BBC license fee ‘to be abolished in 2027’. What will that mean?

[bimble]

In terms of state interests post-Brexit it's one of our few globally respected institutions and brings a cachet other governments would bite your hand off for; I understand the World Service is already funded a bit differently but the reputation comes from stuff like the nature docs too. From a UK interests point of view, keeping it going and funding it well seems a no-brainer though whether that's a license fee or grant is another matter. I rarely see much of their content either these days so in personal terms not bothered.

Yep this. It seems a really stupid move just in terms of ‘soft power’. But maybe it’ll get funded by general taxation in future. If it could be linked to income (to your general tax bill) that would seem best.

 

[JimW]

My funny faces were because there are purely Welsh and Gaelic language TV stations.

Pobol Y Cwm off it.

 

[danny la rouge]

My funny faces were because there are purely Welsh and Gaelic language TV stations.

Indeed there are.

 

[Sprocket.]

I’ve just enjoyed watching the heavily laden communist propaganda of David Attenborough on The Green Planet.

 

[JimW]

I’ve just enjoyed watching the heavily laden communist propaganda of David Attenborough on The Green Planet.

Malthusian wrong'un mind.

 

[Brainaddict]

Left.

The BBC, along with the majority of the more creative media industries, leans liberal on many social issues, and certainly that's what some people call left. But if you talk about how society should be organised economically, the BBC is simply another right wing establishment mouthpiece. 'Left' on social issues, right on economic issues, is actually right wing overall isn't it? You've been on these boards two decades or summat Sas, surely you've noticed economics might matter a bit in defining left and right?

 

[Rob Ray]

Boris was vowing to do this in Feb 2020 during one of his dead cat bounces, it crops up regularly when he's in need of a "look over there" moment. It's only because the media benefits from pretending to have the memory of a goldfish that this continually gets pitched as a new thing. The impact has also already been greatly lessened by the Tories' decade-long project to bring the corporation entirely to heel, which gutted its investigative function. There might be some residual loss on the journalistic side when the Beeb can no longer go after the companies that pay for its advertising, but not to its role as a fourth estate "loyal opposition" - that vanished a while back, if it ever really existed at all.

 

[Plumdaff]

He’s saying it’s because they are irrelevant, death languages. Well, he’s not saying it, but hoping everyone will do the job of inferring it so he doesn’t have to.

Irrelevant, dead languages in irrelevant, dead parts of the UK. Who gives a fuck about culture including anyone but our social betters in the Home Counties?

 

[Winot]

Burn it down and dance in the rubble.

I understand why those who disagree with our capitalist state want to destroy its institutions. But, as with Brexit, the outcome will not be a socialist utopia, it will be a worse version of what we have now.

 

[nogojones]

I'm obviously a child or pensioner. I don't even understand the second sentence.

Twitch is what happens when you are forced to listen to the Moral Maze.

 

[danny la rouge]

I’ve just enjoyed watching the heavily laden communist propaganda of David Attenborough on The Green Planet.

Indeed. That’s why I’m not really able to join a gang on this one. I enjoy the BBC’s output. There’s never much on streaming services for me. Yes, it’s a big old gravy train for poshoes, but what isn’t? Yes, the license fee is unfair. But so are fuel bills. Yes, it’s a tool in manufacturing consent, but so is further education, which employs me.

 

[Sprocket.]

They will dismantle the BBC, then the NHS, they have already decimated the care sector.

 

[kabbes]

I understand why those who disagree with our capitalist state want to destroy its institutions. But, as with Brexit, the outcome will not be a socialist utopia, it will be a worse version of what we have now.

You know that we're, like, 1 year in to Brexit, right? I don't think that even the most excitable of Socialist Utopians thought that the Socialist Utopia was going to be quite that swift.

 

[maomao]

I understand why those who disagree with our capitalist state want to destroy its institutions. But, as with Brexit, the outcome will not be a socialist utopia, it will be a worse version of what we have now.

We don't think it will bring a socialist utopia.

 

[JimW]

maomao's point about the kid's programming is bang on as well, it's streets ahead of the largely toy tie-in crap from elsewhere; Peppa Pig is massive in China, they even did a short film based on her popularity that showed during a Spring festival gala such is the cultural impact and that generates warms feels about Britain plus means Chinese kids get to see something better than 99% of the local and Japanese shite which is either turgidly moralising or fucking wack.

 

[danny la rouge]

Irrelevant, dead languages in irrelevant, dead parts of the UK. Who gives a fuck about culture including anyone but our social betters in the Home Counties?

Indeed. But really Sasaferrato should be saying that directly, instead of needing me as a clairvoyant.

 

[redsquirrel]

Most people will claim it's left or right wing, and most people consider neoliberalism to be right-wing, as it's associated with free-market capitalism, and tends to be promoted by conservative organisations.

Like the Labour Party, the LibDems, the CBI, the SNP, the Financial Times?
Strongly conservative organisations tend to critical of neo-liberalism (even if they are the flip side of the coin).

---
I'm with danny la rouge on this, I'm not cheering this on but I'm neither am I going to spend time defending the BBC

 

[kabbes]

There's no doubt that the BBC is excellent soft power projection, just like it is excellent state mouthpiece propaganda. Any government that wants to get rid of it must either be insane or have a real lack of imagination about how to use it. But whether this ability at soft power projection and state propaganda is of value to me and you is rather more questionable. I'm fine with the UK having a reduced ability to culturally occupy other countries.

 

[Sasaferrato]

He’s saying it’s because they are irrelevant, death languages. Well, he’s not saying it, but hoping everyone will do the job of inferring it so he doesn’t have to.

They are probably less relevant in the UK today than Polish or Urdu.

BBC Scotland runs an entire Gaelic channel, at God knows what cost per viewer, for the less than 50K Gaelic speakers.

In the event of the demise of the BBC, there will be dozens of broadcasters ready to take up the baton of Gaelic broadcasting, maybe.

 

[danny la rouge]

They are probably less relevant in the UK today than Polish or Urdu.

BBC Scotland runs an entire Gaelic channel, at God knows what cost per viewer, for the less than 50K Gaelic speakers.

In the event of the demise of the BBC, there will be dozens of broadcasters ready to take up the baton of Gaelic broadcasting, maybe.

Say it to Plumdaff I’m over passing notes between you.

 

[kabbes]

If all the BBC did was provide programming in the native tongues of minority populations within the UK, I'd be fine with that.

 

[JimW]

There's no doubt that the BBC is excellent soft power projection, just like it is excellent state mouthpiece propaganda. Any government that wants to get rid of it must either be insane or have a real lack of imagination about how to use it. But whether this ability at soft power projection and state propaganda is of value to me and you is rather more questionable. I'm fine with the UK having a reduced ability to culturally occupy other countries.

You're broadly right but on that last thing it's actually cultural projection as it should be IMO, you showing the best of yourself and it being appreciated but in the bigger picture it's not shaping Chinese culture to even the extent Hollywood or K-Pop have and they're within limits too. It's nice to see each other's cultural products!

 

[danny la rouge]

If all the BBC did was provide programming in the native tongues of minority populations within the UK, I'd be fine with that.

I want codger programmes about archaeology!

 

[JimW]

I want codger programmes about archaeology!

Long walks by the foreshore, for sure.

 

[kabbes]

You're broadly right but on that last thing it's actually cultural projection as it should be IMO, you showing the best of yourself and it being appreciated but in the bigger picture it's not shaping Chinese culture to even the extent Hollywood or K-Pop have and they're within limits too. It's nice to see each other's cultural products!

Well, I'm not bothered by the UK being able to culturally project itself. But neither do I see it as a thing I want to pay for. It's something that benefits those who want to maintain the existing political structures, and they should pay for it if that's what they want to do.

 

[Raheem]

If all the BBC did was provide programming in the native tongues of minority populations within the UK, I'd be fine with that.

Only if they drop that cockney language show on weekday evenings.

 

[JimW]

They are probably less relevant in the UK today than Polish or Urdu.

BBC Scotland runs an entire Gaelic channel, at God knows what cost per viewer, for the less than 50K Gaelic speakers.

In the event of the demise of the BBC, there will be dozens of broadcasters ready to take up the baton of Gaelic broadcasting, maybe.

You're a strange sort of conservative Sass, chuck some of our oldest native culture to the four winds.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Really?

 

[JimW]

Well, I'm not bothered by the UK being able to culturally project itself. But neither do I see it as a thing I want to pay for. It's something that benefits those who want to maintain the existing political structures, and they should pay for it if that's what they want to do.

Well perhaps projection shouldn't be the word then, rather it's nice to produce stuff good enough to be popular outwith its national context and it's beneficial in my view when we watch and learn about each other, like a good Korean drama being both entertaining and to some extent edifying. Fuck me, I'm Lord Reith.

 

[danny la rouge]

Really?

None of them provide any content I want to see.