Franco & Co. Blog

Over the past few weeks, I've  been shocked by the volume of anti-BBC vitriol that has poured out of the media as a fall-out from the 'Manuelgate' scandal.

True, the whole episode was unfunny, tasteless and shouldn't have been aired. However, the suggestions that the licence fee is too expensive and that quality has deteriorated, the BBC should be disbanded, etc are completely unfair and a complete over-reaction.

The BBC is one of the UK's finest brands and something we should continue to treasure . I love the website which is informative and easy to use. I love iPlayer which is a fabulous innovation and has transformed our viewing habits. The radio stations are diverse and engaging . The TV programmes remain interesting and exciting. The visual identity oozes quality and creativity.

I think the anti-BBC fever has been fuelled by a number of things

1. The fact that people care and feel they 'own' the brand. They somehow feel  they have a stake in it and when it lets them down, they take it very personally

2. Brand and Ross picked the wrong target. If they'd phoned up John Prescott nobody would have cared

3. There's jealousy and ongoing resentment over how much Jonathan Ross is paid vs your average journalist

Anyone who's lived abroad  and witnessed truly awful TV should thank their lucky stars that we've got the BBC. It may not be perfect but its something we should be proud of.