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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the BBC will change or go under?

282 replies

Snowballs4ever · 16/12/2018 17:16

I don't know many people who watch the BBC, most people I know don't have a license and just have netflix, Amazon, now tv etc

I know it has some popular programmes, but I can't see how it will survive longer term when netflix etc are cheaper and imo have much better programmes. Am I in a bubble or aibu to think it will have to have to have adverts/change longer term?

OP posts:
KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:15

Clunky

3.5 billion, where?

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:18

More recent bleak reading for live tv providers here- www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2018/streaming-overtakes-pay-tv

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:19

The figure is 3.5 million.

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:19

About 15% of homes planning to go without live tv.

That’s not what it says. It says 15% are considering replacing pay tv with online.

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 16/12/2018 22:21

Most of my tv viewing is bbc 2or bbc 4 and I listen to radio 2or 4 everyday. The BBC’s does need to make some changes but it runs rings round Netflix that appears to me to show old beeb programmes or American rubbish

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:22

That’s not what it says. It says 15% are considering replacing pay tv with online.
You are right, correction accepted!

Clunky · 16/12/2018 22:24

kissingintherain
Sorry, meant million, obviously, I know we don't have half the earth's population in the UK!
www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/922620/bbc-tv-licence-fee-price-rise-april-netflix-amazon-prime-video-online-streaming/amp

Lots of other news sites reporting the same figure too.

LoniceraJaponica · 16/12/2018 22:24

"BBC television is the best in the world
If you like cooking, dancing, antique shows, the same few quiz shows and lowest-common-denominator comedy."

And quality crime drama, nature programmes, documentaries, music, period drama, other drama, comedy. I wouldn't call QI or Mock the Week the lowest common denominator comedy Hmm

I wish the morally superior would stop sneering at the BBC output and the people who enjoy watching it.

We have access to Netflix and Amazon Prime, but most of the programmes I like are on the BBC.

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:24

Oh no! Netflix is stalling: www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2018/12/15/netflixs-biggest-problem-isnt-disney/amp/

I don’t doubt that TV will change, but frankly that’s even more reason to keep a system that promotes variety and quality.

Raven88 · 16/12/2018 22:26

I cancelled sky because I never watch TV. I use Netflix, Amazon or YouTube. For news I watch sky news live on YouTube. I just moved and I don't even have an ariel in this house, we use our tablets for Netflix. DH uses the TV for his PS4.

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:32

And quality crime drama, nature programmes, documentaries, music, period drama, other drama, comedy. I wouldn't call QI or Mock the Week the lowest common denominator comedy
Tbf you omitted my paragraph saying that they produce good documentaries (I'd include nature docs in that).

I'd call Mock the Week lowest common denominator but that's fine if people enjoy it. I enjoy some shows which probably fall under trash tv.

I just think Netflix has made better original comedy shows than the bbc over the last 5 years and prefer their dramas. My sneering at the bbc is a response to sneering at Netflix shows in this thread.

Clunky · 16/12/2018 22:35

Had a glance at that link about Netflix stalling and it seems to report that Netflix is stalling due to a rise in popularity of other streaming services and market saturation, not due to a revert to live TV. As for the BBC, I have no problem with others enjoying the shows and great if you do, but it should not be the case that you have to pay for it or loose the right to watch any of the other live TV chaanles. An opt in system would perhaps be fairer but I dare say the BBC knows it wouldn't be able to generate its required income if people had an opt in/out option

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:36

Clunky

The official figures show an increase of about a million over 9 years.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-licences-facts-and-figures-AB18

peachgreen · 16/12/2018 22:39

The BBC's documentaries are by far and away the best. I watch tons of BBC4. I also like some of the CBeebies programming. And I have R2 or BBC 6 Music on all day, plus I use the website for news, weather, recipes etc. That's all before even talking about their drama productions which can be fantastic - Line of Duty, Killing Eve, Mrs Wilson, Bodyguard etc. I also think the BBC holds other channels to account, especially when it comes to news reporting. Never watch any of the non-BBC channels apart from Channel 4 and the odd thing on E4. Oh, and the terrible Christmas movie channels.

We have and love Netflix but if we could only afford one we'd keep our TV license. I believe supporting the BBC is the right thing to do - I wouldn't want to be without it.

allthatmalarkey · 16/12/2018 22:40

I'm with you, OP. If David Attenborough hadn't been controller of BBC2 during the sixties, I think we'd be an entirely different country and not for they better. I stream everything and watch nothing live now, but I watch more stuff on iPlayer than I do Netflix and Prime combined. I love BBC4 and don't see where else I'll get that. The license fee supports other broadcasters (Channel 4, ITV a little and Sky, I believe), but the BBC is the one in the firing line. Without the Beeb, I think there would be such a race to the bottom, but I know people similar to me in other ways who look at £12/month compared to £8/month and see it as bad value for money.

BlueJay1 · 16/12/2018 22:42

BBC is always on in this house.
CBeebies / bbc news at 10 / eastenders / drama series / documentaries.
The quality of their dramas tend to be really good. Don't think the bbc will be going anywhere!
Also have Netflix.

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:43

Yes Clunky, but market saturation is because only so many will pay for what they get. The rest aren’t interested.

IMO the bigger threat to linear TV is from new ways of spending leisure time. Satellite was going to eat free TV...and Murdoch’s now bailed.

So all the anti-BBCers shout “Netflix” instead.

peachgreen · 16/12/2018 22:44

Also the fact that people complain the BBC has a left-wing bias AND a right-wing bias shows that actually, they do pretty well at being neutral (imo they give bigots like Farage too much airtime but I'm aware that's my own bias coming through). And even if I didn't watch it at all, the fact that its "liberal amorality" enrages people like Duck so much would be enough for me to be completely happy to continue to fund it. Grin

SegmentationFault · 16/12/2018 22:45

"Netflix has relatively few movies. It’s crap for movies."

More than are shown on terrestrial TV most likely. Plus all of the other streaming services.

Cinema and renting can be more expensive depending on what you watch, I wasn't disputing that, but also come with their own advantages.

I find it surprising that if someone watches a lot of films, there main or exclusive method for doing that would be to only watch what is shown on broadcast television outside of Sky. But that's just me. No medium or service is objectively superior, despite what some would claim.

AGHHHH · 16/12/2018 22:46

But with regular TV you have to wait if and when the film you want to watch gets shown don't you? Or is that not the case anymore?

Alwaysgreener · 16/12/2018 22:52

Thought we'd miss live TV when we ditched our licence 6 years ago for Netflix and Prime but don't miss it, not one bit.

BBC need to bloody well catch up with the 21st century and offer a subscription rather than bullying people into thinking they NEED a licence when in SO many cases, they don't

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 22:53

But if you want a particular newish movie you’re unlikely to find it on Netflix.

You’re talking about paying per movie. That’s an entirely different proposition. And it won’t give you anything else!

Clunky · 16/12/2018 22:54

kissingintherain that's such a strange stat that seems to go against the grain of other figures that were quoted as verified by the BBC. It is particularly strange as we are an aging population so on population alone you would expect a downward trend. Due to housing shortages, there has been an increase in HMOs, which all require a separate licence per room and then one for communal use, same with halls of residence, for live in tenants etc. So that may go some way to explain that figure I suppose but an increase of a million over 9 years and a decrease of 3.5 in 4 years is still falling short.

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:55

Market saturation is happening with video-on-demand providers in the US but that isn't surprising given that a majority of households now subscribe.

Cubrrt · 16/12/2018 22:58

@Clunky

It looks like more people are cancelling and more people are subscribing at the same time. We've had a 5 million person population increase at the same time as the 1 million increase in licensees and the bbc have upped their enforcement game for those who do need licenses but haven't got one.