The TV Licence Fee

[looney]

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.

1 I didn't say the bbc was a gov supporter, I said its leftwing, further to the left than blair

2 Second comment doesn't make sence?

3 its not drivel just becsuse you nether bothered to get your arse of the leftwing educational curriculum and read more broadly.

Some lefties do, most rightwingers do cos the reading lists for rightwing thinkers is at best minimal, some others do as well.

Thats not intirely your fault true.

How many rightwing books you read? or lefty?

 

[Gwylan]

1 I didn't say the bbc was a gov supporter, I said its leftwing, further to the left than blair

It's quite true that you didn't actually say that the BBC was a gov suppporter, but you made your comment to a post that said the BBC was impartial and not government influenced,thereby implying that it was not detached from the government. If you're trying to say that the BBC cricticises the government from the left then your original post was a non sequitur.

BTW, the idea that the BBC is an extreme left-wing organisation is one of the most ludicrous things I've heard.

2 Second comment doesn't make sence?
Well I can't help it you have you difficulty comprehending simple sentences. Judging by your spelling and use of punctuation, you have a sketchy knowledge of English. Or by avoiding the point that I made are you hoping to admit having to admit that you were wrong.

3 its not drivel just becsuse you nether bothered to get your arse of the leftwing educational curriculum and read more broadly.

Ha,ha,ha. That really is ludicrous. I was taught by teachers who punished you for walking the wrong way down the quadrangle, who practised corporal punishment with glee, for whom history was a list of British victories in battle and who viewed anything but white shirts and black trousers as a short step to Bolshevism. If you really think that was left-wing then you have some strange ideas about politics.

How many rightwing books you read? or lefty?

I don't believe in left-wing or right-wing books - they're either well-written or not.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Whoever said that the BBC was run by labour should perhaps stop for a minute and think about how anti war the beeb is and all the fiasco about sexing up dossiers.

 

[looney]

Whoever said that the BBC was run by labour should perhaps stop for a minute and think about how anti war the beeb is and all the fiasco about sexing up dossiers.

Trust another lefty to pop up spouting garb. Try to read whats gone..............

1 I didn't say the bbc was a gov supporter, I said its leftwing, further to the left than blair

 

[looney]

OK, I read it again.....

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?

No, But if the BNP advertised I doubt many black readers would respond.

 

[fatbadger]

Sky costs a fortune, much, much more than the licence fee, and the quality of its programming is much, much worse. What does that tell you?

 

[looney]

Christ would you lefties stop splitting hairs.

The BBC is centre left. It will go along with blair when it agree's and confront when not.
It tends to be more in line with the labour backbenches over Iraq.

 

[looney]

Sky costs a fortune, much, much more than the licence fee, and the quality of its programming is much, much worse. What does that tell you?

It tells me you have a CHOICE wether to buy sky or not. Obviously loads disagree hence the continual sale of dishes.

 

[fatbadger]

Christ would you lefties stop splitting hairs.

The BBC is centre left. It will go along with blair when it agree's and confront when not.
It tends to be more in line with the labour backbenches over Iraq.

don't be ridiculous - it's centre-right. It may seem centre-left because Parliament is so stuffed with the right at the moment, but being left of the current government is a long, long way fom being centre-left.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Looney loses another argument. I think he's hilarious. I'm surprised he manages to keep typing though. All that frothing at the mouth must make it dificult working near electronic equipment.

 

[Gwylan]

The BBC is centre left. It will go along with blair when it agree's and confront when not.

That's totally meaningless. You could say the same about any news outlet, print or broadcast, left or right wing.

When the Tories were in power they criticised the beeb, now the Labour government criticises the beeb. My girlfriend who belongs to a far-left group thinks it's very right wing, supporting a capitalist agenda. I think that any news organisation that's criticised by all sides must be doing something right.

 

[Le Premier Cru]

News service, sports coverage, and drama. All unbeatable on the Beeb, IMHO.

...and no (well, fewer) adverts.

Now here's a question: Why's the sound level on adverts always a level or two higher than the programme they interrupt? That really pisses me off.

 

[looney]

So is steven pollard right wing?
Its sad that you pair of limp minded goinks cant follow an arguement.

I had a socialist complain to me that the BBC was "rightwing", because tradeunion members weren't represented in Eastenders.

Thats obviously the level of your arguement as well.


That's totally meaningless. You could say the same about any news outlet, print or broadcast, left or right wing.

Nice try shmuck, yea your right in in that, in that its out of context.

 

[looney]

Evidence of Bias...EU.

http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~iits/newalliance/eurobias.htm

GM Bias
http://www.iconservatives.org.uk/bbc__gm_bias.htm

"Sadly, this programme turned out to be just another typical piece of blatant anti-American, anti-big business, anti-science, anti-GM propaganda from the controllers and unscientific chattering classes of the BBC."

anti-US bias

http://idleryet.blog-city.com/read/151290.htm


anti -BBC bias site
http://www.bbcbias.org/html/body_objectives.html


i'll say no more losers.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Checked out those sites, Looney. Strangely they all seem to originate from shall we say the bluer side of the political spectrum. All they illustrate is the writers own bias against the bbc.

 

[looney]

Really?

If you go to the home page of the last one you'll see its a russian human rights activist who freaked at the soviet style reporting. Or does non-commie=rightwing in your mindset?

I agrre the second one is but the other 2 I dont know, got any evidence?

 

[Spiros]

I find it interesting that anyone who has been reported at any length on the BBC seems to think that it is biased against them. To me that says a lot more about paranoia of public figures than about BBC bias. The lefties say its right-wing, the right wingers says its leftie. My own view is that is has no particular editorial line at all and that individual programs reflect the views of the individual editors - some left, some right some independent.

A potted history of accusations of bias against the BBC is in the latest book by John Simpson (it is excellent). The way in which the licence fee is set up means that the BBC gets government money but is free to be critical of the government. There is virtually no other broadcaster in the world which can 'bite the hand that feeds it' and get away with it. As someone rightly said earlier you'd never get a Sky channel criticising Murdoch. Other countries are amazed that the BBC can criticise our government even though it is state funded. The licence fee may not be perfect but at least it ensures that we get (relatively) independent news coverage, advert-free programs (anyone with young kids appreciates that!) and a wide variety of quality output (Eastenders excepted - I hate it)

 

[looney]

The thing is its not independant. What would happen if the bnp got in and passed an act taking controll of it?

Or in fact if it thought that slagging the gov may result in having its funding cut.

Its charter has just been renewed for 10 years what if its renewal was soon comming up?

 

[Spiros]

looney - I would agree that it is not independent, but it often acts as though it is. Broadcasting is an expensive business - any broadcaster needs someone to bankroll it. The commercial output in this country is significantly second division compared to that which the BBC puts out. The only exception is sports coverage which Sky, ITV, etc have used as a loss-leader to get subscribers

OK it may tread carefully around charter renewal time but most of the time it does not pander to it's proprietor

 

[looney]

I agree it has its own agenda and that generally is center left.