I expect more of the BBC

I expect more from the BBC than from commercial organisations, and not in that narrow “I’m a license-fee payer” kind of way. I expect the BBC to be an honest-speaking alternative to the excesses and drivers of the commercial world.

That’s why I’ve become so annoyed about the way the BBC engages in the Freeview HD debate. It’s being spin-ful in its use of language. I’d like to see it make a fairer and straighter assessment of what it’s chosen to do.

Such an assessment, I think, could have gone something like this:

“We’re sorry. We’ve had to make an imperfect deal with programme-producing companies which will require us to encrypt some of our HD transmissions.

“We think the impact will be minimal for most consumers that buy boxes from retail channels. For those of you who prefer to use open hardware and software, we’re afraid you won’t be able to enjoy these transmissions.

“However, we made a judgement that this was the best tactic currently available to allow us to broadcast any HD content from third parties.

“We will of course, be broadcasting in the clear those properties for which we own the rights or have made ourselves. We are currently lobbying parliament to strengthen the laws regarding our standard definition content so that this deal doesn’t become the thin end of a DRM-encumbered wedge.”

Of course, I made up the proposals in that last paragraph.

But, I’d be happy to accept that reasoning. I disagree with it, but only mildly so. The regret expressed is appropriate and would be welcome. It encourages me that they believe DRM to be the least-worst rather than the best option.

Instead we get triumphant, salesy and slightly aggressive posts here and here.

I just want the BBC to be more honest about the restrictions imposed by this technology. And I would be pleased if the starting point of their negotiation wasn’t at the DRM end. I hope they stood up for public broadcasting on open platforms more strongly than these posts imply.

Unfortunately, the BBC doesn’t seem to have the courage it used to have.

Maybe too many people with eyes on jobs in media companies. Maybe. I don’t know enough to be sure. I do know though that yet another BBC executive moved recently to Microsoft. I have to say, I’m surprised that the organisations have anything like compatible cultures. Perhaps I shouldn’t be. Updated: in hindsight, I think that paragraph, while true, was a distraction from my main point.

If the BBC is just another media company in a sea of media companies; if working for the BBC is just like working in another corporate; and, if PR from the BBC feels like spin-ful PR from everywhere else, well, what’s the point?