The BBC continues to ‘rip off’ Manx residents by failing to provide adequate services while still charging the full licence fee.
That was the claim by the Celtic League following comments made by Manx Radio chairman David North to the Tynwald select committee investigating the future of public service broadcasting.
In an astonishing statement, former MHK and MLC Mr North likened Manx Radio to a Syrian state broadcaster because it doesn’t have the funding it needs to ensure true independence from government.
He and Manx Radio managing director Anthony Pugh argued the case for the station to be given BBC funding similar to the arrangement which operates for S4C in Wales.
In a statement, the Celtic League said: ‘The Celtic League has consistently said the Manx government should retain licence fees paid to the UK (currently around £5 million) to fund a range of domestic broadcast services including audio and visual media.
‘However, a Tynwald committee which considered the matter recently failed to grasp the nettle and the BBC continues to rip-off Manx residents by levying its full licence fee and failing to provide the same service it gives to other National areas in the UK.
‘There is perhaps the chance that North’s choice of provocative language before this select committee may wake them up to the fact that the issue needs to be addressed.’
Giving evidence to the Tynwald select committee, Mr North said there was one fundamental question he would like to pose.
He said: ‘The question is a quite simple one – is Manx Radio a public service broadcaster or are we are state broadcaster?
‘In other words are we like the BBC or are we like Syrian radio, no more than a government mouthpiece?
‘Editorially we’ve always thought of ourselves as a public service broadcaster but in my opinion, against all the intentions of Tynwald, regrettably we have become a state broadcaster incapable of determining our own future by virtue of our structure.’