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Article: A conspiracy theory: British institutions: the BBC.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- March 20, 1993
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE BBC has much in common with another beleaguered institution, the monarchy. They are Britain's best-known brands abroad, rated more highly by foreigners than by Britons (the BBC reckons its audience abroad is 120m). Both are the products of the past: if they did not exist, nobody would now invent them. Both have survived by persuading people that they represent standards higher than the modern world normally sets for itself. Of the two, the BBC seems to be doing a better job of managing the pressures for change.
Like the royal family, the BBC's top people are getting a drubbing. A mini-scandal has left both its director-general, John Birt, and its chairman, ...