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AIBU?

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Original poster

to not want cuts to the BBC?

272 replies

Mintyy · 16/07/2015 19:56

Can anyone explain to me how cutting the BBC massively will actually improve my life?

I hardly watch tv. I do listen to a lot of radio. But I fervently hope the BBC isn't going to change too much.

It is something that the rest of the world envies us for and I fear it may be one of those things we don't miss until it has gone.

OP posts:
GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:06

Hhaahhaha

You're now asking for ridiculousness. I answered your question, you're changing the parameters. There are thousands of podcasts to chose from in every topic imaginable.

Ted, Radiolab, StuffYouShouldKnow, NoSleep, LittleAtoms.. just a few that I have listened to on occasion but I'm not that inclined to listening to people talk I'd rather have music or visual content.

And no it's nothing to do with you 'being dead soon' (but nice low blow) it's about the beeb bummers not being able to accept that no, the bbc isn't a staple in everyone's day anymore.

You don't seem me questioning your usage, but you all seem fit to try and trip us up on what must we possibly watch and listen to without it. Shock horror, there's hundreds of things I can use, tailored to what I like.

CaptainHolt · 17/07/2015 23:12

I don't watch much TV but I do watch/listen to BBC news and question time, any questions, any answers and the news quiz, and HIGNFY. I think ITV/netflix is generally better for drama, channel 4 for docs and film (and news, to be fair). I would get over it if it went and I could really do without the Dimblebys and John Humphreys and the general bias in the news. David Attenborough is worth it though.

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:13

Yes Marshmallow and I have never failed to acknowledge that, you're welcome to read through my posts if you wish. It doesn't mean that it's a staple for everyone and that we're all lying if we say it isn't I've been questioned on this thread quite a bit for daring to say that no, the BBC isn't what everyone wants and that no, it isn't up there with healthcare and education.

I've never said it should go. I've never said people don't use it. I said it's becoming less and less used.

bloodyteenagers · 17/07/2015 23:13

Also add in howstuffworks, the nerdist and for the football fans, football ramble.

there are thousands of podcasts out there. And you obviously have some internet so you could easily search for thousands more and also find
Out that mobile data is cheaper than £25.. Can get it for a tenner a month. And oh look at that, more choice available and cheaper than the license.

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:14

Spotify is fab anyway, it has an available offline feature. Thousands of albums, available at a touch.

msgrinch · 17/07/2015 23:19

This is ridiculous. I think we all get that some people love the BBC services and that's great! Use it and enjoy it, I'm glad people get so much enjoyment from it. You're happy to pay for it and that's fine however surely you can understand that some people don't get the same enjoyment and don't use it at all, just like other things in life. It's unfair to make the people who don't use the service pay for it and also face a criminal record and/or court action if they don't pay. No one's saying it's wrong to like the BBC, they're saying it's wrong to expect everyone to feel the same and have no option but pay this.

I'm happy to pay for things I use and get enjoyment from but I really don't have an extra £120 to spend on something I honestly don't access.

bloodyteenagers · 17/07/2015 23:22

It's not £120
It's £145. It remains £145 until 2017 because being independent and all, the government froze the cost until then. Grin

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:22

No one's saying it's wrong to like the BBC, they're saying it's wrong to expect everyone to feel the same and have no option but pay this

Exactly.

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:23

£145 on entertainment (which it is) someone doesn't use, is a lot.

msgrinch · 17/07/2015 23:24

I've lost track of how much it is Grin I just pay it so I don't get into trouble Grin

Justanotherlurker · 17/07/2015 23:24

Well the BBC do use product placement already, they only highlight it to non UK viewers when they sell it on, so I'm not sure where that thinking is going.

Product placement has been around for years, it's just that the regulators have clamped down on it in recent years and made programs highlight that it's happening..

Sky et al will put more product placement in there programs but the real market is on the web with web ads and people paid to AstroTurf forums such as this one with banal/innocuous posts around a certain product. If you can't see that happening already within mumsnet then hour not as savvy as you think you are.

marshmallowpies · 17/07/2015 23:32

But msgrinch is there no sense of altruism? I don't watch Eastenders or Strictly or listen to Radio 2 but I'm glad my licence fee contributes to popular mainstream entertainment without ads which many people enjoy. Why should mainstream TV and radio be commercial driven only?

I'm happy to pay my licence fee not just for the stuff I like, but for the stuff lots of people like.

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:35

I don't like how people who pay for this license think they're doing others a favour. You're not. You pay for it because you need to, because you watch live TV.

bloodyteenagers · 17/07/2015 23:36

I am not happy that struggling families who have freeview, and don't watch beeb are forced to find £145 a year.
Unless of course struggling families shouldn't be allowed to watch any tv?

msgrinch · 17/07/2015 23:38

I'm so glad you're in a position where you can afford to do that. I'm not. I could really use that extra £145 a year for things that benefit my family, things we enjoy and need. I see your point and would like nothing more than to feel the same but It's an added expenses that I just can afford.

bloodyteenagers · 17/07/2015 23:46

Exactly msgrinch.
And more households are going to feel the strain in April when the cuts come in place.
Households where the one bit of entertainment costs a ridiculous amount. Households that don't have sky, virgin or net..households that could do with an extra £12 a month

Justanotherlurker · 17/07/2015 23:48

It wasn't directed at me but marshmallowpies, but the 'lots of people like' is subjective and what is sold abroad isn't top of the list and profits are being shared with private companies that have been made on the back of essentially the UK tax payer.

I don't want the BBC to chase ratings and water down its content, many people are not prepared to pay the current license fee for the content it provides that doesn't mean it will become a commercial station. It isn't an either or scenario.

GraysAnalogy · 17/07/2015 23:48

They're doing you a favour don't you know. Archers is sustenance to life. You can't possibly achieve education without the BBC, you poor uneducated beeb-less folk...

msgrinch · 17/07/2015 23:52

and yet if they don't pay it they'll face fines/court/prosecution. Totally fair Hmm We have Internet and Netflix as my lovely dm pays it, My £11000 a year salary wouldn't stretch to extra luxuries like that but I still have to find the money to pay for my tv licence as the consequences of not paying are serious. Yes I could just not have a tv but I don't go out as money's too tight, so surely some entertainment is allowed.

marshmallowpies · 18/07/2015 00:01

Justanother of course the quality is subjective - that's why I gave Eastenders and Strictly as examples - mainstream, perhaps not my taste, but award winning and you'd be hard pressed to say they aren't good at what they do, entertaining people. I wouldn't call that 'watered down' - but at the same time you or I could probably name several BBC shows that perhaps aren't top quality in our opinion. But I do feel they get a fairly good balance between mainstream and niche broadcasting and on the whole I'm happy with that balance.

Same goes for Corrie, Game of Thrones, etc, I wouldn't deny for a minute there isn't good TV on commercial channels, I just prefer my TV without ads, and without Murdoch.

But I do think the BBC has to look seriously at how it meets the challenge of subscription ad free models like Netflix and Apple TV and so on - we don't watch much on all the multi channels of the Dave, Gold etc variety but we do watch series on Netflix and the like - that is the model the BBC really have to watch out for, I think.

Justanotherlurker · 18/07/2015 00:11

Don't worry msgrinch, you have the enlightened and educational Pretty woman on Bbc1, BBC2 you have highlights of T in the Park where they sent those unfortunate enough not to got to Glastonbury, bbc3 have decided to buy rights to broadcast American dad (that has built its reputation on a commercial Channel with adverts from the good ole USA) and bbc4 are showing yet again another repackaged/reformatted repeat of the stones/who/black sabbath/led Zeppelin breaking America.

You can't put a price on the quality prime time content you are receiving.... (As long as you ignore the Internet)

msgrinch · 18/07/2015 00:16

Grin oh panic over.

msgrinch · 18/07/2015 00:20

Just wanted to add if any of my posts seemed a little snappy I'm sorry, I'm not feeling fab (I'm now curled up with the sick bowl) and I'm miserable and a twat when I'm ill.

Justanotherlurker · 18/07/2015 00:34

I agree in principal, but the same argument can be made at many of Sky programmes wrt winning awards/pushing boundaries/documentaries/comedies and even arts and still fall within the boundaries of funding the niche and yet people are happy to do so, willingly.

It's the self importance of the BBC protagonists trying to impose the view that if you have any critism of Auntie your somehow uncultured/love adverts/worship Murdoch that I am arguing against.

merrymouse · 18/07/2015 08:19

Funding through general taxation or subscription is inevitable.

Whether or not you listen to the Archers, the BBC currently has no means of obtaining revenue from radio listeners, and increasing numbers of people consume large amounts of BBC content without owning a television.

The logical way to manage access to catchup and live broadcasts on-line is, like Netflix, to ensure that people log on to an account. The more people consume BBC services on their phones, iPads,etc, the more the licence fee would become to all intents and purposes a subscription.

It's just anachronistic to fund the BBC through an annual tax on telly ownership.