Can auntie survive in the digital age?

Lord Tony Hall the director general of the BBC will make a speech today to his troops setting out his vision for the future and why the BBC should continue. In the digital age where things move so fast and there are many platforms and ways of receiving news, entertainment and education this is a big call. His benchmark is the very successful production of Wolf Hall that has been sold around the world. His idea is that only the BBC has the depth and breath of experience to do justice to big projects. That these skills cannot be easily replicated and they can be used as a springboard for further successes. The touchstone for all this is of course a reliable income that is guaranteed. He sees the licence fee as the bulwark for this endeavour. Clearly there will be many opponents to this idea, nevertheless most of the population agree that the BBC is a good bet. Its unlikely that any other one broadcaster would give you better quality and breadth of coverage. So will a little tinkering at the edges I think the licence fee should continue, certainly for the foreseeable future.