Let’s talk about BBC

[Pross]

It was a significant degradation of remit and budget a year or two back. One suspects the hand of Gibb & Davie were involved, as Newsnight had remained outside of the 'bubble' of normal BBC news which avoided 'trouble' on certain topics.

But that isn’t due to them commissioning programmes like Strictly. The BBC has always had a strong ‘light entertainment’ brief as well as news / current affairs.

 

[Pross]

The issue for me is that the fre Freeview programs I do watch are not on the BBC but I can't watch those programs without subscribing to the BBC. eg only real Freeview program I watch is C4 News and they get nothing from my compulsory subscription but I can't watch it without paying BBC for their twaddle. If others want to watch it, fine, let them pay for it but to me it's morally wrong to charge me for something I don't want and don't use.

Think of it as a communication tax from the Government rather than it being paying for the BBC. I think it would take away most of the arguments against if it was simply rebranded.

 

[briantrumpet]

Think of it as a communication tax from the Government rather than it being paying for the BBC. I think it would take away most of the arguments against if it was simply rebranded.

I don't get to choose whether to pay an 'education tax' despite not having children. But I'm happy to pay it as part of my income tax, as it's A Good Thing that benefits the country and me. Hypothecated taxes are daft, and lead to the kind of thinking that if you don't use a widely used thing that benefits society as a whole, you shouldn't have to pay for it, as it would make nearly all government schemes unviable.

 

[briantrumpet]

FWIW, the French state TV & radio are funded in almost exactly the same way, and you can opt out by stating that you don't receive live TV broadcasts in any form. Cost is similar too.

 

[First Aspect]

Never seen either. Nor Chelsea or Geordie Shore. Aren't these shows semi scripted? Isn't the drama manufactured? I don't mind that others enjoy them. There will be people who don't get the appeal of the shows I watch. In an age where there's 100 channels to fill there'll always be a place for cheap TV.

I suspect a lot of it is somewhat contrived, but not to the extent of a Made in Chelsea.

My wife watches a lot of this stuff. MAFS is something I am ashamed to enjoy. Otherwise I'm more of a Walter Presents sort of a chap.

 

[briantrumpet]

I suspect a lot of it is somewhat contrived, but not to the extent of a Made in Chelsea.

My wife watches a lot of this stuff. MAFS is something I am ashamed to enjoy. Otherwise I'm more of a Walter Presents sort of a chap.

Middle-aged female shoppers? Amirite?

 

[briantrumpet]

But that isn’t due to them commissioning programmes like Strictly. The BBC has always had a strong ‘light entertainment’ brief as well as news / current affairs.

OK, got you. Yes, indeed they have, though the cost of 'celebrities' has ballooned, like footballers' wages. At one time, presenters would have been happy to have a regular gig on the BBC, but now the BBC is expected to pay the 'market rate', whatever that might be.

 

[Ian H]

You're not alone.

Are you offering to partner him for a dance?

 

[Pblakeney]

Neither have I. The theme music irritates me. The celeb worshiping irritates me. The trailers on iPlayer irritate me. The way the BBC treats it as news irritates me.

Likewise similar on ITV, C4 or C5.

 

[AuroraSaab]

I can't think of things like MAFS etc without being reminded of 30 Rock's MILF Island and Alan Patridge reeling off programme ideas like Monkey Tennis.

 

[First Aspect]

I can't think of things like MAFS etc without being reminded of 30 Rock's MILF Island and Alan Patridge reeling off programme ideas like Monkey Tennis.

Turns out some of them were good ideas.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I can't think of things like MAFS etc without being reminded of 30 Rock's MILF Island and Alan Patridge reeling off programme ideas like Monkey Tennis.

I am still waiting for 'youth hostelling with Chris Eubank' and 'Inner City Sumo', although I am fairly sure I have seen a real life version of the latter most Friday nights when the pubs close.