TV Licence

DonnyDave

davidlizard wrote: »

With the switchover to digital, the BBC will no longer control nearly half of the TV channels received by most people, but will provide around 10% of the available channels. This will consequently result in their market share reducing and viewing figures falling as there is more alternatives - albeit mostly drivel.

Sorry David, but I think you've put it nicely why we love the BBC. The sole objective of those other channels you refer to is to make money for their shareholders. That is why the output turns into "drivel"; because they are focused on maximising profits.

bitemebankers wrote: »

Of course they are: the BBC is staggeringly good value for money and they don't like the competition.. I cannot understand why anyone posting on MSE would criticise the licence fee: It's the cheapest advert-free content you can buy.

Indeed. £12 per month with no limit on the amount you can watch, no advertisements and no limit on the number of televisions and video recorders you can use!

will-in-estoril

davidlizard wrote: »

But laws can always be changed....
Also broadcasters are getting more vocal about the funding of the BBC.

Of course laws can be changed. That's the nature of a democratic society. However, and it's a huge however, there is no great appetite for any change, with the exception of one or two right wing think tanks, the Daily Mail and Murdoch!

The BBC Charter is not up for renewal until 2016; in other words the matter is settled for the medium term, at the very least. Labour and tories will maintain the status quo.

Murdoch has always been vocal about the licence fee. Yet, in the UK (and Italy and Germany) his organisation has extraordinary monopolies on digital satellite broadcasting. Think about it: all encryption in the UK has to be done through $ky. (The BBC broke free in 2003, thankfully.) No 'proper' satellite receivers can be used with the NDS system (except Dragon cam etc), meaning that we are saddled with $ky receivers with a $ky EPG, $ky-issued viewing cards for other pay tv broadcasters and a $ky-dominated wholesale market. Look at Virgin's complaint regarding access charges for $ky Sports.

The BBC is not the enemy in this debate. Its income, in terms of the licence fee, is transparent. The same cannot be said of $ky.

Inactive

Spot on.:T

solodanceparty

I don't watch live tv, I cancelled my tv licence. I think the BBC is rubbish anyway. I'd rather put up with ads and get good programmes than the junk BBC spits out. Anyway. I got a letter telling me someone might come around, they did I told them they can't come in and they left. No arguments, he was quite nice. Nobody has bothered me since.,

will-in-estoril

solodanceparty wrote: »

I think the BBC is rubbish anyway.

Thanks for such a positive contribution to this debate.