Or is someone burning a cash mountain for no reason?

GB News isn’t a news channel. It’ll never pay for itself via advertising. Ask yourself why someone is willing to burn money to get it going. None of this is relevant to my point about the BBC anyway, so I’m not continuing down this dead end with you.

A news service paid for by the public is fine and dandy with me. Flawed and frustrating as the BBC is, it’s nothing compared to what a post BBC UK media landscape would look like. Burn it down and warm yourselves in the flames for a short while if you want, but the future for the UK is only made worse by doing away with it (and Channel4/ITN news as it stands).

Yay!

It’s not impossible but that’s a dramatic headline for what is actually happening.

The BBC will have to negotiate with the government over an entirely new funding model when the final licence fee funding deal expires in 2027 – raising the prospect of a subscription service or part-privatisation.

Flawed and frustrating as the BBC is, it’s nothing compared to what a post BBC UK media landscape would look like.

Very much my view.

Seems pointless that the BBC would hold back now, time to go balls deep and give the frothers something to get really upset about.

Definitely. I recall it was always the case that until recently the Beeb gave the impression of supporting whichever party wasn’t currently in government such was their excellent record of holding governments to account. Sadly that’s long gone. Let’s hope this move by the Toryys rverses that trend and bites them in the arse.

By the way, I don’t have anything against abolishing the licence fee as long as the BBC remains publicly funded. So how about just paying for it out of general taxation? That would mean low earners in general (not just the Tories precious over 75s) wouldn’t have to fork out. It’s £4bn p/a, not a particularly big deal.

You know the comedy sketch with John Cleese, Dudley Moore and Ronnie Corbett back in the 60’s? The I’m middle class so I look up to him but down on him” routine?

Its been the model for all BBC comedy output since.

And fair points educator about the objectivity of BBC News output. I’d add that there’s too much analysis and they’re nearly always wrong. I find myself watching ITV news by choice these days, less analysis but less chance of getting it wrong, overall a bit more circumspect.

Sky News has beaten the BBC on objectivity for years. On Iraq an Brexit they had far more in depth reporting than the BBC ans did a better job of calling out the governments lies.

I’ve just had a look at both sites and also TF1, I know Sky is private, I also know TF1 is really Bouygues TV, within that context I find their reporting fine, some of the BBC vids though, WTF.

A news service paid for by the public is fine and dandy with me. Flawed and frustrating as the BBC is, it’s nothing compared to what a post BBC UK media landscape would look like.

Except that’s not what is going to happen. The World Service will keep going, it will be funded, it will need reporters etc. So some form of BBC news service will exist.

Radio and the Freeview BBC channels are the issue for funding as it’s hard to get a subscriber/funding model. But BBC is blamed for the slow death of local independent news and radio as they don’t have to compete for resources and soak up audience that would attract advertising

News impartiality can be strengthened for UK broadcast CGTN is already banned. You could have a model where BBC news and public service broadcasting is sold to other UK channels to help them meet their commitments.

Sky News has beaten the BBC on objectivity for years.

You are a Murdoch shrill and I claim my £5….

Astonishing that a channel owned by Murdoch was less pro-war and more objective about Brexit than the BBC. I think that tells us a lot about the people with real power at the BBC.

You could have a model where BBC news and public service broadcasting is sold to other UK channels to help them meet their commitments.

Just like Sky News providing the news bulletins for nearly every commercial radio station? The illusion of choice? What’s the point in that?

As for your other points on commercial radio stations and news… people don’t want to listen to adverts… you may be correct that local commercial radio might perform better if there was no advert fee BBC alternatives… or they might do just as poorly as listeners shift to streaming and national and international services instead. Getting rid of the BBC would likely help commercial broadcasters to some extent. Would it improve things for listeners? Would it help broadcast radio as a whole prosper in a way that listeners want? Answer those questions yourself.

or they might do just as poorly as listeners shift to streaming services instead.

So a declining audience listening yet people who watch live TV pay for it. Are BBC audience figures going or down in % of UK population terms? Or they affected by the same issue?

Just like Sky News providing the news bulletins for nearly every commercial radio station? The illusion of choice? What’s the point in that?

Same number of news outlets, same illusion of choice we have now

Reuters and AFP are the other two big ones, it’s not quite a monopoly. There’s the information provided and then the spin it’s given. Find a few fools for the reporter to interview for anecdotes and you can spin it any way you want. The most interviewed fools on Brexit were on Dudley high street whatever the channel. Now why did they report so often from Dudley of all places?

Why do the Tories hate anything British?

Because they are internationalists in love with total free market, who for example, think that if they have no trade rules for importing into the UK, other countries will reciprocate, hence Brexit(too many rules).

They don’t see themselves as British, you only need to go to Davos to the world economic forum to understand that millionaires and billionaires don’t see themselves as British, French, American, or Russian millionaires/millionaires, they only see fellow millionaires and billionaires.

They only wrap themselves in the British flag so that flag waving idiots, or those who have been sold the myth of “Great Britain” vote for them.

You are a Murdoch shrill and I claim my £5….

Murdoch didn’t achieve the complete takeover of Sky. I’m surprised nobody has thought whose hands the BBC will end up in post 2027.

Why do the Tories hate anything British?

Johnson stood in Parliament at PM Questions the other day, and when specifically questioned about the licence fee, his response was to defend it. It was quite clear reading between the lines that he had a high view of the BBC and thought it should stay.

This is just a case of putting self-interest ahead of what they themselves believe to be in the public interest. The usual immoral behaviour that has been at the forefront of every scandal from this government.

The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors are over.

As someone without a TV license (and without a TV) all you seem to get is random letters every month saying they’ve opened a new investigation into you. They have opened maybe 50 or more into us by now and nothing has actually happened.

Probably the same sort of investigation they open into parties held at number 10….

The other random letters all say ‘we’ll be visiting you next week’ etc, but no one has ever turned up.

I read an article a while ago (I wish I could remember where) that argued the reason for retaining the BBC in its current form, is that a healthy BBC forces other broadcasters to raise their game. The other channels have to limit advertising, retain some impartiality and decent standards otherwise they can’t compete with the BBC. If you lose the BBC then it quickly becomes a race to the bottom, like in the US

Netflix and other streaming services have changed the model as they don’t have advertising.

If we want a free to air BBC channel/s or radio a subscription model doesn’t work neither does advertising as it just robs from the existing commercial free to air.

I imagine that we will end up with a hybrid model. A thinned down free to air BBC TV and radio with no ads, paid through general taxation and a subscription iPlayer service. Or a variation on the theme. News and other “public service” elements in the free to air pot. MoTD on the subscription iPlayer/ Sounds to enable them to pay their star contractors (for tax reasons) the money they demand.

Arguably far more progressive than the current BBC tax, far fewer people criminalised.

As someone without a TV license (and without a TV)

Freeloading the services you do access…..

but no one has ever turned up.

I assume you’ll film it and stick it up on YouTube when they eventually turn up?

It may suggest they target the more vulnerable non payers and have put you in the “more trouble than it’s worth box” and gone for the soft targets

Netflix and other streaming services have changed the model as they don’t have advertising.

Or UK news journalism. Those services are mostly like watching from the 51st state of the USA. Lots of great content, but not a replacement for what the BBC creates/commissions and shows for us here in Britain.

A post BBC Britain will result in Brits watching/reading/listening in ever more demarcated silos. The political and social consequences of that are likely to be dire. Especially if we leave it to USA led and owned streaming services.

A post BBC Britain will result in Brits watching/reading/listening in ever more demarcated silos.

It’s happening anyway, how many people watch linear TV these days. The demographics for the BBC funding model are appalling with more cost being shifted to the older population who might watch live TV without regard to ability to pay

Freeloading the services you do access…..

Coming from a “Free member” that’s quite ironic….

It’s happening anyway, how many people watch linear TV these days.

Yep, the concept of having to watch something at a certain time just seems so antiquated now.

It’s a dead duck the license fee, it would have gone in the next 5 years by natural causes.
Tv has moved on in watching terms no one under 30 really takes much notice of the big 4. I remember rushing home to see vic and Bob once a week it’s daft now when you think about it.
BBC news and heavy content has gone to shite it’s all click bait on the news website not as bad as the redtops but not far off.
The bbc have know for ages this was coming who ever was running the country. I hope they have a plan I really do.

R4
4extra
BBC 2
And world service is me now.
6 music for mark and stu
Also Hughie.

I do wonder what will happen to the education sections they run bitesize ect.

My guess is
Stripped down terrestrial
It will be needed by some.
Apps for the rest via britbox ect. BBC sounds better have more content all that great radio of the past 50 years.
I’m a big fan of the beeb but it went soft content to keep up with the social media program style.

Interestingly only connect gets more veiwers than EastEnders live.

Also look at sky it knows it’s days of huge monthly subs are numbered so it’s moving to app based subs not yet but it will happen your going to end up paying more in total just to different providers.
Just like Disney have played a blinder with Disney+ by ring fencing it’s content. (And mopping up some fantastic content providers on the cheap) TV is evolving

Johnson stood in Parliament at PM Questions the other day, and when specifically questioned about the licence fee, his response was to defend it. It was quite clear reading between the lines that he had a high view of the BBC and thought it should stay.

You are aware I take it that whenever Johnson opens his mouth he lies?

You are aware I take it that whenever Johnson opens his mouth he lies?

🙂

As DC said, the Bojo cannot distinguish between truth and lies…

I’m glad bbc is not going to be funded by me…I rarly ever watch anything on there, why should I pay for something I don’t use….it protected and created people like jimmy sav

why should I pay for something I don’t use

Wait till you see what general taxation pays for, you’ll be in for a right shock…..

This all smacks of the Tories having a dirty protest on their way out of power.

I do hope that the BBC decide to start gunning for the repeated lies spouted from the benches and start to stand up for themselves, but I suspect thats wishful thinking on my behalf.

Nadine effing Dorries, when is she getting a damehood?

You have to hand it to the tories, they’re good at what they do sometimes. Even I’m half tempted to go “screw the bbc, I’m sick of the bias anyway and the programming’s not as good as it was”. It’s the exact same well proven path they used on british rail- ruin a good thing then when you sell it or kill it, the people who would have defended it say “yeah but it’s not that good any more”. It’s exactly what they’re doing with the NHS, of course.

And in this particular case, they’ve managed to lead the BBC around by the nose for years- threaten them if they don’t do what they’re told, and then do it anyway. Fill it with cozy reporters and then accuse it of bias in the other direction so that they’re double motivated not to be evenhanded.

As someone without a TV license (and without a TV) all you seem to get is random letters every month saying they’ve opened a new investigation into you. They have opened maybe 50 or more into us by now and nothing has actually happened.

I think it depends where you are. Some of the “inspectors” are definitely less than savoury.

I’ve had no problems here, but in my previous house, I’ve had them try to force their way past me into my house.

How did the BBC report today’s “Kill the Bill” marches? Oh yes. They didn’t.

It was on the BBC news I watched earlier today

Do tell nick!

I think that if BBC News didn’t exist SKY news would be worse. But BBC News is terrible at times, it follows the Newspapers lead much too much.

Think of all the radio and TV programmes that wouldn’t get made if the BBC were to be commercial.
The BBC is so entwined in the culture of the modern UK, I couldn’t think of the world without it. Sometimes the people don’t know what they need. It aspires to intellectual discourse rather than base values and gossip. Take the Welsh or Gaelic radio and television for example, would they continue if the BBC was commercial?

**** the **** Tories. It belongs to the Nation, not them. They have a duty to look after it and then pass it on. What an absolute set of **** they are.

British Rail was not a good thing though was it, bit like most of the utilities, run down, inefficient and expensive. I’m not saying privatisation has fixed the issues, definitely made the railways more difficult to use but to suggest BR was in rude health before privatisation isn’t true.

…it Margaret Thatcher protected and created people like jimmy sav

FTFY

stumpyjon
Full Member

British Rail was not a good thing though was it, bit like most of the utilities, run down, inefficient and expensive.

That’s exactly it- it was intentionally run down to remove public goodwill. And “inefficient” proves how well the propaganda works, british rail was one of the most efficient rail services in Europe and the government’s own benchmarking proved that (it had to be- it was completely cash-starved)

Note the author of this article…..