As we know there have been various attempts in the past to cajole and threaten the BBC for disputing various governments. For example during the 1926 General Strike and the furore over the Falklands War in 1982.
This has led to me thinking. Could the government close down the BBC because of financial problems as Greece has done with the ERT network?
I think it's safe to say, it could happen in theory but unless things changed very drastically in terms of how the country is governed the process probably wouldn't happen overnight in Greece.
Would there be the same financial incentive for the Government to do so here? In Greece, they want ERT shut but are still charging the fee put on the electricity bill. The Govt gets the money instead of ERT.
To be honest, it's like most the threads the OP starts, it's all based on hypothetical situations with no real reason why it would happen in the current climate. I find that conversation a bit dull to be honest. At least with the Scottish independence broadcasting debate we previously had, it's actually something that is conceivable of happening in the next few years.
I don't think it would happen, but I suspect people on our Greek equivalent didn't think what has happened to ERT would happen too.
Maybe it's my political leanings which makes me notice these things more than I did under a Labour government though but I really do not like the way the current government talk about the BBC and moan about them using phrases like "spending cuts" and the "bedroom tax" to describe their spending cuts and bedroom tax. To me at least the BBC doesn't feel as independent as it should under the coalition.
I don't think it would happen, but I suspect people on our Greek equivalent didn't think what has happened to ERT would happen too.
Maybe it's my political leanings which makes me notice these things more than I did under a Labour government though but I really do not like the way the current government talk about the BBC and moan about them using phrases like "spending cuts" and the "bedroom tax" to describe their spending cuts and bedroom tax. To me at least the BBC doesn't feel as independent as it should under the coalition.
I agree: the BBC adopt popular political terms such as: 'GRANNY, PASTY, BEDROOM etc TAX' none of which exist.
They attempt to 'connect with the audience' using false terminology.
I don't think it would happen as does the BBC not come under the Royal Charter. Also in theory the BBC is supposedly independent from the government unlike other state broadcasters from across Europe, although since the BBC were accused of reporting the facts of the Iraq Dossier the Government seems to believe that it has control over the BBC.
In the A trillion to one likelihood that it would happen - the BBC supposedly could keep BBC World News going as that is commercially funded.
Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan praised the ERT decision and suggested it was something David Cameron should do to the BBC to save money... which would make sense were it not for the fact that the #BBC boosted the UK's economy by £8 billion in 11/12.