Throw away your TV

The BBC drove me to it. It’s not just Gaza - but that was the final straw. The BBC’s eccentric, inconsistent, cravenly partial decision not to screen the DEC Gaza Appeal is just the latest sign that the world’s best broadcaster has become a weakened, withered, cowering institution. From sexed-up dossiers to mis-named Blue Peter kittens to lewd, rude radio presenters, Auntie is now terrified of offending anyone.

Didn’t anyone tell them you can’t please all the people all the time? Its attempts not to rock the boat have really backfired this time. The only people not offended by the Gaza decision seem to be the Israeli government.

Fortunately, we can rely on Tony Benn to tell the BBC off, do the right thing, and broadcast the details himself.

This unprecedented refusal to air the appeal - a first in over 40 years - seems to be a unilateral decision by Director General Mark Thompson. His rationale? Editorial integrity - which he claims would be harmed if they ‘took sides’. That doesn’t seem to have stopped them airing a DEC appeal just two months ago for victims of war in the Congo. Far from impartiality, this partial, political decision makes it clear whose side The BBC is on. Their other reason - that aid probably wouldn’t get through - doesn’t bear scrutiny. The 24 charities that make up the DEC probably have more experience of delivering aid on the ground and making that judgement than BBC executives.

In response to the refusal to air the appeal, the Stop the War Coalition recently organised a protest involving people marching on Broadcasting House and returning their TV licenses. There have been ritual licence burnings at other BBC offices around the country. Actors and writers have cut ties with the BBC. David Soul wrote an open letter explaining why he has cancelled his license. Mark Steel has summed up the whole sorry mess more eloquently than I ever could.

So this all got me thinking. Could I do the David Soul thing and rescind my TV licence in disgust too? Could I manage without TV? I could watch things on the iPlayer instead (perfectly legal without a license). I can still hire DVDs from Love Film. My iMac has a bigger screen than my TV anyway. And I’m supposed to be on an Information Diet after all.

I decided on a trial separation from my television to start with. It’s now been a week, and I can honestly say I’ve not missed it. The average viewer in the UK watches 4 hours of TV per day. That’s two months a year! Imagine what else you could do without the distracting, anesthetising influence of the goggle box. I’ve long suspected that a 14-month year is the only way to get through my to-do list. I might even get my book written…

I probably won’t tear up my license just yet. But my TV-free week has been a revelation. I have more time, I feel calmer, my insomnia is improving and I don’t feel I’m missing out. Occasional, deliberate, well-chosen viewing for me this year. Not TV as background noise. I highly recommend it.

But back to my reasons for falling out with the BBC. It’s not just Gaza.

There’s also the BBC’s strange, recent obsession with pandering to Middle England. Last week’s episode of Panorama (the last thing I watched), once the BBC’s flagship investigative news programme, was all about the self-flagellating, navel-gazing fallout from the Ross-Brand affair (yes, still). Should we swear on TV? What would Mary Whitehouse think? Etc.

My concern is this: the BBC have allowed themselves to be beaten into submission. It’s not entirely their fault. This is a dangerous path that started with the bullying Blair government, who scandalously blurred the distinction between ’state’ and ‘broadcaster’. But now the Beeb is not crawling and apologising to Alistair Campbell for airing a journalist’s claim that the Government’s  pre-war Iraq dosier was ’sexed up’ (correct, as it turns out); they are tugging their forelocks and wringing their hands before Daily Mail readers for a single ill-judged comment broadcast on a pre-recorded late-night comedy radio show that these readers didn’t listen to - which is worse. And the final straw is that they are now giving every appearance of prostrating themselves before the Israeli cabinet - which is unforgivable.

I’m pleased that Wossy is back on telly, even if I restrict myself  to watching his show occasionally on the iPlayer. But the Ross-Brand affair - or, rather, the BBCs (over)reaction to it - means that this is not an end to it. Middle England has smelled blood, and are marching in for the kill like the Countryside Alliance. If Outraged of Tunbridge Wells have their way, not only will Ross not be able to do his job, we will soon only be able to watch what they want to watch: a lowest common denominator, inoffensive, wallpaper pap of programming. Look out for schedules filled with Songs of Praise and repeats of Last of the Summer Wine. Yet they are not the only license fee payers - we all have to pay, and should all be represented.

My granny used to exercise strong moral judgement, and the royal ‘we’, over the remote control. One hint of controversial broadcasting infiltrating the front room, and she would exclaim, “we don’t want this!” and switch it off. It sometimes feels as if a minority of moral guardians would like to exercise such unilateral censorship on our viewing. That shouldn’t surprise us. What is depressing is that the post-Hutton BBC is too weak to stand up to them - and to any other interest group, such as those who would rather we didn’t look too closely at Gaza right now.

It’s enough to make me turn off, tune out and drop TV for good.