What is the BBC for then?

Janet Daly writing in this morning's Telegraph asks what the BBC is for.Good question you may think

Arguing that the Reithian days are long gone Janet asks

why should the BBC have the crushing advantage over its competitors, not only in television and radio, but on the internet as well, that is provided by a huge public subsidy?

and secondly

why should it then seek to compete ruthlessly with commercial rivals, for all the world as if it were as dependent on advertising revenue to survive as they were?

Unfortunately she bases her argument on the thoughts of the Tories who

plan to endorse an idea that has been going the rounds for some time: that the money provided by the licence fee for public service broadcasting should cease to be monopolised by the BBC. A share of it should be available to any broadcasting outfit that proposes to make programmes deemed to be in the public interest. Not only would this be more just, but it would be a stimulus to all the channels to raise their game.