Changes

The BBC is a Crown corporation supported by a licensing fee applied to television owners of £145.50 (about $223 US) per year.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/insidethebbc/whoweare/licencefee "The Licence Fee"] ''BBC''. (until 31st March 2017).</ref>  All owners of TV receiving equipment are obliged to pay the fee whether they watch BBC content or not.  As such the license fee is often correctly criticized as being a tax.

The BBC is a Crown corporation supported by a licensing fee applied to television owners of £145.50 (about $223 US) per year.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/insidethebbc/whoweare/licencefee "The Licence Fee"] ''BBC''. (until 31st March 2017).</ref>  All owners of TV receiving equipment are obliged to pay the fee whether they watch BBC content or not.  As such the license fee is often correctly criticized as being a tax.

BBC programming is free of commercial advertising.  However, it has some obligations to transmit statements by political parties and it advertises its own programs.  BBC channels transmitted in the UK are nevertheless free of commercial advertising - with the exception of sporting events, during which it is still permitted to display commercial advertising.  Cricket matches were a previous source of contention as adverts projected onto the field of play are only visible to television viewers.  This results in much greater non-advertising broadcasting time and uninterrupted broadcast of feature films.  However, since the funding is determined by the government, the BBC can be slow to criticize those in power.  This arrangement means the government has to do very little to apply pressure on the BBC and often the BBC will self regulate in favor of the government without any formal instruction being given.<ref>http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldbbc/50/5006.htm</ref>  This in turn leads to the government and the BBC being able to declare independence and neutrality officially, while in reality this is far from the case.

BBC programming is free of commercial advertising.  However, it has some obligations to transmit statements by political parties and it advertises its own programs.  BBC channels transmitted in the UK are nevertheless free of commercial advertising - with the exception of sporting events, during which it is still permitted to display commercial advertising.  Cricket matches were a previous source of contention as adverts projected onto the field of play are only visible to television viewers.  This results in much greater non-advertising broadcasting time and uninterrupted broadcast of feature films.  However, since the funding is determined by the government, the BBC can be slow to criticize those in power.  This arrangement means the government has to do very little to apply pressure on the BBC and often the BBC will self regulate in favor of the government without any formal instruction being given.<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldbbc/50/5006.htm CHAPTER 3: Safeguarding the independence of the BBC]</ref>  This in turn leads to the government and the BBC being able to declare independence and neutrality officially, while in reality this is far from the case.

While there is a vocal minority campaign to privatize the BBC and change it back into a commercial company (as it had been prior to 1927), this appears highly unlikely to happen.

While there is a vocal minority campaign to privatize the BBC and change it back into a commercial company (as it had been prior to 1927), this appears highly unlikely to happen.