspirations are limited. After asking a BBC Scotland journalist how many Emmys had been won by him or colleagues, I was told you needed to go to London or Manchester for that.

Actually, I said I’m just back from Connemara where I’d met an Irish firm showing off theirs. Scotland produces great talent, but it has to head south or abroad to be screened.

So, to avoid what is coming and deliver what can be, there needs to be change. Broadcasting should be devolved, and the BBC Scotland board appointed by Holyrood.

Revenue powers should also be granted and a modest tax as in Sweden imposed, rather than the licence fee. There the average cost is less than our current licence fee and it’s based on the ability to pay.

BBC Scotland could continue to acquire popular productions from the central organization, including soaps and other programmes as RTE does in Ireland. And it would avoid the Daily Mail-lite that’s coming and I for one won’t pay a licence fee for that.

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