I reject the notion of what you are saying the BBC does. It has some good programmes no doubt and it’s better than ITV or C4 but it’s not contributing to “social good” or “cohesion”. It has some decent tele from time to time but doesn’t do what it states it is doing, offering impartiality.
It’s certainly not anywhere near as comparable as sending children to school, that’s an absurd comparison, as is the health service.
It is about as authoritarian as you can possibly get when it comes to broadcasting in Wester society.
“If you want to watch an electronic device in your private home, that you own and is your property, you must pay us £157 a year for the privilege and we will send people round to your house to make sure you obey and if you don’t, we will charge you £1000 and you could end up with a criminal record, oh and our channel is number 1 and 2 on your TV guide”.
That’s state theft, I should be able to own an electronic device (that’s not a weapon), in my own home, choose what I pay for on it and decide not to pay for stuff, without the fucking state interfering.
They should have to compete with ITV and C4 and we should have the choice.