To think they should reduce the size of the BBC and cut the license fee?

[jobhunter7]

To think they should reduce the size of the BBC and cut the license fee?

@CuriousaboutSamphire

My apologies *@DappledOliveGroves*, I forgot MN is full of people with a lot of cash! Maybe I should remember that not everyone is dependent on living in a welfare state for such things as health and education.

And people who think that roads are paid for via road tax, which doesn't exist anymore, it's car tax VED and roads are paid for from general taxation pot. So yes @AcornAutumn you do pay for roads!

Oh I know

In the same way my london council tax pays for other parts of the ciuntry

But there's no need for me to pay the VED.

I'm really glad not to pay for the BBC anyway. Missing live TV isn't missing anything.

Is anybody in this country as dependent on society having healthcare and education as they are on having telly and radio? You may not be aware of the whole of the BBCs output! But that's OK, foreigners can get there own... history may disagree with you!

But, if that’s the truth, and tv and radio really is that important, then it should be like other essential services that are free at the point of use and everyone can access them whether they pay in or not If it isn't there it cannot be accessed. Those other essential services are free at the point of use because we have a welfare state....

You can’t have it both ways. Ha ha ha ha ha

@Brainwave89

Personally I think the BBC is fantastic, particularly in radio format, but also for podcasts and TV. I think we might really suffer if BBC news in particular is constrained- We have other news channels which are great, but the BBC set the original standard. Removing it would me a mistake. Internationally as well the world service gives us a way into other countries which simply does not exist elsewhere.

News?!

I see it occasionally on care visits to mum. It ain't news.

In the same way my london council tax pays for other parts of the ciuntry ??????

Worth it just to pay for Ken Bruce and Popmaster.

Even Bbc education has gone to shit.
They used to be really good, back when they actually made content for schools. I grew up watching them in schools. Now the content is that great I don’t know many teachers who still use them.

World news isn’t funded by the license.

Bbc news isn’t as respected globally as much as people would like to think. When you start watching other global news you realise they aren’t as impartial.

BBC don’t show ads? I gave up my license a long time ago. They showed ads for their own stuff a lot. I have noticed their ads have increased (friends houses and public places that have live tv) over the years. Never mind the constant repeats. Look at the listings for the week and there is a high proportion of repeats.

Their “talent” are over paid. If it’s a public service their wages should be in line with the public sector. How is it right that someone who sits and reads a bit of autocue gets paid more than nurses? The footballer doesn’t need his eye watering wage.

There is no logical reason why they cannot go down a subscription service. They already have the technology and use it for the iPlayer.

And they would save a fortune by no longer requiring the services of the bullies they employ.

The tv license is also a bad thing for women. Are you aware that the majority of those who have received fines or gone to prison are women?

How is it right we send people to prison for a bit of paper?

yabvu

I probably listen to about 5 hours of BBC radio daily.
Every BBC station you can think of (especially 5 Live & WS).
BBC Norfolk is hugely popular.

The high quality content generated for BBC TV broadcast complements and support the high quality radio and website content; undermine any part of it and you undermine the whole.

I am baffled by people who prefer advert-full tv, radio & websites.

Oh tv and music are incredibly important to me. Even before CV I have spent lots of time in solitude due to my health. And I don’t really sleep.
I have Prime. Used to have Netflix but have gone through it all.
If I listen to a radio station it’s some local one.
And the news? Thankfully the internet gives me access to news from around the world without the need of the Bbc.

Internationally as well the world service gives us a way into other countries which simply does not exist elsewhere.

Why do we need a way into other countries?
You do realise other global news companies exist and have done so before bbc world news

I am happy to pay the licence fee if the service is worthwhile

But they are on a slippery slope. Dumbing down and relentlessly pursuing a particular “youth” is not the way to go. The youth they are targeting would probably never use the BBC anyway. And the youth they perhaps should pursue will grow into older people who appreciate quality offerings.

If it’s that essential it should be part of general taxation.

It’s gone unchecked for too long. Too many overpaid fat cats who dont live in the real world.

Why do we need a way into other countries?

The soft power of being a trusted news source around the world should not be under valued.

NPR uses BBC content meaning that our world view gets an airing in one of the superpowers.

Major museums play David Attenborough films encouraging conservation efforts in a country where the government has been profoundly disinterested.

It doesn't mean that the influence will always be positive I'm not suggesting that the UK are always right. But if you don't help set the international agenda you have to follow someone else's agenda.

Why do we need a way into other countries?

As a minor point, I know a few expats who like having it.

When they fold it will be their own doing.
Many people automatically associate the license and the BBC not realising the license also funds Channel 4, and why film 4 went from sub to free.

How many households now watch live tv and have the equipment to do so?
I don’t. So my child like others are growing up watching quality programming and for a fraction of the cost of the license.

If it was an essential service there would be more discounts for various groups, free for low income households etc. If it was an essential service ot would be included in benefit calculations, and just like broadband which is essential, it’s not calculated.

YABU (a bit) I would like to see it go back to the original mission statement and focus on things like high quality, accessible documentaries, arts and culture eg. broadcast plays, ballet, museum tours and local history history etc. High quality renditions of period dramas eg P&P, which they do not do now are incredibly useful in my professional life to enable my students, many of whom had a poor education experience as children and young people to access and contextualise art and literature. I also think it would help 'the regions and other nations' in the UK feel like they are included in things which at the moment feel elitist, detached and very London centric, which could help with leveling up. I also think local tv, radio and other media are really important to give an 'in' to those with the talent but not the connections to ensure that their voices and experiences are present in the media. I would also like to see them develop a theatre/music company similar to the old version of those that would perform at the Everyman etc. to increase diversity.

@NailsNeedDoing

It would be good if you could pay a basic licence fee that entitled you to the basic channels and an enhanced one of you wanted access to CBeebies, all the educational content on the website etc.

It’s not right to make everyone pay the same fee when people vary so much in how they use the service, we should only have to pay for the bits we want instead of all of us funding everything, some of which doesn’t even get broadcast in this country.

Therefore ensuring that children from the poorest and most deprived backgrounds no longer have the chance to watch advert-free TV and have no access to educational resources their richer peers do.

Also, to all those who want the BBC to be a subscription-only channel: There are millions of televisions and digiboxes that are not equipped to receive it. You would have them be thrown away needlessly. Well, I suppose the electronics companies will be happy if everyone who wants to watch BBC from their aerial has to buy a new device.

I want to keep it but despair at programmes like Countryfile and the anti meat documentary which they had to take off i-player
metro.co.uk/2019/11/27/british-farmers-furious-bbc-distorted-meat-documentary-11227976/

Why do we need a way into other countries? Over the years many people have relied on the BBC to hear about what was really happening inside or outside their country's borders. But I suppose the internet generation wouldn't understand how powerful that is, or how easily intenet access can be controlled nationwide.

At the moment bbc are providing as free quality viewing.
The children are getting quality tv without ads from streaming services.
Occasionally I might get a trailer for another program before what I want to watch starts. It’s not several minutes between programs like on BBC.

I remember the pre net days.
My ex husband was from Africa. When the BBC used to mention anything it would often be full of misinformation.
Things have not improved.

And you'll get peple like me who say - but when my cousin's DH was trying to do something inside a now ex communist country, the BBC was one of his sources of information, he was part of the Velvet Revolution!

But I suppose the internet generation wouldn't understand how powerful that is, or how easily intenet access can be controlled nationwide.
They can block foreign TV broadcasts too easily. China has censored foreign broadcasts such as BBC World before in the past.

Lol probably.

Spectator also has some interesting pieces on the license fee.

It’s up for renewal (?) next year. So probably going to get loads of online bots everywhere now to convince us all nothing should change. Well apart from fee that should go on to fund the endless —repeats— quality programming the constantly create and air.

They can block foreign TV broadcasts too easily. China has censored foreign broadcasts such as BBC World before in the past. But they coudn't / can't block the radio! Or they can't as easily!

And yes, I probably did read too many stories about The Resistance in WWII

It’s up for renewal (?) next year. So probably going to get loads of online bots everywhere now to convince us all nothing should change. And as many from those who will benefit, line their own pockets should the BBC be dismantled in part or in whole!

As I said upthread, I do think the BBC needs a huge change to make it fit for purpose. Buty I don't think getting rid of it is the answer.