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.

 

[Psamathe]

It feels a bit elitist to get annoyed by the BBC making stuff you don’t like especially when it’s one of their most successful programmes and makes them in a fortune from the franchising around the world. Like it or not, some ‘low brow’ content like this actually makes the BBC money and gives them more cash to make the stuff you seem to desire but which has no commercial value.

I’m not sure you can call the celebrities self-appointed, I quite often haven’t heard of them but they aren’t inviting themselves on and quite often my kids know the ones I don’t so maybe we need to accept that we are behind the times in the same way as when our parents moaned about the stuff we liked.

My objection is about my being forced to subscribe to it even though I don't watch any BBC TV. That isn't elitist.

 

[Dorset Boy]

My objection is about my being forced to subscribe to it even though I don't watch any BBC TV. That isn't elitist.

Do you ever listen to any BBC Radio, or ever visit their website?

 

[Psamathe]

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.

Trouble is that it isn't. It isn't/can't be used by the Government, money goes to only one broadcaster rather than split across all Free to Air.

If it was a Government thing then it would be subject to FoI which BBC sort of honours but uses tricks to avoid scrutiny eg doesn't answer FoI requests about eg BBC Studios as that is a subsidiary and not subject to that scrutiny (and BBC Studios makes or used to make)
eg

FOI Request: Could you please tell me the total production budget of Strictly Come Dancing

Answer: Strictly Come Dancing is produced by BBC Studios Ltd.
As set out in section 6(1)(b) of the Act, our subsidiaries (including BBC Studioworks Limited, UKTV, BBC Global News Ltd and BBC Studios Ltd), as well as the charities BBC Media Action and BBC Children in Need, are not subject to the Act. Therefore, information regarding their activities is also not subject to the Act.

eg

FOI Request: What is the budget per series of Strictly Come Dancing and how is this broken down?

Answer: The information you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’ The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you and will not be doing so on this occasion.