To think the BBC really should be shut down?

[Loeri]

After the child abuse scandals, and now this where BBC execs have been given payments far beyond anything they were required to be given, isn't it time that the BBC was just shut down? It can't really be said that it makes the best TV in the world anymore, the best TV programmes come from the US and have done for well over a decade now. I just don't see the purpose of the BBC in 2013. It is arrogant, bloated beyond belief and seems only to exist to provide cushy jobs for the Guardian set.

Oh deary me

good lord reggiebean do you have the power to ban people now - if so ... well done

It has been pretty impressive for a thread that has only lasted eight hours.

Sorry but at 'getting a poster banned'

You know MNHQ take that decision don't you? Much as we'd like that power, we don't have it

"The best TV for ADULTS comes from the US"

I don't agree. OP you have already decided you don't like any BBC programmes or agree with anything positive anyone else says about the BBC. Because none of the BBC shows appeal to you the BBC should be closed down. Given that the BBC offers music, drama, light entertainment, cookery shows, wildlife programmes, documentaries, current affairs, news, sport, comedy, plus reality TV and soaps you sound extremely difficult to please.

"If you don't want to watch it, don't pay your licence fee, and don't use their services, including the news, weather, and radio. But for you to suggest it be shut down is beyond mad."

I agree. I really enjoy a lot of the programmes the BBC has to offer and feel that I get extremely good value for money. Don't spoil it for the rest of us. I don't watch sport, soaps or reality TV shows but I don't think that they shouldn't be made just because I don't like them. Your view is rather narrow minded. The BBC is there for all or most of us, not just for you.

No, no, no, no, no!!!!! Have lived in many other countries and seen the shite alternatives, it may not be perfect but it's still (relatively) fab!

I'd keep the BBC for Sherlock alone!

Also Masterchef and Great British Bakeoff!

Gordy Considering I didn't even report her, the fact that I managed to ban her is quite impressive, isn't it!?
[struts off to see what else I can do with my magical mind power]

wow that is one awesome super power

Oh I hope MN don't delete that!

What an arsehole.

YABU. As an American, I can tell you that BBC is heaven for me. It's not as biased as most of our news, it produces great continual dramas-we have some good stuff, but not much. And CBBC and CBeebies are just amazing for children, compared to the US. Keep it- the UK should be proud of the modern day BBC!

Can you be banned and yet reappear? Is the OP Voldermort?

It's been a funny old bunfight. The OP seemed to get very upset that we weren't baying for the blood of the institution.

Was OP a Daily Mail troll a goady fucker then?

Source: Watching TV without a valid licence is a criminal offence.
Not civil, criminal.

Not even goady as such, just irrational and biZzare

IMO the BBC's channels should be subscription only.

The TV license is oppressive, if you doubt that, try not paying it

No what has happened is that the OP has dared to have a different opinion to you lot and had the audacity to not fall in line! How dare she!

Typical MN reaction is to round on her and accuse her of being a troll. Typical and tbh is the norm when anyone dares to have a different opinion.

"The TV license is oppressive"

Oppressive!!! Really???

I agree it should be subscription only for live TV and iPlayer. I would happily pay it, given that most of what appeals to me on the TV is on the BBC.

I didn't realise anyone had called her a troll apart from me.

Her opinion wasn't particularly coherent IMO

A pay per view Iplayer service exists overseas and bbc worldwide exists to sell bbc programme rights overseas. It is complicated but it isn't impossible otherwise Top Gear wouldn't be sold worldwide. Made by a joint venture owned by Jeremy clarkson, his producer and the bbc.

TV-licence-offences-responsible-for-a-tenth-of-all-UK-court-cases from Mumsnet

As a point of principle I watch local and national TV channels wherever I travel to.

Sitting in a motel room in New Jersey channel flicking is enough to drive one to near suicide.
Its wall to wall shite.
The ads flow seamlessly into the programmes
the few hours of decent TV all clash
and the RADIO
aaaarrgghh
have you ever wondered why Americans listen to 'talking books' as they drive?
'cos the radio is so bad even bricklayers would not tolerate it.

In a hotel bar in Connecticut DH and I were chatting.
A woman shot into the room saying 'oh, is the BBC on for reliable news?'
nuff said

YABU. I don't want the BBC to be shut down, because despite deficiencies in some departments (like News in particular) I think it's still doing a pretty good job of providing a wide range of programming. In the last few months I've regularly watched/listened to a huge variety of stuff, most of which I enjoyed and think is good value for money.

However, I do think the Beeb has developed a long standing self-congratulatory internal culture. This was a factor in the child abuse cases - nobody thought to question the behaviour of 'stars'. It's also allowed a sexist culture to flourish which has resulted in seeing fewer women presenters and leads on TV, particularly older women, actual sexist and misogynist programming (The Fall, Doctor Who, Sherlock), and wilful neglect of female creative talent in writing and directing (of which Doctor Who is the prime example).

However. I've lived in the US and TV was so bad there that I just didn't have a TV. Network news reporting is laughable - the most reliable news source on TV is a satirical news show which appears on a comedy channel. There's no children's programming outside of cartoons. The amazing dramas which everyone is going on about are only on for a fraction of total airtime and are often on niche channels like HBO and Masterpiece which the majority of Americans don't watch, and made possible by co-productions with the BBC. The rest of the time TV is absolute dreck. I do not want to see this happen here.

The problem with dismantling something like the BBC is that once you take it apart you can't undo it. And I can guarantee that without a public broadcaster, however paternalistic it may be, you will lose a lot of quality programming because the size of British audiences won't make it commercial to produce quite a lot of programmes which many people enjoy now.