They base this claim on a dishonest technicality - The platform argues that it is purely supported by public dollars, as if it is the same as PBS in America.  What it doesn't mention is that the government helps to strong-arm the public into paying that money to the BBC through enforced TV licensing. 

And, if citizens are caught using a TV for the consumption of a list of taxable content sources without paying the fees, they can be fined or even jailed if they refuse to pay those fines.The cost of a TV license in the UK is £159 per year.  BBC outsources their sales process to a third-party company called Capita, who operate under the TV Licensing brand name. Capita's salesmen rebrand themselves as "Enforcement Officers" or "TV License Inspectors". This creates a false impression of legal authority, used to coerce victims into cooperating.  BBC send salesmen to visit unlicensed addresses from their database.