You and I will have to agree to disagree on this one. Whoever signs the checks controls what happens. Always. The Beeb may from time to time have little fits of independence, but when it comes down to it, they side with the collective against the individual.
The only direct control exercised by government on the BBC is through the periodic (every ten years or so) renewal of the legislation which determines the Royal Charter under which the BBC operates. Only in the year or so leading up to that legislation does the BBC take much notice of what the government of the day thinks of it. As it happens, at the moment both major parties (for different reasons) are threatening radical changes to the BBC.
Given that members of the government openly asked the BBC to not allow Griffen onto TV tonight, and the BBC refused i’d perhaps say that their recent control has been a little lacking.
Also, the BBC owns perhaps 10 of the 200+ channels on my TV. They are not in a position to dominate the media.