As a mum with both secondary and primary school aged children, as you imagine we consume a lot of media in our house.
You name it, we have it. Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Sky among others. But ask me which channel or which platform I use the most, and it will be the BBC every time.
The broadcaster is celebrating its 100th year (it was formed by a consortium in 1922 but its first TV show didn’t go out until the 1930s).
And it’s a time where a lot of people are reflecting on what the BBC means to them and whether there is a place for it in today’s digital world.
As someone who has travelled to the US since I was in my teens, I’ve always known how special and valuable an ad-free BBC is.
The joy of watching programmes that aren’t interrupted by commercials every five seconds is something that my Stateside family can only dream about.
Its news is still the most trusted in the country, its broadcasters like Clive Myrie and Huw Edwards, are national treasures, and it brings us together at momentous occasions in our history – the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is a testament to that.
To this day, I don’t 100% believe in breaking news stories until they have been BBC verified.
There is a huge focus on the Beeb’s news output but it also has great channels – and don’t laugh when I say this – like CBeebies, a lifesaver when you have a toddler, and brilliant drama.
Auntie Beeb, isn’t always perfect, far from it. It still has a long way to go in terms of its behind-the-scenes racial diversity and in improving the inclusion of working-class voices, but things are a lot better.
Sadly, I know my children, especially my teenage son, don’t feel the same. I can’t remember the last time either of them watched or listened to anything on the BBC.
They prefer the streaming channels or YouTube. There is no way my son, when he’s older, would be prepared to pay the licence fee for something he doesn’t use.
So it desperately needs to adapt. It needs content that my children do think is for them and that they would be happy to one day pay for.
But we still have a way to go and until then, and compared to the cost of everything else, the BBC really is worth what we pay for it.
