UK VIII: Testing Times

[MartyG]

About 50p a day

[Cassius_Smoke]

Couldn't disagree more.

The BBC's audio output (given that it was historically a radio service before it got into TV) is exceptional, especially their podcast production quality - right up there with anything else you'll find in the world.

Would also suggest that their digital (internet) content is generally strong also.

Yeah OK, I'll give you most (but not all) of the radio stations and BBC sounds app.

[Cassius_Smoke]

2029: 'The BBC, a division of Sky Corporation'

[Yakumo]

Yeah, a well argued and thought out sentiment, the BBC just wastes all that money on champagne and cigar parties: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/annualreport

The BBC cannot generate the content that it does if it has to be run as a commercial profit making business. It produces the content it does (including all that niché stuff no one else does) because it doesn't have to concern itself with only producing programmes that are profitable.

This isn't good for UK media whether you agree with the license fee or not.

Well said. The BBC produce a lot of good shows that I watch even over here. A lot of what we get now will be gone.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Yeah OK, I'll give you most (but not all) of the radio stations and BBC sounds app.

Not exactly all of it, sure.

But the vast majority of it, music, radio and podcast, is high-quality and comparable with anything else on the planet you or anybody else can show me. Personally, I'd argue that it betters the BBC Television output.

The abolishing of the licence fee (assuming that the Tories are still in power after the next GE) places all of that in dire jeopardy.

[Family Fry]

About 50p a day

Oh well, why didn’t they announce that?
Totally worth losing everything over, my 50p a day saved can go on my £10 a day gas/electricity hike, bargin.

[Anpanman]

The Beeb does produce great content but if you are not interested I don't think you should have to pay for it just because you are watching other live telly, it's like a protection racket of sorts.

[fuse]

The quality, range, and sheer quantity of what the BBC produces represents excellent value to me, however I've not been mad about their news output for some time now, and the way they've been failing to look after their own, playing slowly more and more into the hands of those that'd see it destroyed, is very sad.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Two things I hope happen, but I know wont:
1: the BBC, knowing now that they no longer have to be a government mouth piece to keep funding, start reporting hard on all the **** the tory party are doing
2: Mrs Brown's boys gets cancelled

[MartyG]

If the BBC is such a wonderful mouth piece for the government, why is the government trying to get rid of it?

Scrapping the BBC's funding because you don't like some of the news is like euthanasing patients for ingrowing toenails. It's Brexit all over again.

I would strongly suggested looking at the documents I linked above that shows the breadth and depth of the lives the BBC touches because it's funded in the way it is.

[Cassius_Smoke]

If I believed conspiracies I'd say...

It's not wonderful mouth piece for the government. That's why the funding has been canned. Behind the scenes No10 has been in conversation with the BBC about burying the partygate scandal and not reporting it, but the BBC had its hands tied because everyone else was reporting it and would look ridiculous if they didn't. So as punishment the government stopped it funding, like they've threatened for years.

[Asura]

The quality of the BBC has **** all to do with this.

This is the Tories hail Mary play to try and get Murdoch to back them for the next election, the last before he drops dead.

[prinnysquad]

I’ve made my opinion clear on this subject on here before.

An appalling decision, eroding our cultural heritage. It’s something that should always have been protected from the insidious influence of market forces. It should have been designated a service, with everyone putting into the pot for the benefit and enrichment of society, even if they don’t use it.

[Neon Ignition]

Apparently their drama's will take a heavy hit but I'm not sure I expect that to pan out as true. I imagine BBC1 will be the most protected channel and those dramas etc are key audience pullers. The audience figures will become much more important going forward so they'll likely come round to outsourcing more like is happening with Doctor Who. Plus, the BBC gets a lot from production, just like their involvement in making Coronation Street. Those shows also have international appeal and BBC Worldwide probably just became the most important element here. Easy way to cut costs, ditch a lot of the reality and daytime pap littering the channels and replace it with popular repeats like has been called for for an age.

I imagine it's all the smaller stations, online content and channels that will get wholesale axed. Regional stuff too as it hits a demographic but likely isn't commercially viable. Even if the BBC manages to keep core channels ads free or light there will be shifts like I imagine the BBC will stop its period efforts to lower listening figures for Radio 1 or 2 when too many of the 'wrong' age group tunes in.

It's existence as a public service is over, now it's just a fight for its survival at all

[teddymeow]

For some of the dramas I'd expect them to get US funding as some stuff is popular "across the pond".

As long as it doesn't affect my Radio 4 comedy shows like The News Quiz or Unbelievable Truth, I'll be happy.