The press is a commercial business in the USA...
The BBC is a public corporation in the UK. UK voters elect the people that budget the BBC.
ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, etc. are all Commercial businesses. They need to make money so that they can continue to operate. The USA's 'Fairness Doctrine' used to be a key policy for broadcasters in the USA. From 1949-1987, broadcasters had to make-available time for public affairs. They also had to show diversity in the presentation of these public affairs. Vestiges remained of the policy until two years ago.
The Equal Time doctrine is still in-effect for broadcasters. This rule is in effect since 1927. It basically says that if free-time is given to proponents of one-side of an issue, then similar free-time is given to other sides. Similarly if paid-time was for one, paid-time had to be available for others. Recently, the use of free-time has all-but disappeared, under this doctrine (news and some other programs don't count).
It is OK to gripe about the quality of reporting, but news-gathering systems have resorted to 'stringers' and other part-time information collectors in vastly larger numbers. Newspapers are in a death spiral in the USA. Cable companies own all-but-one of the Networks. The independent new-collection is NOW more of a website industry. Times change.