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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Steve Busfield

Can Twitter save the BBC?

38 degrees website
The 38 Degrees website told web userd to email their MPs

Having saved BBC 6Music, the Twittersphere is now aiming even higher: safeguarding the entire corporation.

#proudoftheBBC is trending on Twitter today, in response to calls from the campaigning group 38 Degrees to defend the corporation.

38 Degrees is asking the public to email their local MP:

"The BBC is under threat again. The minister in charge, Jeremy Hunt, said next year he planned to have "tough discussions" with the BBC, and force them to change "a huge number of things".

"By making these threats now, the government is dipping its toe in the water. The Conservatives don't like the BBC and are strongly influenced by Rupert Murdoch, who wants to see it cut. But they know that the BBC has popular support. They'll be watching the public reaction this week to judge how much BBC-bashing they can get away with."

In response, the Twittersphere is alive with compliments to the corporation and attacks on Murdoch.

One of the top retweeted tweets came from the Times columnist Caitlin Moran. Earlier in the day she had tweeted:

"Important: the world will think we're MAD if we loose the BBC: RT @IanMartin: email your MP: http://tinyurl.com/36oqupg"

Tweets range from the pointed:

@DIG60: "Dail Mail & Mail on Sunday subscription (Discounted): £199.96 BBC License fee: £145.50. #proudofthebbc"

To the jokey:

@markthomasinfo: "#proudofthebbc for not playing an advert when a goal was scored in the world cup"

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