it depends really, do you want your broadcaster to be answerable to the market?
one of the strongest arguments for the BBC is it's under no obligation to meet any commercial or state interests. Some people may beg to differ on that viewpoint, but the BBC is generally highly regarded in the UK and abroad, especially for its news coverage
If the license fee didn't exist then the BBC would have to make programmes that satisfy the mainstream, which is usually the lowest common denominator.
