Fleecing the new media to pay for the old

The News of the World is reporting that the Government is thinking of levying a new tax on companies like Google and Facebook to help raise additional cash for the ‘bloated’ BBC and other public sector broadcasters.

If true, this is despicable. It is bad enough that we have a state run media and broadcaster that is 100% subsidised. New media companies (that you would have thought the Government would want to encourage) have enough difficulties establishing themselves in this competitive market at the best of times. The idea that they would have to carry (or fund) their state run opponents as well is morally repugnant.

The best thing to do with the BBC is to break it up and let its offspring stand on its own two feet without any public subsidy whatsoever. I imagine most people would appreciate the saving from the abolition of the TV license.