Ulimately getting rid of the BBC license fee...

[carolinech]

why do we pay money for a broadcast media (inc bbc license fee) in this day and age which could surely harness the power of new non-linear technology...

surely internet connected set-top boxes where we could watch the whole bbc (and other tv stations) archive will be technically possible soon...

the online retailer amazon, apple itunes and the hmv chain could run radio stations instead of the old bbc...

with streamed adverts like you already got on youtube and by offering the archive of bbc material to foreign viewers with ads, maybe we couls very soon be in a position where we no longer have to pay out for a license fee..

It's licenCe fee.

You don't need to have a tv licence anyway - it's only needed if you are streaming live TV. If you are happy watching everything through Iplayer, 4OD etc you actually don't need a licence!

You want to give BBC Radio to Amazon, Apple and HMV?! (HMV folded btw).
And make the BBC a commercial channel with ads?

The quality of the BBC would simply not exist without the funding and public service remit - it also keeps the other channels on their toes, keeping their quality up also.

Without the licence fee, it would simply not exist in its current format and we would be poorer as a society for it IMO. Radio 4 and 6 are unique for example, and they would simply not exist if the likes of Amazon and Apple were running the radio.

The BBC do sell content abroad, I don't know much about this, but I do like the idea of making more of this to bring out licence fees down.

Incidentally, you can already access BBC i-Player through your telly if you have broadband and a Free-Sat box or similar. No ads though!

I'd rather not have ads thanks...

Or what auf said...