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?

@User158340
The chairman isn't involved in editorial decisions though - they are not on the phone to the Newsnight production gallery telling them what slant they should be taking on that day's stories.

@contrmary

Which parts of the BBC would go then? Asian Network, 1Xtra, local radio - all served by commercial stations. Popular shows should be sold off to commercial broadcasters (Strictly Cunt Dancing, Mrs Brown's Fucking Boys, Mastershit) - anything that can stand on it's own two legs should be sold off.

The BBC should make shit that commercial broadcasters can't, or won't. Not chase ratings with the same shit that's on other channels.

Obviously it should continue to broadcast a 24 hour news channel and BBC Parliament, because no fucker would broadcast the latter and you can't have too many news channels (watch them all, take the average opinion, and you might be somewhere near the truth).

And for as long as the licence fee exists, it should permit users full access to the BBC's archive of programmes. Britbox is bullshit - we've already paid for the BBC shows - so as part of our subscription, we should be allowed to watch them when we want.

BBC wanted to do just that when they launched iPlayer (have programmes available indefinitely) and they were told they couldn't - I believe by the Competition and Markets Authority... I remember being annoyed by it.

I love the BBC. I definitely don't want adverts on the BBC - I can't bear watching programmes with adverts. I don't mind paying the license fee. I like the fact they are not beholden to advertisers.

@Bluegrass

Of course - I mean, this country has one of the most respected public broadcasters in the world, that represents the UK to a large global audience. It’s news services are regularly polled as being the most trustworthy.

But yes, let’s fuck it up, let’s chuck it all away and sit at home mindlessly scrolling the Netflix home page for an hour every night as we look for yet another slice of mediocre US output (having exhausted the good stuff until the next big drop).

Honestly I swear there are people in this country who won’t be satisfied until we’ve torn apart everything good we’ve ever achieved together.

It’s like a raging self hatred. Keep voting for politicians who fuck over your living standards effectively leaving you thousands of pounds poorer every year, whilst screaming that the BBC should be scrapped so you can save yourself £157.50. We are in a headlong race to the bottom.

Totally agree. It costs peanuts but people still complain. It's worth that for all the things like Bitesize and other educational tools. It's not perfect but I don't think people appreciate it for all its diversity.

I think it’s an important organisation that’s worth holding onto and funding. It’s not just about TV and radio; it’s also about holding onto a news provider of quality in a time of so much fake news. Social media could cause misinformation to become a really big problem and I think we need organisations like the BBC for people to turn to and trust. Yes they’re not perfect but I think what we have is better than a lot of other countries and it’s easy to take that for granted. In terms of programming, they still make some really high-quality programmes (e.g. David Attenborough documentaries/BBC dramas) although admittedly there are lower quality programmes at times to balance things out. The BBC also has orchestras and various other services (and extensive archives of our country’s records and cultural history) so it’s not just about the main TV/radio services that you first think of.

They probably need improvements in their structure/management to focus their budget on offering quality and real value though.

I woke early today and listened to the World Service (I don't usually but with the Covid Crisis wondered if there was any news).
Very informative programmes

4am

The Real Story www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02dbd4m/episodes/player
Britain after Brexit: What’s its role in the world?
The Brexit transition period has ended and a new trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union is in effect. British PM Boris Johnson hailed “the dawn of a new era” saying it marked “a moment of real national renewal and change.” But there’s no consensus on what that change should look like
Discussed by - Tom Tugendhat - An MP, chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee
Shashi Tharoor - A senior Indian MP, former Under Secretary General of the UN and author of the book ‘Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India’
Sir Simon Fraser - Former head of the British Foreign Office
Helene von Bismarck - German historian and writer specialising in Britain's international and colonial past

Then at 5am
BBC OS Conversations
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct19z3
Nuala McGovern brings together people from around the world to discuss how major news stories are affecting their lives.

Coronavirus: Intensive care
As vaccines begin to be administered in several countries, many places are experiencing worrying rises in cases and deaths from Covid-19. One effect is that hospitals have to try and cope with the increasing number of patients. Host Nuala McGovern hears from three doctors working in ICUs in South Africa, Brazil and the United States on the stressful frontline of intensive care. They also share their frustrations about some people having a distrust and reluctance towards being vaccinated, including medical colleagues.

Fascinating - 20% of hospital staff in Brazil and Texas are refusing vaccinations ?
Where else do you get such interesting programmes?

What the BBC should offer

BBC 4 (plus maybe a few cherrypicks like DrWho)

Radio 4 (plus maybe a few cherrypicks)

A kids channel

And a news service

@Whammyyammy exactly the same here and we dont miss it one little bit. I've actually taken the aerial out of the tv we only watch Netflix or Prime