Petition “Stop cutting the BBC to please Murdoch!”

The BBC licence fee was frozen at the October 2010 level of £145.50 for the next six years, a 16% cut in real terms. We request the 16% cut to be restored. We didn’t queue up to ask for it – we didn’t ask to cheapen and degrade BBC broadcasting, but that’s already happening and will get worse.

It has now been revealed that Murdoch’s lobbying was behind the cut, imposed by the coalition government. But the licence fee has no connection with Treasury deficits. Instead the cut benefits Murdoch and BSkyB and damages BBC broadcasting. The government should restore the BBC revenue stream and make Murdoch pay a hefty fee to the BBC in compensation.