BBC licence fee poll.

[0000]

Yeah, discounted, like Ford sell a Focus for the best part of £30k discounted.

I do also pay for a phone line and broadband, but not with Sky. All they get is that monthly fee.

[Halb]

zarjaz1991 said:

The BBC has many faults but it is a fine broadcaster and is renowned the world over.

People in many countries cannot believe that some in the UK would like to be rid of the BBC.

I for one would not like what we'd get in its place...the likes of Murdoch ruling the roost, adverts every few minutes, charging the Earth for a terribly biased service (and the BBC DOES go out of its way not to be biased, it doesn't always get it right but it mostly does). No programmes, TV or radio, would get made unless it was commercially viable to do so, so say hello to even more X-Factor style rubbish.

There are many challenges within the BBC and parts of it do need to modernise, improve and cut costs, but overall it is the finest broadcasting organisation in the world, and we should be championing that and shouting it from the rooftops for the world to see, not hoping for its demise.

I can think of more than a dozen TV shows that I would happily pay the licence fee for individually.
The entire BBC Radio service is again worth the licence fee just on its own.

Be careful what you wish for.

Best post thus far. The BBC does need to change, for one in addition to the above the BBC needs to rip up the 'demography targeted viewing programmes.' The blinks of the casting directors in being LOndon centric and other stuff. The BBC is a source around which UK telly spins, without it, the power would be a lot less, the choice would diminish, like the elves of Lorien.
But the BBC does need to change or it is heralding it's own demise...

[technodup]

Halb said:

The BBC is a source around which UK telly spins, without it, the power would be a lot less, the choice would diminish,

No BBC would mean a level playing field for other entrants to the market, thus creating more choice, not less. Who would want to set up a news channel today to go up against the might of the BBC resources?

Choice is increasing all the time, which is why more and more are refusing to be taxed to watch the BBC.

[vonuber]

London424 said:

For those advocates of the BBC and the 'World class' shows they are developing...can you list a few as I must be missing out. The only things I can think of are:

Sherlock
Top Gear
Musketeers (was ok)

I'm not fussed about documentaries etc...I'm after Action/Drama/Comedy types please. Thanks!

So quite a large chunk of its output? What about radio?

[turbobloke]

Bill said:

As there's another thread about the BBC with the same few people rehashing arguments on each side I thought I'd see how the wider PH feel. Hopefully its clear enough.

Clear enough so far, with close to a 20 point gap.

Don't pay / Refuse to fund the BBC / pay reluctantly 59%
Pay willingly / happily it's a bargain / no need to 41%

As far as same-old PH goes, the comment should be same old BBC. In terms of the comtinuing left-wing BBC bias, wasting of £00millions, salaries plus pensions and severance payments out of kilter with a troughing organisation as opposed to one earning its place through full and open competition, what exactly will be different in BBC related threads?

The same type of situation applies on the other side, there's little to be said against those self-evident facts of BBC life, and little that beebophiles can repeat except to mask their approval of the bias with comments on how wonderful the bodice-rippers are...due to the largesse that the BBC enjoys from its effectively-opt-in slush funding mechanism.

[Bill]

Brilliantly done. You've simultaneously repeated and demonstrated my point.

The pay reluctantly option should be split again to subdivide those that wouldn't pay if they could be arsed with not doing live telly and those that just feel it's poor value. Tbh though I'm surprised there are as many militant antis.

[AJS-]

You might be surprised there are so many militant antis because you're in the habit of living with it. Having become unaccustomed to it's twaddle and the effect it has on the population I am amazed people put up with it.

[Bill]

And yet there are three times as many Beebophiles.

[Halb]

technodup said:

o BBC would mean a level playing field for other entrants to the market, thus creating more choice, not less. Who would want to set up a news channel today to go up against the might of the BBC resources?

Choice is increasing all the time, which is why more and more are refusing to be taxed to watch the BBC.

No, the level would drop.

---

As for the top programmes.

Zen
Peaky Blinders
I would add to Sherlock.
for serial dramas, and most of it's sitcoms.
I do lament there are so few decent serial dramas against the huge influx of US stuff. There is AMC, HBO, Showtime and Fox. THat is across the board on UK telly though. UK telly is in somewhat of a glut currently.

Edited by Halb on Saturday 4th July 10:22

[NicD]

Ah, so as well as over manning, leftie bias, wasteful top heavy extravagance.....

The three 'top' programmes are not to my taste. Gets worse and worse.
Zen
Peaky Blinders
Sherlock.

[RichB]

technodup said:

...Who would want to set up a news channel today to go up against the might of the BBC resources?

Indeed, I read yesterday that they are sending 200 reporters, journalists and staff to cover the Liberal Party conference - who only have 8 MPs

[vonuber]

NicD said:

Ah, so as well as over manning, leftie bias, wasteful top heavy extravagance.....

The three 'top' programmes are not to my taste. Gets worse and worse.
Zen
Peaky Blinders
Sherlock.

You do realise that their idea of a top programme would be different to mine, and mine different to others?

The BBC has to cater for everyone, not just a bunch of miserable, myopic whinge bags on a car forum.

[Terminator X]

plasticpig said:

I don't pay. I don't own a television. I don't watch television live and don't watch it streamed. I prefer reading or the radio.

Freak

TX.

[AJS-]

vonuber said:

You do realise that their idea of a top programme would be different to mine, and mine different to others?

The BBC has to cater for everyone, not just a bunch of miserable, myopic whinge bags on a car forum.

It doesn't have to at all. It apparently by this thread could sell a good number of subscriptions to people who would happily pay a good deal more. It just can't do it with a government mandate to tax television ownership and a bizarre claim to impartiality without attracting dwell deserved criticism from people who don't agree with it's agenda or it's tax raising powers.

[Ali G]

I can see why there is an objection to paying a licence fee - and perhaps find the degree of self-entitlement that BBC Top Brass demonstrate to be odious.

Happy to see it go Freeview + adds, or subscription + encryption.

Since I pay the 'licence' happily, I would prefer to subscribe to an encrypted channel - however, I can envisage one or two difficulties in setting up such a vehicle.

If nothing else, it would stop all the whining....

[otolith]

It's amazing how attached so many left wing posters are to a highly regressive tax, and even more amazing that they defend it on the grounds that it subsidises middle class TV. They'd be vomiting with fury if Cameron suggested taxing football supporters to subsidise golf clubs.

[AJS-]

otolith said:

It's amazing how attached so many left wing posters are to a highly regressive tax, and even more amazing that they defend it on the grounds that it subsidises middle class TV. They'd be vomiting with fury if Cameron suggested taxing football supporters to subsidise golf clubs.

https://youtu.be/_H4E6Ja_cCM


And no, the irony of it being a BBC programme isn't entirely lost on me. But Antony Jay has said plenty on BBC bias.

Edited by AJS- on Saturday 4th July 12:55

[jjlynn27]

otolith said:

It's amazing how attached so many left wing posters are to a highly regressive tax, and even more amazing that they defend it on the grounds that it subsidises middle class TV. They'd be vomiting with fury if Cameron suggested taxing football supporters to subsidise golf clubs.

What? For me BBC is a very good value for money and yet since I could vote in the UK I've always Conservative. What is 'middle class TV'? I can't see how some very good programming, documentaries and OU collaboration springs to mind, would be made on purely commercial basis.

As for 'highly regressive tax', you do realize that we are talking about just over £10 a month. But it's the principle of it, isn't it?

[Ali G]

And the only place you will ever see a 'Sky' dish is in the leafy 'burbs of poshville.

[tangerine_sedge]

0000 said:

Yeah, discounted, like Ford sell a Focus for the best part of £30k discounted.

I do also pay for a phone line and broadband, but not with Sky. All they get is that monthly fee.

Just checked the sky website again, the current deal for new subscribers is £36.50 for 12 months then £45 a month after that. So according to the Sky website, yes you are getting a discounted deal.