to be delighted at the appointment of John Whittingdale

[longfingernails]

Looks like the Britain-hating commie Beeboids are going to get their comeuppance.

Ooh, things we have to pay for but don't use. Hmmm how about schools, hospitals, job centres, MPs. But I can't not pay my taxes can I? I would pay 10 times the current licence fee, if only not to have to suffer endless advertising drivel. Never mind the excellent TV and radio programmes, online content etc etc.

It would make a lot more sense to simply fund the BBC through general taxation, if Britain wants to continue to have a state-controlled broadcasting service. The licence fee model really doesn't work in the digital age.

I also think the BBC does a wonderful job. It's not perfect - nobody is, I get annoyed with them chasing ratings for example, but on the whole it makes some great programmes and provides quality broadcasting. And it isn't leftie - they give Labour MPs as hard a time as anyone else.

I would happily pay an increased licence fee. And yes, don't forget the radio which is also paid for out of the licence fee and avoids advert breaks every 5 minutes.

Other than the shining exceptions of Morse and Lewis, there are very few programmes on ITV I would ever watch - mainly because of the adverts. And the quality just isn't there.

I do agree that we shouldn't be held accountable for our family's decisions. However, the last time whittingdale went for the bbc it was over the saville enquiry.
www.itv.com/news/update/2012-10-23/whittingdale-savile-revelations-raised-very-big-questions/
The subsequent reports into broadmoor and stoke mandeville were just as damning and those decisions were made at a time that whittingdale was working at number ten. This time also coincides with the boasting of diplomatic bags. Therefore I do feel that this is relevant to this.

Yes ArgyMargy - through taxation I support loads of sports in which I have no interest and loads of artistic performances that I will never see. I don't care because it makes Britain a better place to live.

However, the current licence fee charging method really doesn't make sense. It makes the BBC more vulnerable, because they are forcing people who may only have a large TV for Sky sports to provide their funding, whereas it is possible to watch a popular drama like Poldark and listen to Radio 4 24 hours a day without paying anything.

Having said that, the licence fee will stay with us for at least another 10 years, and beyond that I think the BBC know that changes to the current method of charging are inevitable because of advances in technology, so there may be less to argue about than the papers are suggesting.

John Whittingdale is still a dinosaur.

Also those saying that we should rely on Murdoch tv news too have obviously not read enough history books or future dystopian novels, to realise that having your news in the power of one man is a very dangerous thing to do!

Thinking about it, I really don't think having a state controlled broadcaster that is, apparently, biased against the state is like China.

They will never get rid of the BBC's licence fee.

The bbc is loved and there would be a riot if it went.

They are discussing it in Radio 4 now.

I'm so proud of the bbc and it's the service I will mourn indefinitely when it's gone.
My TV watching has been eroded over the years and is now limited to a couple of hours a week. I haven't watched a non bbc channel in some years. I like casualty, call the midwife and Dr who but I did watch the c word the other night which was amazing.
I will bloody mourn the day every channel has bloody adverts and the utter bullshit poverty porn and reality TV.
The bbc is incredibly representative of British values. British values doesn't mean fucking daily mail loving minority hating conservative values.

My dc have grown up with CBeebies. I hope my two year old gets a few more years of advert free, quality TV I can risk leaving the room when it's on.

The licence fee is so regressive though. It's pretty rubbish to charge people who are skint and may not even watch the BBC the same as paid by well off middle class types who couldn't live without Newsnight and BBC4.

Plus their enforcement agents are just hideous (and harassed my father continually after my mother's death despite him attempting repeatedly to move the direct debit into his name).

What I hate about bbc news is all the analysis.
Just tell me the news, just the facts.
I can work out for myself what it will mean for me and how it will affect me.
I am not interested in the slightest in the opinions of various commentators/analysts/reporters/editors because when you start to do that bias always creeps in.
(I do love R4 though)

Compared to the utter drivel Sky 'entertainment' channels turn out the BBC to world class. would pay the license fee for Sherlock alone and I'm one of those naughty illegal downloader types

But you can't watch anybody else's content on a TV unless you agree to subscribe to them. I believe you also have to have a licence to watch TV on a computer, that used to be the case, I remember being warned as a student.

I do wonder, if the BBC is so marvellous why the licence fee is compulsory. Because surely everybody would sign up voluntarily?

If they are actually impartial the licence fee is justified because it is a source of information which the viewer can depend upon not to be influenced by those who find it. But there are big questions over whether that's the case anymore. And if they are going to start favouring those who find them, or at least those who will fund them more and give them favourable conditions e.g. the Labour Party. Well they've done themselves out of the justification for the fee.

Merrymouse, the main news does have a strong celebrity angle. But that doesn't mean that when politics is covered the duty for impartiality ceases. When it's covered briefly you have to be selective with what is covered, but that doesn't justify a selection which is always negative for one party and positive for another. There are longer programmes like Newsbeat and again these have a strongly pro Labour stance, particularly the 'vox pops' section.

I wouldn't say there are a particularly cohesive set of British values these days. And the BBC only represents what's probably a very narrow section of societies view of British values, just like the Daily Mail. They offer a left wing version of Britsh values which focuses heavily on multiculturalism as the panacea for all ills.

I believe you also have to have a licence to watch TV on a computer

No - only to watch live broadcasts. There is no charge for watching on demand TV - so anybody with a smart phone or iPad can watch and download whatever they want as long as it isn't live.

But that doesn't mean that when politics is covered the duty for impartiality ceases.

I listen to Radio 1 when my children are in the car. Newsbeat tries to be 'down with the kids' and either reflect the views of the listeners or 'spin' stories so that they are of interest to the listeners. I think the main tone was 'old people they just don't understaaaaaaand'. I really don't think they were pro-anybody in particular.

which focuses heavily on multiculturalism

No, they just try not to be racist.

left wing version of Britsh values

Share and be nice to other people - pretty much 'Christian' values as far as I can see.

Not sure what contrasting 'right wing' values would be.

But just to go back - I don't think 'Newsbeat' is an example of the BBC providing quality broadcasting - the vox pops do tend to be rubbish whatever the subject - or maybe I am just old.

How bizarre. I love the BBC. I can't think of any other broadcasting organisation that even comes close in terms of quality of output. Radio 4 alone is astonishingly good.

As for Ukip, the amazing thing to me is the amount of airtime the BBC gave Ukip long before it had any popular support - in fact, I think one of the reasons Ukip has so much support is the amount of free publicity the BBC gave them. Farage et al have been remarkably ungrateful in response.

I too would pay the full licence fee for Radio 4, and extra for Dr Who, Sherlock and the glorious W1A (which other broadcaster would fund a series making fun of itself, yes, but no).

But yes ... Okay