As a longtime filmmaker, publisher, and businessman who has worked and lived all over the world, I want to share my thoughts on the BBC, both as an organisation and as a news provider.

More often than I care to remember, particularly in my younger days, when I would travel with abandon through remote parts of the planet, without the modern technologies available to all today, the BBC World Service was the one place where I could find impartial, unbiased news, as well as long-form audio journalism that was unrivalled in its quality.

The BBC, and especially BBC Radio, was always there, accurately reporting the news and serving as a mirror to our great culture. In quite difficult and often lonely times, the voice of the broadcast would be that of a wise friend to me: educative, informative, and the voice of reason.

Once again, the BBC is under heavy attack from all quarters. To the right and right of centre, it is “not fit for purpose.” To the left, the organisation is not accusatory enough, not anarchic enough, too compliant with the state. To filmmakers, the BBC is not funded enough to compete internationally, while others claim it is too uninformed, a tool of colonialism, or an institution that celebrates exclusion. In other words, it cannot win, and to me, that is precisely what shows its strength.

What the BBC has done, and this cannot be challenged, is to send brave men and women to cover stories all over the planet, often in extreme situations. Its reporting in zones of conflict, in the financial markets, and throughout the pandemic has been exemplary.

The organisation has made extraordinary contributions to all of our lives and to our understanding of the planet, exposing the plight of wildlife, and explaining and reporting, in measured ways, both natural and man-made disasters.

The BBC has not bugged high-profile people. It has not financially benefited from tabloid journalism, nor has it been mired in the scandals or politics of other so-called “free presses” that court the powerful and pursue financial gain.

Thus, I would argue strongly that this organisation, which we all pay for and should cherish, continues this important work to this very day.

Of course, there have been moments of misjudgment by executives and journalists, fuelled by the passions of their work and by the very brutality of witnessing war, famine, and the flight of the human race. After all, the news is reported by humans about the behaviour of humans. These editorial errors come to light in the unforgiving world we live in, a world of shaming, and by and large, they are dealt with openly and publicly, under the ruthless scrutiny of the enemies of a truly free press.

To subject the BBC to government censure and attack is both wrong and dangerous. It will lead us further down the path of oligarchy and corruption. Should we lose the BBC, we will be one step closer to a society controlled behind closed doors.

Many years ago, some friends of mine were active behind the Iron Curtain, delivering books, Bibles and the works of banned Russian writers. They ran enormous risks bringing forbidden literature to Russian people hungry for truth and for a life without censorship. During those times, the BBC was a lifeline behind the Curtain to those with radio transmitters, the voice of the free world, a lifeline, a North Star.

I stand to protect and defend the BBC from attack and potential destruction. The quality of its work in film and across all forms of media has always been exceptional. And to be clear to the cynics: I have never worked for the BBC, nor have I made a single film for the organisation. Had I done so, well, then of course, their programming would have been even better!

Be vigilant about what is happening around you. History repeats itself. No more needs to be said.