The TV Licence Fee

[CAFC Matt]

I have sky so never watch normal TV - however when MOTD comes back next year I will. The TV license is waste of time there is never anything to watch

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Just 'cos there are never any documentaries about Charlton.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I think the bbc is excellent value for money.

BBC 1 - The wife loves eastenders
BBC 2 _ Thursday I think it was I sat down and watched from 8 pm a battle reconstruction programme, then at nine the Brunel thing and at 9.50 the story auction thing til 10.30
Ceebeebees - My 18 month old loves Balamory, Tweenies, Teletubbies etc

Radio 1 for the occasional listen
Radio 2 Steve Wright, Jonathon Ross,
Radio 4 - he Today programme, 6.30pm comedy for the drive home from work
SCR - Albion commentories

BBC online - great website for news, sport games, research etc.

I reckon for £8 a week i do alright.

 

[Gwylan]

I reckon for £8 a week i do alright.

Most of us pay about £2. For £8 a week, I'd want free drinks and a Swedish masseuse to come round.

 

[Hamilton]

Too much American rubbish and old films!

That's all that we would be left with if we didn't have the BBC.

Take a quick look at the creativity that has come out of Sky, Channel 4 and ITV over the past few years - Friends, The Simpsons, Sopranos, etc.

I'm not knocking this stuff - a lot of it is quality, but it is mainly bought in. The Cold Feets (ITV) and Teachers (C4) are few and far between. As for Sky, there is nothing.

As a public service broadcaster the BBC is there to keep the whole nation entertained and informed. It is not controlled by any one person and consistent demonstrates its ability to be impartial regardless of government pressure (for example it has pressed the gov of WMD.)

No BBC = control of the media by limited interest groups.
No BBC = goodbye to BBC SCR (I don't like it, but lots do. Unfortunately most money men in radio would see it as the equivalent of the rural bus service and scrap it.)
No BBC = wall to wall airplay music reflecting what record labels want rather than what people want to listen to
No BBC = a decrease in the number of original high quality UK dramas (without the BBC producing these, other broadcasters would not feel the pressure to keep up)
No BBC = no impartial television news
No BBC = etc. I could go on

The fact is the BBC belongs to all of us. You might not like it some of the time, but without it you would see the standrads in broadcasting across all the TV networks slip.

So, When Tony Ball (the head of Sky) next suggests that the fee should be scrapped and in the same breath suggests the BBC should sell its top performing programmes, write to him and tell him to pull his fat lazy creative finger out of his arse and create something himself. Unfortunately, creating good programmes is not as simple as just buying the rights to the premiership.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Most of us pay about £2. For £8 a week, I'd want free drinks and a Swedish masseuse to come round.

I do I'm on the premium package!

 

[Hamilton]

That's just it though. The programmes I watch on BBC are minimal. The occasional footy match (which are often simultaneously being broadcast on Sky) and The Simpsons (repeats, plus i've seen them all before). And that is it. honest.
And I know lots of people who are the same in their viewing.
It's a rip. Let them advertise.

I don't know what your tastes are, but...

Have you ever watched:

Shooting Stars
Have I got News for You
Kumars at No. 42
Dead Ringers
League of Gentlemen
The Fast Show
Red Dwarf
The Office
Listened to radio 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, or SCR
Used the BBC website

or even...

Only Fools & Horses
The Weakest Link
Top of the Pops
Fame Academy
Eastenders
Holby City
Casualty

...never?

Never cracked an Office gag, or a Fast Show gag...? Never?

Thought not.

 

[Brovion]

I would be far happier paying for the BBC if it was elitist, highbrow and challenging as no station with those values could survive in the commercial world.. At the moment its a kind of slightly superior, souped-up, ratings-driven version of ITV.

 

[looney]

I consider this to be THE biggest con put upon the British viewing public. Soaps, gardening, antiques and reality TV programmes dominate the schedules, mixed in with the repeats.

The BBC have the best of both worlds. Not only do they rake in VAST quantities of cash from us, their UK stations on cable and satellite (about 10 of them) show repeats AS their schedule, and collect money from advertisers as well.

So the BBC get money from adverts AND from our licence fees. And they are backed by the law. Cushy, eh?

So what do they spend all this money on? Search me.

Is there anyone in this country who actually thinks that the BBC TV and radio service is good value for money?

Agree, should be privatised.

 

[Hamilton]

Re: Re: The TV Licence Fee

Agree, should be privatised.

So what do we gain from that?

 

[looney]

No BBC = no impartial television news


The fact is the BBC belongs to all of us. You might not like it some of the time, but without it you would see the standrads in broadcasting across all the TV networks slip.

Impartial? You really beleive that?

The tories have promised a public enquirey into bias if elected. It will have a feild day.

As for standards I find the journalism at best Sloppy, The hutton enquirey seems to agree.

 

[looney]

Re: Re: Re: The TV Licence Fee

So what do we gain from that?

Single parents wont be jailed for non payment of a regressive tax.


The BBC will be freed to operate fully in a global market.

It will be free from political interferance.

 

[Hamilton]

Impartial? You really beleive that?

The tories have promised a public enquirey into bias if elected. It will have a feild day.

As for standards I find the journalism at best Sloppy, The hutton enquirey seems to agree.

The tories are promising everything. Where has there been any bias against the tories in recent years. They get no coverage because they have marginalised themselves (mores the pity as we now have no opposition.)

The journalism is hardly sloppy - if Gilligan (a Daily Mail journalist - something the Daily Fascist seems to have kept strangely quiet) is found to have made it up then he should be hung out to dry, but the same can not be said for other BBC journos whom Hutton has not critisized.

Do I believe the BBC is unbiased - er, yes. Give me an instance to prove it otherwise (you are not allowed to include Sally Taylor or South Todays' lack of knowledge of Falmer or sport in the Brighton region.)

 

[Hamilton]

Re: Re: Re: Re: The TV Licence Fee

It will be free from political interferance.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Sky is free from political interference? LOL

The BBC is already free from political interference. It's is run by a DG appointed by a board of governors.

 

[looney]

Its run by a labour party member appointed by a board of lefties.

All jobs are posted in the Gaurdian.

I dfont think you want to take me on on this topic.

I'll get bck to your other post.....................

 

[JEM]

I don't know what your tastes are, but...

Have you ever watched:

Shooting Stars
Have I got News for You
Kumars at No. 42
Dead Ringers
League of Gentlemen
The Fast Show
Red Dwarf
The Office
Listened to radio 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, or SCR
Used the BBC website

or even...

Only Fools & Horses
The Weakest Link
Top of the Pops
Fame Academy
Eastenders
Holby City
Casualty

...never?

Never cracked an Office gag, or a Fast Show gag...? Never?

Thought not.

I liked The Office, and the very occasional Fools episode.
The rest are shit. I consider it an insult that you assume I watch the likes of Shooting Stars, Fame Academy and Eastenders.

Just because we're fast becoming a nation of vegetables, doesn't mean I'm one.

 

[Gwylan]

Its run by a labour party member appointed by a board of lefties.

Looney do you ever read the newspapers or listen to the news? The biggest story this summer has been a row between the government and the BBC over a BBC reporter's story. How on earth can you justify saying that the BBC is a government supporter?

All jobs are posted in the Gaurdian.

That's because the Guardian is the leading place to look for all media jobs. Sky and the Sun are big advertisers in the Guardian as well - are you trying to tell me that they are left-wing as well?


I dfont think you want to take me on on this topic.

Well no. If you're going post arrant nonsense, it's pointless arguing. There are good questions to be raised about the future of the BBC and how it's funded but talking drivel about left-wing bias is not the way to discuss that future.

 

[looney]

The journalism is hardly sloppy - if Gilligan (a Daily Mail journalist - something the Daily Fascist seems to have kept strangely quiet) is found to have made it up then he should be hung out to dry, but the same can not be said for other BBC journos whom Hutton has not critisized.

Do I believe the BBC is unbiased - er, yes. Give me an instance to prove it otherwise (you are not allowed to include Sally Taylor or South Todays' lack of knowledge of Falmer or sport in the Brighton region.)

They get no coverage because they have marginalised themselves (mores the pity as we now have no opposition.)

Exactly how can you marginalise yourself other than be ignored by people who dont share your veiws?

Bias against tories in resent years?

OK I'll try your decoy question.

pre 1997 "Tory splits over europe"

post 1997

Labour split on
Europe
Iraq
Old and new labour

The "Tory splits compromised less than %5 of the party but you dont hear about labour splits.


Bias often concerns what is not said rather than what is, Anyway I could give you 100's of examples, heres another.


I was watching the news years ago with a hardline socialist and he was cringing with embarresment!!
Example

BBC
Adam smith institute= Right wing thing tank
Demos= Independant think tank

Facts
ASI=Rightwing Independant thinktank
Demos=Leftwing Independant think tank

As you can see from the above 2 examples they haven't "Said" anything thats wrong or biased ,its what is not said most of the time that reduces the balance.


Even the economist magazine refered to them as lefties the other week, there realy isn't any debate on the issue cos its blindingly obvious to a lot of people on the left as well as the right.


Hint, try google.
Note, try to find something that isn't part of a leftwing rebuttal machine, ie Gaurdian.

 

[looney]

http://www.freedom-matters.wildjelly.com/archives/000096.html

" know you want to use the Beeb as much as possible so you can say, "If the BBC is saying these things it must be true because we all know that the BBC is a fair and balanced media outlet that we all trust and respect", but the fact is that the Beeb has been discredited and exposed for their deep leftwing bias.

Just FYI in case you didn't know that no one outside the left trusts the BBC to be fair.

Gilligan's Baghdad reporting and the David Kelly controversy are only two examples of how far left the BBC has moved.
"

Ok that ones to the right, I'll dig up some more independent ones later.

 

[looney]

A leftwing confession in the gaurdian good enough for you?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4507431-103677,00.html

"One should not be surprised by the BBC's bias, which simply reflects the left-liberal mindset of most of its staff. The left likes nothing more than pinning victim status wherever it can. Thus where first the Black Panthers and then the IRA were freedom fighters, so now it is the Palestinian terrorist groups which are fighting against oppression. Even better, Israel is backed by the US; two villains for the price of one. So blinkered are they in their worldview that they cannot see that it is not hopelessness - many bombers are wealthy and educated - which pushes terrorists into mass murder, but hatred. As the historian Robert Wistrich shows in Muslim Anti-Semitism: A Clear and Present Danger, the Arab press is suffused with anti-semitism on a par with early Christian blood-libels. But we hear none of this. Instead, we are fed a diet only of rampaging, barbaric Israelis.

All light does not shine on one side of the conflict, all darkness on the other. The truth is only ever simple for simple minds.

· Stephen Pollard is a senior fellow at the Centre for the New Europe, a Brussels based thinktank

"


I love the last sentence quality!! (even for a lefty)