Government Services

(Sent to The Spectator October 1st 2004 but unpublished)

No more pbs

Sir,

Ofcom suggests another public service channel to counteract the public service near monopoly of the BBC. By that reasoning should we have two separate NHS systems? Or three? Would that really be good for the physical health of the country? If not then would two BBCs be good for its mental health?

Public service broadcasting is about taking money from citizens by government force in order to fulfil "wider social purposes". It presumes that left to our own "commerical" choices we would not choose to pay for the "right" programmes. This implies that the government must dictate morality. Such contempt for the minds of the voters of this country should be answered in only one way: by demanding an end to the licence fee and all government interference in broadcasting.

Richard G. Brooke