<p>Should we defund – or defend – the BBC?</p><br><p>Live from London, the&nbsp;<em>Spectator</em>&nbsp;hosted a debate on the future of this iconic British institution, compered by associate editor Isabel Hardman. The&nbsp;<em>Spectator</em>’s chairman – and long-time Beeb-critic – Charles Moore, and the&nbsp;<em>Telegraph</em>’s Allison Pearson went head-to-head with the&nbsp;<em>Spectator</em>’s editor – and former Tory cabinet minister – Michael Gove and the former BBC correspondent – now-podcaster with&nbsp;<em>The Newsagents&nbsp;</em>– Jon Sopel.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Defund: do you agree with Lord Moore that the BBC is constantly breaking impartiality? That this issue ‘more profound than just about balance’ – that this is a systemic issue which hampers the British public’s opportunity to learn. And for Allison Pearson, the BBC that the country feels 'sentimental attachment to’ is gone, replaced today by a corporation that is ‘institutionally antisemitic’.</p><br><p>Defend: Jon Sopel argues that the soft power of the BBC cannot be underestimated and, while guilty of many mistakes, destroying the BBC would be ‘an act of cultural vandalism akin to ISIS blowing up Palmyra’. Lord Gove argues that the BBC reflects the best of us, declaring that he backs the organisation 'not&nbsp;<em>in spite</em>&nbsp;of being a conservative – but because&nbsp;<em>I am</em>&nbsp;a conservative’.</p><br><p>Subscribers can watch the full discussion on <a href="spectator.co.uk/tv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spectator TV</a> and for more events from the Spectator, go to&nbsp;<a href="events.spectator.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">events.spectator.co.uk</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Become a <em>Spectator </em>subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/follow-your-podcasts/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spectator.co.uk/adfree</a> to find out more.</p><br><p>For more <em>Spectator</em> podcasts, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcasts/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spectator.co.uk/podcasts</a>.</p><br><p>Contact us: [email protected]</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>