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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:
NotStayingIn · 16/12/2018 23:06

"netflix etc are cheaper and imo have much better programmes"

Netflix only produce a small proportion of their programmes, the bulk of their offer is bought in from other broadcasters including the BBC. The BBC makes money from selling their programmes to Netflix, which is then put back into making more BBC programmes. And Netflix obviously make a profit from their subscribers. So they can happily co-exist. But any notion that Netflix would remain cheaper and have much better programmes if other providers like the BBC disappear is really misunderstanding Netflix's business model.

Charley50 · 16/12/2018 23:07

I'm happy to pay the licence fee but I was gobsmacked at much money they're pouring into updating the Eastenders set. Seemed dodgy to me.

IdaBWells · 16/12/2018 23:10

I haven’t watched Eastenders for decades and hardly watch any TV. If I do it’s at my convenience on a streaming service such as Amazon Prime or Netflix.

canigetaliein · 16/12/2018 23:12

I have Sky (basic), Amazon & Netflix plus normal tv. Barely use Amazon or Netflix (have them because of prime & Netflix is free for DHs work) as unless it’s their own tv series I find everything is old. My sky package includes sky films so not new, new ones but fairly new & classics & I like Sky Atlantic. I really like the Beeb, mainly for nature programmes, dramas & no adverts & would prioritise them over any other package.

kenandbarbie · 16/12/2018 23:13

I like having the bbc, watching the same as millions of others at the same time makes me feel part of the wider world. I find it isolating to watch only exactly the programme I've chosen at the time I want. I stumble across things I wouldn't go out of my way to choose but turn out to enjoy by flicking through live tv.

KissingInTheRain · 16/12/2018 23:15

Charley50

I do agree. I doubt if it’s ‘dodgy’, just profligate. I will defend the principle of the licence fee generally, but public funding should be carefully scrutinised.

IdaBWells · 16/12/2018 23:17

I also dislike how the BBC has a “party line” politically on everything which is clearly not neutral as you know ahead of time how they will present an issue. I often disagree with their presentation of an issue and consider it propaganda. The Guardian is the same, probably because it’s the same kind of people that recruit each other, it is a hive mind that is not representative of Britain.

I get my news and information from many sources but rarely from the BBC. I find their online news page to be low quality. They often have the same articles up for days.

The BBC is fine for non-fiction historical drama but not for contemporary fact and news.

SegmentationFault · 16/12/2018 23:48

Surely all4 doesn't have many 'newish' films either? At least not that I've seen if you want that you need sky or now TV.

And I already said that renting or the cinema isn't cheaper, unless I suppose you only watch a few films a year. Just that they have advantages over TV.

halcyondays · 16/12/2018 23:50

I don't know anyone who doesnt have a licence.

KissingInTheRain · 17/12/2018 00:00

No-one has new (first post-cinema) films unless you rent or buy them. Less new films become available on pay tv and on subscription services like Netflix, though Netflix’s film library is poor. Then on free tv.

What point are you making? That people can choose to buy movies? If so, sure, they can. They can read books as well. That would be cheaper.

Pepper123123 · 17/12/2018 00:03

I happily miss out on some BBC programs in order to legally not need a TV licence.
There is absolutely no way I will pay a single penny towards it for numerous reasons.

Catch up services (BBC not included), Netflix etc are more than enough for us.

mummymermaid · 17/12/2018 00:18

I don't understand the argument here though? I don't pay TV licence as I don't watch live TV but it's not limited to Netflix what I can watch. I'm still allowed to watch catch up TV (apart from iPlayer) so if I wanted I could still watch all the TV shows just not live. So the only shows I'm missing out on are the ones on BBC. So what am I missing out on? When I still had the TV aerial and all the channels in the past I never watched BBC anyway, hardly ever itv, channel 4 or 5 either. I mainly used to watch sky channels. If I wanted to still watch those I could swap Netflix to Now TV. So what am I missing here?

Anticlockwatcher · 17/12/2018 00:34

I only watch sports live, that's it. And those sports (motorsports) aren't on the BBC - I've got to pay out for Sky (F1) and BT sport (MotoGP) for those. I 100% think the license fee should be optional, because as it stands in my case it's not great value for money.

The only BBC show I watch is Only Connect - Victoria Coren is great but £150 per year 37 1/2 hour episodes is a bit pricey!

Anticlockwatcher · 17/12/2018 00:36

News wise Russia Today is way superior to BBC news too.

Anticlockwatcher · 17/12/2018 00:39

And I'd pay NOT to watch homes under the hammer and it's buy to let parasite fawning.

TheRealJoseph · 17/12/2018 00:47

OP so you would to watch the BBC with ads then?

Imagine...next year, the Beeb decides to scrap the licence fee & allows ads.

The following is roughly what I watched on TV in Canada about 20 years ago.

Announcer:- "On next is program X"
Ads
Opening scenes
Ads
Opening titles
Ads
program
ads
(continue with ads & program, then 2 mins before conclusion of program)
ads
conclusion
ads
end credits
ads.

Is that what you want? Because without a licence that's what you'll have.

Btw. has the OP flounced or what?

GreenDinosaur · 17/12/2018 00:58

It's worth it for the radio for me, I love Radio 4, 4 Extra and the children's radio shows are great too. My DS loves Listen and Play, Playtime etc.

Some of the tv shows are good, the wildlife documentaries are generally excellent. I enjoyed Mrs Wilson recently and thought it well done.

I'm pretty skint and don't have Sky or anything but I'm happy to pay the license fee for the BBC as I do use the radio app every single day and I worry the quality would reduce or disappear as a result of cuts or abolition of the fee.

TheWiseWomansFear · 17/12/2018 00:58

I generally flick between Netflix and BBC iPlayer.... most people I know watch quite a bit of BBC so I find it odd that on MN there's a consensus that nobody does...

TheWiseWomansFear · 17/12/2018 01:06

Oh and I'm early 20s, we do watch live TV Hmm

IdaBWells · 17/12/2018 01:22

I am 50 and hardly watch any TV, I haven’t been a great TV watcher since my early 20s really. Just too many other interesting things to do. I do spend plenty of time on line reading. I watch documentaries on YouTube too. I have three teenagers and they don’t watch live tv either. They love watching Friends and Grey’s Anatomy but binge watch.

Graphista · 17/12/2018 02:41

You're in a bubble.

I've just watched point break on BBC 1, now watching question time repeat as I missed it thu due to dd having a teen crisis.

Strictly isn't a programme I watch but is hugely popular. Drs & eastenders too - several threads on here too.

As example:

Tomorrow bbc1 Mary Berrys Christmas will likely get good ratings, would I lie to you another popular show, Tuesday die hard with a vengeance is on, Thursday toy story 2, Friday toy story 3 and celeb mastermind.

Tomorrow bbc2 only connect, uni challenge (both shows I love), and inside the factory (hit & miss but ok, Tuesday another only connect, popular cookery shows, QI, Thursday live at the Apollo, Friday nativity 2 and mastermind.

Throughout the last year there's been excellent dramas, documentaries, consumer programmes...

And the licence also pays for the news site, radio - national & local... And (little known fact) public interest programming on other channels.

I think it's doing just fine.

"Brexit coverage and full-on Tory bias" agree - but know thine enemy 😉

BUT in this day and age with the tech that's available and most people having tv's/watching devices that could do this - it could be sort of "password protected" and the password be the licence number. If you've no licence you can't watch - it's blocked. Absolutely no reason why this couldn't be done. Just as we have to sign in with account details to Netflix & similar.

Would prevent those from watching fraudulently doing so, but also remove the need for bullish doorsteppers.

Iplayer has boxsets, highly popular films (usually for a limited time), archived programmes...

That Forbes article on Netflix is interesting. Personally I think a huge untapped area for them could well be showing beloved older programmes no longer available elsewhere, nostalgia is a huge seller.

I'd love if they added things like cheers, golden girls, quantum leap, wonder years, Cagney & Lacey, moonlighting, happy days... Stuff like that and talking to friends in real life they too would love this!

For my mums generation they'd love tv shows from their era, there's a few old movies on there and that's very popular with the people I know.

It may be a "new" way of watching tv but - thanks in part - to its ease of use and lack of adverts it's very popular with those of us 40's and older but the content is trying to be too new, too "fresh" and aimed at youngsters - when they're rarely the ones deciding whether to have it in the household or not and certainly rarely are the ones paying for it!

Also knowing dd she'd love the old 80's shows, her and her friends have ended up discovering things like only fools, original house of cards, friends, charmed (I think a huge mistake losing this), Gilmore girls, party of five... And thoroughly enjoying them.

Charley50 · 17/12/2018 07:01

@KissingInTheRain - I had to look up profligate Blush There should be a breakdown of the costs published, when they're that huge.

Bowchicawowow · 17/12/2018 07:11

The BBC isn’t perfect but it’s still the best broadcaster in the world. The content it produces is world class. It sold the Strictly format worldwide, they have also sold Top Gear to lots of different territories. They produce the best wildlife documentaries in the world. Their radio is listened to my millions of people every day. They produce wonderful comedy (This County is currently my favourite) including things like The Office which the Americans copied. Whether you agree with this or not BBC news is trusted worldwide, in particular the World Service. Netflix is great but I wouldn’t want my viewing to be restricted to what they broadcast.

Dongdingdong · 17/12/2018 07:48

I get my news and information from many sources but rarely from the BBC. I find their online news page to be low quality. They often have the same articles up for days.

Agree with this!

Thespace · 17/12/2018 07:56

I agree re the online bbc news. Very poor.