Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

BBC Licence Fee to go in 2027

What's Hot
So Nadine Dorries has frozen the licence fee until 2024 and has cut funding by £2bn. The plan is to abolish the licence fee completely by 2027. Now I know that it has a political bias, which it shouldn't. It's job is to present the news with impartiality (or at least it used to be).

Apart from the news content and Mrs Brown's Boys I don't think content is too bad and it's relatively cheap. They usually have a few good series on over the year. Probably could do with fewer cooking programmes, house makeover, buying antiques, moving abroad programmes but generally it's OK compared with some of the subscription services. Shouldn't forget the radio content either. 

Seems fashionable to hate the BBC at the moment. De-nationalising other public services didn't work out too well in the past either. 

Ian

Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«13456

Comments

  • GillyGilly Frets: 1123
    Desperate attempt to deflect attention away from the bumbling idiot.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 27reaction image Wisdom
  • mudslide73mudslide73 Frets: 3049
    We'll miss it when it's gone.
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 19reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Scrap the fee. The sooner the better. For me the Beeb have gone right down the drain. They were the best broadcasting company in the world when I was a kid. I can't believe anyone thinks that any more.

    Bias, poor decisions, overpaid top level staff. I resent paying them just because I want a TV. Bloody fund yourself like EVERYONE ELSE on the planet does!

    How much BBC TV do I watch? Just Doctor Who when it's on, which isn't that often and quite frankly the show has gone down the pan anyway. Took us 2 weeks to bother putting on the last episode. 

    TV is sink or swim. Netflix and Amazon are doing amazingly well, do what they do and maybe I'll buy a subscription.
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 6reaction image Wisdom
  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Licence payments are down 750k/yr, it's unsustainable - something else needed.
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Devil#20Devil#20 Frets: 1910
    edited January 2022
    Maybe if they paid Lineker, Schofield, Willoughby et al a reasonable salary for the job they do rather than the obscene amounts they do get they'd save a few quid too. Too many at the Beeb on big money. Bring in some new blood instead of the same few presenters presenting on several different programs. 

    Ian

    Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 7reaction image Wisdom
  • RaymondLinRaymondLin Frets: 11813
    BBC related services I watch/listen to

    Kermode and Mayo podcast (they 60 or close to 60 now and will be near or at retirement age by 2027)

    Match of the Day - but I don’t miss it if I didn’t catch it live.  Not something I watch the next day.

    Top Gear - although my interest in this show has dwindled this year massively 

    Killing Eve - love this when it came out.  D

    World Cup/European Cup matches 

    I don’t really think I’m getting my money’s worth, vs say the amount of content I get from Netflix for the same money.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 18389
    edited January 2022
    No real surprise that Nadine favours broadcasters other than the BBC... or respects the rules in Parliament.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20217901.amp

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • DefaultMDefaultM Frets: 7271
    edited January 2022
    It was something that made sense when there were only a few channels, but not so much now. 
    I had a licence for a year when I first moved out, but never watched anything live so I cancelled and I've never missed it. 
    I might like to watch UFC live these days, but that would be it and I don't see why I should need to have a licence for that. Where does the BBC come in to that?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • Massive world class children’s and free education programming, some of the best Music & Arts programmes, sports, great entertainment series and programmes sold around the world by BBC worldwide, BBC films..   its a huge asset.  The BBC iPlayer innovation started the whole streaming marketplace. 

    Then there is the radio and some of the best documentaries and videography stock footage ever made.  Few experience the full breadth of what they offer. It will be an epic tragedy when we lose it and the commercial, advert laden bias affirming shit is all that is being shoved down our throats.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 18reaction image Wisdom
  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    The BBC is good for Britain's soft power in the world. I think it engenders a lot of goodwill
    Gilly said:
    Desperate attempt to deflect attention away from the bumbling idiot.
    Also this https://news.sky.com/story/zahawi-defends-plan-to-put-navy-in-charge-of-policing-channel-migrant-boats-12518298 ;
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • I'm fairly mixed on the BBC, but it seems to me to when people moan about it being "BiAsEd" or being part of the the "MSM" it's usually the news they are referring to. I personally don't understand why it's the Tories who seem to think they're getting the hard time, but I'd have thought that was a good compromise to consider - stop the licence fee going to the news.

    The other stuff they do seems well liked, I'm in my 30s so very little of it appeals to me (seems a lot of daytime quiz shows and detective series largely?) but they do occasionally do stuff I like and I enjoy panel shows (for my sins).

    They do more than just the TV stuff as well, things like the Bitesize revision resources have got millions of kids through exams, for example.

    It's clearly just the Tories trying to score gammon points to deflect from their current problems
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 4reaction image Wisdom
  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    On bias - the left moaned about Laura Kuenssberg when they had Jezza as a leader and now the Torys are - probably means it's about balanced ! Personally I'm bored with the parties debacle, and I wouldn't piss on that liar Cummings if he was on fire.  It's beyond me why they give that pathetic little weasel any credence. (Sorry for any weasel lovers)
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 9reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Devil#20 said:
    Maybe if they paid Lineker, Schofield, Willoughby et al a reasonable salary for the job they do rather than the obscene amounts they do get they'd save a few quid too. Too many at the Beeb on big money. Bring in some new blood instead of the same few presenters presenting on several different programs. 


    BBC Salaries are generally lower than what you can earn at other broadcasters. This is why they often leave for ITV etc for much bigger pay days. 

    It was even the case when I worked there 20 years ago. It was really common for people to do 2 years at the beeb for the training then jump to ITV for a 30% pay rise.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 6reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16255
    Jalapeno said:
    On bias - the left moaned about Laura Kuenssberg when they had Jezza as a leader and now the Torys are - probably means it's about balanced ! Personally I'm bored with the parties debacle, and I wouldn't piss on that liar Cummings if he was on fire.  It's beyond me why they give that pathetic little weasel any credence. (Sorry for any weasel lovers)
    I tend to take that line that as everyone complains about BBC news it probably is about as balanced as it is going to get. Certainly my complaint is that they have been very soft on the government and BBC television news is pretty soft in general. You have to listen to R4 or watch Newsnight at least  to get something that looks like analysis. 

    And generally they over expanded as a consequence of which they then had to cut back ( axing BBC3 as broadcast TV, reducing the role of BBC4) and fill the schedules with a lot of programming that shows no distinctiveness, no innovation, no serving minority interests, little development of new talent - the things we might expect from a public service broadcaster. 
    However, ad free, placement free TV for children, an intelligent radio service,etc,etc, I don’t think that people always realise what they’ve got until it’s gone.

    The people saying oh I only watch this little bit of the BBC…firstly it’s big so no you won’t watch a lot of it, secondly it’s public service broadcasting and for those of us who value the idea of public service it isn’t always about individual value for money. I think there is a debate about what public service broadcasting should look like and how it is funded but comparing it to Netflix is pretty much missing the point. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 15reaction image Wisdom
  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7745
    The licence fee is worth it for BBC radio alone.  I rarely watch TV, but listen to Radio 6 daily. 

    I can’t see a future for traditional terrestrial TV
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 5reaction image Wisdom
  • I rarely watch the BBC even then it is streaming only and for the news. I definitely think there is a place for the BBC in todays media world. I'd love to see it as a non profit organization, free of "any" government/private media intervention, especially on the news side.
    Thank god it is a british institution, especially with our cynical attitude towards government and despite the current political climate we still have  freedom of  speech. Of course there will be bias, but an organization that hires all sorts of people "can" reflect a wide range of opinions (maybe have a rolling position as editor). 
    It has produced a great number of non news programs over the years which have been copied many a time, both low and high budget stuff
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • SnapSnap Frets: 6256
    my view
    I think their news coverage, particularly online is terrible and throughout COVID has been pretty darned sensationalist - however Nick Triggle's commentary has usually be quite balanced.

    TV - beeb tends to do good dramas, especially when in combination with HBO or similar. BBC2 has some good stuff on it.
    iPlayer - good

    Radio content - second to none IMO. 

    Sport coverage - again, the best out there, particularly football. Head and shoulders above ITV (v bad) and Sky.

    the notion of having a legally enforceable TV license to pay for a state broadcaster is clearly outdated though. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I almost never watch anything on the BBC so resent paying for it. I did watch 2 episodes of The Tourist recently but then lost interest in watching anymore. It's been a long time since they have made any content I've enjoyed. They tend to air stuff that's written to a pre determined set of rules. There generally needs to be a women in a position of power, an ethnic character of some kind, someone with some kind of physical or mental disability and either a gay or lesbian character.  I'm all for diversity and have no problems with any of it except I always get a nagging feeling they feel they need to do this every single time as a template ... before they develop any kind of good written story. With this in mind I prefer the writing of shows that end up on HBO and similar. 
    It will be nice not to have to pay the license, after all this time of not being able to opt out. I mean imagine having to pay for Netflix whether you watched it or not!
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • bertiebertie Frets: 13564
    edited January 2022
    Id agree with Mr Snappy ^^ ,  but I would pay extra if the Beeb promised NEVER to show Mrs Brown ever again  -   also  

    Devil#20 said:
    Maybe if they paid Lineker, Schofield, Willoughby et al a reasonable salary for the job they do rather than the obscene amounts they do get they'd save a few quid too. Too many at the Beeb on big money. Bring in some new blood instead of the same few presenters presenting on several different programs. 


    BBC Salaries are generally lower than what you can earn at other broadcasters. This is why they often leave for ITV etc for much bigger pay days. 

    It was even the case when I worked there 20 years ago. It was really common for people to do 2 years at the beeb for the training then jump to ITV for a 30% pay rise.
    arent  Pip and Jolly Holly on ITV ?  can't remember  seeing Pip on BBC since he was in the f*cking broom cupboard
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 5reaction image Wisdom
  • chillidoggychillidoggy Frets: 17136
    These days, I only watch iPlayer from the BBC, but despite the best efforts of Zoe Ball and Lisa Tarbuck, I also listen to BBC Radio. I ask myself whether it's worth the licence fee, and during the year I would probably say yes. Until the demand for payment arrives once again.

    On the subject of their reporting, I think all reporting is subjective. The BBC may appear to have an anti-Tory bias but I suspect it's more of an antigovernmental bias and thus wouldn't alter whichever flavour of government was in power.

    I too, feel a cable-only, or Internet-based TV, is the most likely outcome in the longer term, and speaking as one who hasn't been able to receive a decent terrestrial analogue or digital TV signal for the last 22 years, it cannot come too soon.


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.