The Tory attacks on the BBC begin in earnest

[ibilly99]

Well good for you. But why should I subsidise your "taste" in TV?

The same can be said for the hypothecation of taxes. The BBC is a standard of excellence provided cheaply compared to the commercial alternatives and ought to be a beacon as to how non-profit can mean a greater service at a lower cost which I think it does very well. It should be a standard bearere for socialists as to how state enterprise is cheaper than private enterprise and for the many not the few.

 

[ibilly99]

Fed up of BBC TV. Repeats after repeats, crap shit Dragon Dens, or other cheap programmes. News as well right wing shit. I do enjoy Radio 3 and 4 or 4 extra.

btw Radio 3 costs approx 50 quid a listener - so if you want to keep it in a post break up BBC that's what it would cost assuming it kept it's audience base - of course it wouldn't so Classic FM will have to do then.

 

[ibilly99]

Stewart Lee comes out fighting for the BEEB !

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...anel-culture-secretary?CMP=twt_media^gdnmedia

 

[YouSir]

Does piss me off a bit that all of these slebs coming out for the BBC have been stone silent over the years as it continued to be, for the most part, a platform for upper-middle class, OxBridge types like themselves. The gushing 'heart of our culture' spiel seems a bit tenuous really.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Tbf though, quite a lot of that could be fit into much fewer TV/radio stations, and still retaining quality. Whereas we have, say BBC3 and BBC4 only broadcasting in the evenings, whilst BBC1 and 2 showing a hell of a lot of repeats and dross now (couldn't we get away with 3 stations there?). Do we really need Radio 4 AND 4 extra? And whilst I was a big listener and avid supporter of 1xtra for quite a few years, there's not such a big gap between Radio 1 and 1xtra now as there used to be. Radio 2 seems to have a somewhat confused remit now (and why the fuck is Vine not on Radio 5 instead?). 6Music used to be so much better but I still listen to it the most out of BBC radio.

Radio 4 extra is largely archive stuff isn't it? Probably doesn't really cost them anything.

There are obviously things I'd happily get rid of, the entire daytime schedule for example, but just because I don't watch it doesn't mean nobody else should get to. I'm sure there are at least as many Bargain Hunt fans who would gladly get rid of Radio 3. It's not as if it's money going into a black hole either, the BBC employs a lot of people and supports a lot of creative industries.

News and politics needs sorting out though. I'm sure the tories will help them rediscover their moral compass and journalistic backbone

 

[stethoscope]

There are obviously things I'd happily get rid of, the entire daytime schedule for example, but just because I don't watch it doesn't mean nobody else should get to. I'm sure there are at least as many Bargain Hunt fans who would gladly get rid of Radio 3. It's not as if it's money going into a black hole either, the BBC employs a lot of people and supports a lot of creative industries.

Yeah, wasn't really intending to say that people should be deprived of anything - we all like different things and the BBC does try to deliver across the board to a varied audience. More that given the sheer number of digital/radio channels (and online) they've amassed in the last ten years, they don't always seem to make the most of them. You could probably fit all of the content from BBC3 and BBC4 onto 1 and 2, cutting some of the repeats of other stuff, whilst not really depriving or compromising too much. 'Red button' always seems a bit lacking IMO also.

News and politics needs sorting out though. I'm sure the tories will help them rediscover their moral compass and journalistic backbone

I've given up really on that front! For example, even Sky News manages to cover protests more proactively than BBC News (even if the former is blatant in its editorial/political line towards them).

 

[kenny g]

BBC 4 is a case in point. A great opportunity wasted on tram documentaries and overly long waffle fests. The Today programme on R4 is self referential dribble mainly. It should be re-named "yesterday" as most of its news is just following on from the agenda set by the newspapers relating to the day's before news.

Having superannuated "celebs" waffling on about how vital it is they continue producing guff paid for by a modern poll tax is pretty unconvincing.

And if the BBC is some shinning light of anyone's idea of "Socialist" principles they need to start wondering why their principles have become as irrelevant as the BBC.

 

[weltweit]

.. Having superannuated "celebs" waffling on about how vital it is they continue producing guff paid for by a modern poll tax is pretty unconvincing. ..

That is the bit that sticks in my craw most, the luvvies on the gravy train .. why should I care about them?