BBC/Tories at War..

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

So why not make subscription voluntary?

High transitional costs, rising operating costs (eg huge spend on marketing in order to retain subscribers), a smaller subscriber base, the need to maximise revenue would all mean that the BBC would likely have to charge significantly more for the same services, rendering it less affordable and potentially pricing some people out altogether. It's also likely that the output would become gradually less diverse as the focus would be on catering to those who were prepared to pay, rather than the provision of a public service.

Most subscription channels in the UK offer quite specialist programming, there's little original, home produced content. I don't think imposing such a model on a broadcaster with a unique remit, such as the BBC, is in the least bit sensible or desirable.

 

[Womble98]

All these people complaining about the quality of BBC television must have ridiculous standards. It is viewed by the majority of the world as brilliant, yet we take it for granted.

 

[silkyman]

It's amazing how many people never ever ever watch any BBC, listen to any of it on the radio, use the website or anything.

 

[silkyman]

It's the 21st century. Should citizens in one of the freest countries on Earth be obliged, under threat of prosecution, to fund a particular broadcasting company just because others have decreed that it's good for them?

If it's as brilliant and cherished as is often claimed, why not make the license fee voluntary?

Because even if people cherish something, a lot of people would get it for free if they could. See also passionate football fans who proclaim to love their club, yet get in for concession prices etc. Music fans who illegally download tracks, film fans who illegally download films. Everyone wants someone else to pay for it.

 

[mowgli]

All these people complaining about the quality of BBC television must have ridiculous standards. It is viewed by the majority of the world as brilliant, yet we take it for granted.

Well i want to entertained not force fed the same old crap all the time. I'm sick of cookery, antique and docs on people's jobs like litter pickers i want some decent drama which is rare nowadays on the BBC, their only decent channel is BBC 4 with some decent documentaries.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

But there are people that like the kinds of shows you have listed. That's the biggest issue with the BBC in that it has to appeal to the masses so it becomes a Jack of all trades, master of none.

The Website, the radio and some of the TV it produces is some of the best in the world from what I've seen. I think we get great value for money and I'd be pretty annoyed if that was lost.

 

[Red]

The idea of subscription based funding is worth considering. I hardly ever watch TV nowadays apart from Songs of praise and babestation. I do use the beeb's websites a lot and listen to 5Live. How would a subscription work though? Would it be something you could opt in and out of on a monthly basis or would it be an annual thing. If it was funded by subscribing and less people subscribed wouldn't that drive up the price?

 

[Aber gas]

The idea of subscription based funding is worth considering. I hardly ever watch TV nowadays apart from Songs of praise and babestation. I do use the beeb's websites a lot and listen to 5Live. How would a subscription work though? Would it be something you could opt in and out of on a monthly basis or would it be an annual thing. If it was funded by subscribing and less people subscribed wouldn't that drive up the price?

Can you imagine the bbc producing babestation, Kirsty wark chatting about inflation or the lib dems but in a sexy , husky voice . The mind boggles .

 

[Womble98]

Decent drama:

1. Peaky Blinders
2. Jonathan Worrall/Mr Strange (didnt watch it but was meant to be brilliant)
3. Banished was quite good
4. Interceptor is entertaining
5. The Village
6. Wolf Hall
7. The Game
8. The Honourable Woman
9. Ripper Street

These are just off the top of my head. For £12 a month, news, weather, documentaries, and all the other stuff the BBC does, that is far far more than value for money IMO.

 

[Gladders]

Decent drama:

1. Peaky Blinders
2. Jonathan Worrall/Mr Strange (didnt watch it but was meant to be brilliant)
3. Banished was quite good
4. Interceptor is entertaining
5. The Village
6. Wolf Hall
7. The Game
8. The Honourable Woman
9. Ripper Street

These are just off the top of my head. For £12 a month, news, weather, documentaries, and all the other stuff the BBC does, that is far far more than value for money IMO.

It's only value for money if you use it, I'll be honest and say I've never heard of any of them but then like I said I hardly watch TV
The only value I get from the licence fee is a few sporting events and the news

 

[TheArtfulDodger]

Luther was BBC wasn't it? I'll give them that, not seen Peaky Blinders, should I be watching this?

 

[Womble98]

Luther was BBC wasn't it? I'll give them that, not seen Peaky Blinders, should I be watching this?

Yes a thousand times over. Best thing I have ever seen.

 

[silkyman]

It's only value for money if you use it, I'll be honest and say I've never heard of any of them but then like I said I hardly watch TV
The only value I get from the licence fee is a few sporting events and the news

Well, go and get all your news and sport from Sky then, switch to purely online viewing and stop paying the fee.

Simples.

 

[mnb089mnb]

So why not make subscription voluntary?

As long as we do the same with the Royal Family.

 

[GodsGift]

While we're on the subject of the royal family...

 

[Aber gas]

While we're on the subject of the royal family...

I'm not surprised by the story but I am a bit shocked that the sun is running it .

 

[mowgli]

Decent drama:

1. Peaky Blinders
2. Jonathan Worrall/Mr Strange (didnt watch it but was meant to be brilliant)
3. Banished was quite good
4. Interceptor is entertaining
5. The Village
6. Wolf Hall
7. The Game
8. The Honourable Woman
9. Ripper Street

These are just off the top of my head. For £12 a month, news, weather, documentaries, and all the other stuff the BBC does, that is far far more than value for money IMO.

The BBC dumped Ripper Street series 3 which was shown on Amazon.

 

[silkyman]

A moment of wonderfulness from Charlie Brooker... Two Tory dreams speared in 24 words.


Charlie Brooker ‏@charltonbrooker · Jul 16
Boris Johnson wonders why the BBC didn't make Breaking Bad. It's because in the UK Walter White would receive free treatment on the NHS.

 

[Red]

A moment of wonderfulness from Charlie Brooker... Two Tory dreams speared in 24 words.


Charlie Brooker ‏@charltonbrooker · Jul 16
Boris Johnson wonders why the BBC didn't make Breaking Bad. It's because in the UK Walter White would receive free treatment on the NHS.

I like Charlie B

 

[slaphead]

I saw George Osbourne the other day saying the BBC needs to cut back it's website because it's dictatorial and provides unfair competition for newspapers and their websites. That would be the newspapers that are owned by the Tories biggest backer.

 

[Alty]

Got round to listening to this today:

Well said, Armando. Top man.

 

[Super_horns]

Going to be some annoyed sports fans out there..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc...d-snooker-in-new-cuts-to-sports-division.html

Mind you they have slowly been losing sport after sport that I am not sure people will notice!

Also the red button is been scrapped.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

"Lord Hall will say that he is committed to finding a replacement for The Voice"

FFS

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Not the snooker as well? Boo

 

[mowgli]

The BBC spend too much money on sending too many "workers" to the likes of Glastonbury,Wimbledon and football World Cups and European Championships when we all know they are a jolly for staff who don't need to be at these events paid for by license fee payers.

 

[HertsWolf]

The BBC spend too much money on sending too many "workers" to the likes of Glastonbury,Wimbledon and football World Cups and European Championships when we all know they are a jolly for staff who don't need to be at these events paid for by license fee payers.

Out of interest, how many do they send? I always imagined there would be a fair number, but how many is many?

 

[Veggie Legs]

Out of interest, how many do they send? I always imagined there would be a fair number, but how many is many?

About 300 to the last world cup and a similar number to Glastonbury. I have no idea whether that is an appropriate number.

 

[Super_horns]

Depends who you believe I think!

They could cut down on the number of pundits for some events though who don't really add much - didn't Hansen get paid 1.5 million or so just for appearing on MOTD every week!

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

People say that £12 a month is great value but that's more than double the combined cost of Netflix, Spotify, podcasts, blogs, forums, Twitter and other news sites like the Guardian. How much media do you need?

 

[blade1889]

Surprised the BBC haven't tried selling a subscription service abroad yet. Just £1 a month to use iPlayer sort of thing...i know theres ways around it but any income is better than none!?