Given the bbc is the 7th most popular site in the UK, and a clear leader over other news sites, I don't see why it shouldn't be paid for by the license. It fulfils its requirements outstandingly well.
(There are questions about whether given the move away from a tv based model the bbc should be paid for by tax payers, and that's fair)
He's been doing this since the 70s. When I broke my back 10 years ago there was another panarama in which he'd shown dramatic improvement in rats.
He's only got round to spinal injury's now because its something occasionally improves without aid and is therefore unreliably for scientific tests. He was looking at other types of injury (I can't remember the name) where the nerves to the arm are torn out, as this never shows any signs of recovery.
He's now moved on to knife wounds as these offer the cleanest types of complete break ie very unlikely to improve later.
Raisman has been thorough and methodical about this. Its his life's work and I have no doubt he'll succeed
(I was actually in hospital with Dan Nicholls, whose father has been funding Reiman's research http://www.nsif.org.uk/)
http://www.bing.com/search?q=speed+test&qs=n&form=QBLH&sp=-1...