Alternative to the BBC

Former Member

Ok, we all know its never going to happen but does anyone else agree with me that TV buyers should be given the choice weather to buy a license or not? :chin:
I would much rather have a TV without being able to view the BBC channels if it meant not having to pay the licence fee - which if my information is correct, goes directly to the BBC hence the reason they dont need to show adverts

Former Member

Ok, we all know its never going to happen but does anyone else agree with me that TV buyers should be given the choice weather to buy a license or not :chin:

Darn right I do. Oh, and you have more of a choice in it than most people think -

http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

And if you want it removed you'd best get started on it soon because the next thing they will have a tax/licence for is the computer you are sat at right now.

Former Member

interesting link - have added to favourites!
Even if the BBC were to start showing adverts, i doubt they would receive many complaints if it meant abolishing the license fee (well, tax)

Former Member

americans find it very funny indeed,that it is possible to go to jail for watching the t.v. without a licence. ive always thought it to be rediculous being forced to pay this wether you watch bbc or not.its a stuffy outdated institution that needs to stand on its own two feet imo.

Former Member

icey wrote:

interesting link - have added to favourites!
Even if the BBC were to start showing adverts, i doubt they would receive many complaints if it meant abolishing the license fee (well, tax)

Only if the BBC had to scrap the licence and operate like any other channel it would immediately become just another low brow, low quality operator.

Make no mistake: the BBC is the very best TV broadcaster in the world. It pisses over every other TV channel on earth, bar none. *Kermit insert cue on Britain's Worst Toilet programme here*

The TV licence is unfair and unorthodox. But when you think the benefits it produces it seems like damn good value for money to me.

Without the licence the BBC would become at best another channel 4, and at worst another ITV, or- god forbid- the world's worst television channel, Sky 1.

And speaking of Sky, a full subscription costs around £460 per year. And they still inundate you with ads, and shower you with the lowest possible quality of programmes. Compare that with the BBC...

Former Member

Do you work for the BBC or something?
As for sky charging for a subcription - sure, they charge, but i dont have a problem with that because people have a choice whether to buy from sky or not same as any company. The BBC doesnt give viewers any choice its either buy a license, dont own a TV or risk getting a fine/arrested!

Former Member

Do you realise you pay for every other TV channel in Britain as well, every time you buy a product?

At least with the BBC it's only those who watch TV who finance it.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote:

Only if the BBC had to scrap the licence and operate like any other channel it would immediately become just another low brow, low quality operator.

Make no mistake: the BBC is the very best TV broadcaster in the world. It pisses over every other TV channel on earth, bar none. *Kermit insert cue on Britain's Worst Toilet programme here*

The TV licence is unfair and unorthodox. But when you think the benefits it produces it seems like damn good value for money to me.

Without the licence the BBC would become at best another channel 4, and at worst another ITV, or- god forbid- the world's worst television channel, Sky 1.

And speaking of Sky, a full subscription costs around £460 per year. And they still inundate you with ads, and shower you with the lowest possible quality of programmes. Compare that with the BBC...

tis true.

Former Member

I concur. We are very lucky to have the BBC.

Former Member

Aladdin wrote:

And speaking of Sky, a full subscription costs around £460 per year. And they still inundate you with ads, and shower you with the lowest possible quality of programmes. Compare that with the BBC...

Isnt it strange how they show all the latest programmes and films while you have to wait years (yes years) for them to be shown on terrestrial. But yay for wank alternatives

The TV licence is unfair and unorthodox. But when you think the benefits it produces it seems like damn good value for money to me.

Benefits you enjoy that are extorted out of other people. Nice

Former Member

Aladdin wrote:

Do you realise you pay for every other TV channel in Britain as well, every time you buy a product?

At least with the BBC it's only those who watch TV who finance it.

But the point im trying to make is that the BBC charges a tax, even if you choose not to watch any of their channels. its not as if you can just buy a sky package and not pay for a tv licence.
Sure buying the products advertised on other stations is funding the companies to make more adverts but as consumers, people will buy products anyway regardless of it is being advertised on tv or not - As a consumer myself this is my choice to buy these products! these products are not forced onto me and i can easily choose not to pay for them if i so wish.
The BBC has taken away people right of choice. As mentioned before, it is either pay for a tv license, or dont get access to itv, channel 4, any of skys channels, any ntl channels etc..
I just see how it can possibly be fair that i should pay 130 odd quid for a few channels that i dont even watch!

Former Member

But then you could say that why should you pay tax for roads if you never travel, or birth drugs if you never have a child. Some people have to be left to moan for the benefit of everyone else.

Teh_Gerbil

morrocan roll wrote:

tis true.

It is indeed.

People can bitch about paying for it, but then think about how much you watch it.
What has the best programs? BBC. What has the best News Channel? BBC. Who does Britains best Radio? BBC.

Former Member

Slightly off topic, but here is a breakdown of how your Licence fee is used by the BBC.

How your licence is spent

Former Member

BBC One £3.60
BBC Two £1.47
Digital television channels £1.02
BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 4 and Five Live £1.01
Transmission and collection costs £1.00
Nations & English Regions television £0.89
Local and nations radio £0.64
bbc.co.uk £0.35
Digital radio stations £0.10

Straight off they can get rid of digital TV and local radio.

BBC should just stick to the core and cut the rest.

Teh_Gerbil

NQA wrote:

Straight off they can get rid of digital TV and local radio.

BBC should just stick to the core and cut the rest.

As eventually all TV is gonig to be digital only, that'd be daft.

Former Member

Teh_Gerbil wrote:

As eventually all TV is gonig to be digital only, that'd be daft.

Why? When we go digital they'll still have Beeb 1 and 2 - they don't need to have 312 other channels as well.

Former Member

icey wrote:

As a consumer myself this is my choice to buy these products! i can easily choose not to pay for them if i so wish.

Easily? what breakfast cerial should I eat? What bread? Whose ketchup? That I don't end up subsidising your satellite television that I don't even have the equipment to receive?

Teh_Gerbil

NQA wrote:

Why? When we go digital they'll still have Beeb 1 and 2 - they don't need to have 312 other channels as well.

I want news 24 ;( And see, its the choice of people watching - if they rating are high on BBC 3,4,5 whatever they have (I still can't get Digital. Damn it.) then obviously people want them, and watch them. If they aren't.... then scrap it.

Long as they keep Working Lunch. That fucking rocks.

Former Member

itv manages to offer top quality programs as an independent.......i may be slightly bias,as i just hate the toffee nosed twatishness of it all!

Former Member

How your licence is spent

Look guys, 35p of our TV licence money gets spent on the links you get to collectively roll eyes and foam at the mouth over! Top value for money or what!!!

Former Member

well, no, because the BBC is a government provided service

Former Member

Replicant wrote:

well, no, because the BBC is a government provided service

at last! the nail is hit on the head!

Former Member

DEANO MAC wrote:

at last! the nail is hit on the head!

Or soundly missed. The BBC is not government provided, which is why it is funded by the license fee, and not taxation

Former Member

I'd much rather have a media channel that is independent of the need to rely on advertising revenue. This makes it a lot more able to experiment and produce challenging and new programmes without having to worry about the bottom line.

Former Member

minimi38 wrote:

Isnt it strange how they show all the latest programmes and films while you have to wait years (yes years) for them to be shown on terrestrial. But yay for wank alternatives

What programmes would those be? Endless repeats of the Simpsons (a quick calculation appears to show any given episode of the Simpsons has been showed around 40 times on Sky)? Dream Team? The Villa? Reps in Ibiza?


And as for movies, there are about 3-4 decent premieres a month on the not-very-cheap Sky Movies channels. The other 26 days of the month nothing but utter cack is shown. You're much better off going to the video shop or getting a service such as Homechoice where you have thousands of movies on demand. And of course, your money would not go to line the pockets of Rupert Murdoch.

Benefits you enjoy that are extorted out of other people. Nice

Nobody is forcing them to watch TV is there?

Former Member

Aladdin wrote:

or getting a service such as Homechoice where you have thousands of movies on demand. And of course, your money would not go to line the pockets of Rupert Murdoch.

Home Choice is owned by Murdoch.

Former Member

DEANO MAC wrote:

americans find it very funny indeed,that it is possible to go to jail for watching the t.v. without a licence.

But that's Americans for ya, it's all about the television!

I always find that if any of my American flatmates is about to start a fight with me I turn on the TV and it distracts them for long enough so that I can do a runner.


Before the PC brigade come and lynch me, note that I'm kidding and love my flatmates really!

Former Member

-[MoonRat]- wrote:

But that's Americans for ya, it's all about the television!

All the Americans I know bemoan the amount of tripe they have on TV there, granted you get a few good show's but most of them are on expensive cable channels like HBO.

Former Member

Big Gay wrote:

Or soundly missed. The BBC is not government provided, which is why it is funded by the license fee, and not taxation

do'h.
isn't it state owned though...?

Former Member

Replicant wrote:

do'h.
isn't it state owned though...?

Not really, its a QANGO.