Quick comparison of BBC and Commercial

Following on from one of my recent posts where I accused commercial broadcasting of being the "cause of dumb", I have taken a look at the different style between BBC and Commercial.

Throughout its long history, the BBC’s version of public service broadcasting has been regulated by government restrictions. Under the BBC’s constitution, the government can set, distribute and limit the proportion of the licence fee that the BBC receives. It also has the power to discontinue the BBC. History often refers to the BBC as the first great working example of the ‘public service model’ in broadcasting.

Commercial style, however, is obviously different. The term ‘commercial’ suggests that the stations don’t serve the public at all, merely their advertisers and sponsors. But it is these commercial broadcasters who believe they are the only service really serving the public and not the politicians, this is because their survival depends on changes in audience demand. Commercial simply means run for profit making purposes, usually through the sale of air time to advertisers. Commercial broadcasters are often criticised for not being objective, and for bowing to pressure from its sponsors or owners (as shown in the television series, Drop the Dead Donkey).