My open letter regarding the BBC
 

I am writing to you regarding the BBC.

I wish to suggest that the BBC is simply privatised (get rid of it).

This may sound extreme, but in truth is not.

The BBC is a dead format (or at least dying quick).

The licence fee must be got rid of. It is now just a joke that in a world where you have several hundred stations on Sky (and so on) as well as the thousands of stations you can access on-line, not to mention that such as youtube and other sites supply TV shows, that a single business gets a sex tax fee over over £130 each year per household. Its disgusting.

People simply to not watch the BBC. If it closed today only a few would care.

Clearly even the management find the money excessive as we find that the £36 million failed show ?The Voice? has been re-purchased for two more years. Clearly money to burn.

I have often asked people what they watch on the BBC, and they are themselves often surprised when at the end of the week, they look at what they have watched and in many cases its 0 hours. When they do watch it, its often for the odd film. So how on earth can one request any money from people.

I am also surprised how much advertising goes on. Clearly the talk shows on BBC are simply these days just to promote a film, book, or some other product. Not to mention the HUGE promotion of the national lottery (great, lets encourage people to gamble). This is not to mention shows such as the huge promo show for Andrew Lloyd Webber ? I?d Do Anything?, this was just weeks of an advert for his westend show.

Many of the shows the BBC make are clearly aimed towards selling to the USA. Yet paid for by the UK public.

The BBC should be treat like any other business. At the moment its no different to me giving £100 each year to shop ?A? even if I only shop at shop ?B?.

The justification of the BBC licence fee I believe was that it was meant to create high quality TV shows in a time when there were really only 3 to 4 UK TV stations. There was some logic to this. However this time has long gone. Rather than leading, the BBC is simply trying to compete (with such as the voice). It over pays for its stars (which in turn has created a false market and so other stations have to pay more or cannot compete).

Its also has BBC1, which has been repeated much better by most other stations. For some reason it fills up have the airways with its dismal local radio, as if its even needed.

The only station/service worth keeping is BBC4 (and BBC4 extra), as its the only thing that other stations appear as yet not to be able to reproduce. These two stations are worth keeping, and one would suspect the cost to run them would be so low that these could be paid for via tax.

The rest of the BBC should simply be sold. Allow others to run it. Let them put adverts on it or whatever they wish. One would think with all the back catalogue of TV shows it would be would billions.

While this may sound extreme. Think even 10 years down the line, how many people will have a TV to watch TV on? Most will be on a phone, or tablet. TV stations themselves may not exist as its going to be more cost effective to simply upload your shows to the net for a time when people can simply download and watch when they want. However oddly one would suspect that the radio will increase in use, as after all most cars have a radio now, and most phones have a radio or can simply stream stations live from the net.

And should you still belive the BBC is still worth keeping, may I suggest you tell me a day when it has something worth watching on. As I write this (Sunday 30th March) I note that BBC1 is just a few sports shows, and some some old tat that's been going on years (Antiques Roadshow), not only not worth watching, but you can find even better versions on even the worst cable TV stations. The rest of the week seems no better.

I was a little worried when i was reading the title... if you had written a letter regarding Big Black Cock.. :1orglaugh

I hope you ran it through a spell checker before you sent it to them

you spotted it too then :1orglaugh

Alrighty then ...

Your main argument is that you want the BBC destroyed because there is nothing which you personally watch on it.

That's seriously weak sauce.

I suppose you want the NHS abolished because you've never personally needed a blood transfusion.

I know, I thought he was writing a review :1orglaugh

Not just me. Most people do not watch it. If anyone does (in the UK) name me 5 shows from BBC1 that you think are great?

Did I say destroy or close the BBC down? No. I said privatise it. Let it run like any other TV station. If it does crash (ie not enough people watch it, so it makes too little from adverts) then such is life. Why should the BBC have an advantage other TV stations do not?

Er, Top Gear, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Ripper Street, Eastenders, The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing, etc.

I don't watch most of these shows, but you're kind of a numpty if you are going to tell me that these aren't the highest rated shows in the UK.

I also noticed you are fixated on BBC1. You may not realise this, but the BBC has many television and radio channels, and news journalism besides the popularist crap you refer to.

Out of the top 100 shows in 2013 the BBC showed 58 of them and ITV showed 42.

These are the two biggest broadcasters in the UK.

Other stations like Dave, Living, XXXHot, Comedy Central etc. Don't even come close.

Get rid of the BBC and you will lose a shit load of quality shows.

If you can't afford £12 a month to watch ad free TV I feel sorry for you.

OIH! Get your own material :) :) :)


:thumbsup

They'll fight tooth and nail to keep the licence fee.

Would require a whole culture change within the BBC, if they got rid of it.

Yes, the BBC is like a state within a state.

And the culture change would need to be within the UK as a whole, as the BBC is firmly embedded into the political culture.

I'd happily pay the licence free just to keep it advert free but what I object to with the Beeb is their right-on tick every box attitude that leaves us with complete tripe like Citizen Khan.

Citizen Khan is brilliant.

I can afford it.

I could afford to pay £40pm to Sky should I want to. As I do not want to watch Sky I do not pay for it. That is my right. Its democracy or a product/service.

If you do not drive, you do not pay the road tax. You may as well say that none drivers should also pay a road fund tax too.

Again, did I say get rid of the BBC? No.

I stated it should be private. Is that a problem? Do you not understand that outside the UK they have adverts on there BBC stations? Do you not understand that they sell TV shows to other stations.

By the way, even if the BBC was to go, do people not understand that MOST BBC shows are not made by the BBC but production firms, who also make shows for other stations.

Let me give you an example. Cosgrove Hall Films made Andy Pandy for the BBC and also Chorlton and the Wheelies for ITV. Thats how BBC operates, they buy shows. Some they make, but the bulk they buy. Top Gear is only just been sold (not fully) to the BBC [LINK].

Again, who said to scrap the BBC? Not me.

In 2012/13 the BBC got £3,656million

http://www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/20...cence_fee.html

This is an insane amout of money.

And yet we have people living on the streets all over the UK.

But do you think you get value for money? £3,656million

You do know most of Dave is BBC shows? So if you say Dave sucks, then you must be saying the BBC sucks.

However, what is your point?

Do you think they will stop making these shows if you privatise the BBC?

Lets face it, if I gave you £3,656million, a year, I am sure you could put out a tv station with a few decent shows on it.

Mabe then we should not just pay a licence fee to the BBC but also ITV, ch5, ch5 and sky too. After all logicaly the same arguments should apply to all of them?

Personally, i never ever watch anything on the BBC. Not as a protest, but there's never a single thing on it which interests me.

Since it went digital a few years ago, you should have a "opt out" option where they simply block the channels and you don't pay. Exactly the same as your Sky channels...

But your missing some great shows tonight, such as 'The Michael McIntyre Chat Show' and on BBC2 'The Voice: Louder on Two'.

I am being sarcastic by the way. Its really bad.

I had a look at BBC1 and BBC2 tonight and its bad. A lot of it is also repeats.

So where has the millions gone to?

£3,656 million works out about £10 million each night.

You could produce a holywood film each day on the budjet the bbc has.

I do not understand how anyone can defend this licence fee tax. Lets put it up to £1000 a year. Or £5000.

By the way, if you got rid of the licence fee, logicaly the quality would improve as they (the bbc) would have to get ratings. Today the bbc has no incentive to get customers. So no wonder they put out such junk. I would do the same too. If I was given millions I too would use the cash how i liked and made sure i was paid well and so were my mates. Its a great life if your on the bbc wage.

Do you pay for my car bills?

You do not use it, but under your logic I presume you would agree to part pay for it.

As I said, I am not against the bbc. Only that like any product or service that is a luxery I do not belive I or anyone should have to pay for it unless they wish to.

We live in a free country.

I should be able to choose what products or services I buy and use.

Thats how you get quality.

At the moment the BBC does not produce quality as it has no market forces on them.

Under your logic ITV and ch4 would only produce junk, yet they produce TV people want to watch.

it's taken a fucking long time to happen, but divvy is right

I didn't say ER, I said er.

What's your point listing a bunch of production companies? The BBC commissioned the shows.

You might not be aware of this, but Channel 4 benefits from the licence fee too.

So you agree, even if the bbc went these shows would be bought by other stations.

And I do not care if ch4 benefits or not.

quality happens via consumer choice.

lets take state run British Leyland. Now take its best car, the mini. It was the same model for 30 plus years (most firms upgrade/improve every 4 years), it also cost at the time when I was about 18 £11k. While at the same time the Nissan Micra (also built in the UK) was £6k (I think).

This is like the bbc, its expensive, its out of date.

Its not that the Mini was a bad car (even though it in fact lost money on each car it made in the early days). It simply had no reason to improve. Its not a great example, as we were not all forced to buy a mini from British Leyland regardless i we wanted to or not. The point being that if Mini/British Leyland had not been state run, we (UK) would probably still have a car business and Mini would be british.

Competition pushes up quality.

The bbc has no competition. It has no reason to even care. all it need to do is fill time. And the result is what you would expect, hours of drivel. Of course it may produce the odd decent show, but wow. It has a budget of £3,656 million, so it should be abel to produce somthing decent now and again.

But the bbc also stops quality. when the bbc pays millions for stars, other stations cannot afford them. it means the bbc gets the cream of the crop.

But again, I am not saying get rid of the bbc. i am simply saying that i do not wish to pay for it. clearly you do, and thats great. i am not stopping you. you should be abel to pay for the bbc directly (licence tax) or indirectly (adverts).

Lets face it, if your outside the uk, you get bbc shows (and even stations) and they have adverts on.

so do not panick, no one is saying get rid of the bbc, just let people opt to pay or not.

No, the BBC commissioned the shows. Learn how the commissioning process works, then come back to us.

Your grammar sucks.

yes

they did not make the shows. thats the point. do you not get that.

or do you think the bbc are the only ones who can commission shows?

Look years ago the bbc was great. if they made a kids tv show often it was by some creative goof ball who would make some zany show. today they seem more interested in what that show can make in muchandise.

there was a time what from 4pm till almost midnight it was full of shows you would watch. from th odd ball kids tv up till 6, then the news till 7, then all sorts of wonders till late. and they did it with far less cash.

the talk shows had realy interesting guests. not just some twit follging his latest film or music song.

and then on a sat. wow. i would jump out of bed to see the sat morning tv. then sat evening was the prime spot.

but now. what is on. its just a lot of junk, most repeats, and most clones from other stations. all the bbc does now is variations of itv shows.

I even wonder if there are deals going on. such as masterchief with John Torode and Gregg Wallace. are you joking. 1 hour prime to to this rubbish. in fact it was a while ago on have i got news for you (Hat Trick Productions), they presented it, and Paul Merton said 'who are you' to them. And he did not do it in jest.

when you have around £10 million a day, then you expect much better than this. its insulting to junk they put on.

ok, lets make it simple, name 5 shows over the next 7 days you think are of quality. do not include repeats. idealy stick to bbc1 and bbc2 as these are the prime stations. idealy you should be abel to name 7, as in one show per day, though in truth one should be abel to give 3 per day to justify the high charge. but i will make it easy, just name 5 shows over the next 7 days.

Now there's a whole channel full of creative goofballs. It's called Cbeebies. And the best thing about it is that it's commercial free. My children aren't relentlessly bombarded with adverts for crap toys and food.

Sorry buddy, your argument's all over the place. When you criticise something, it helps to know something about the subject of your criticism.

wait wait wait. "sex tax"? WTF?

id rather shut you down than the bbc.

Irony extreme from the guy that lives off BBC news posts, as the UK government decides what the fee is going to be anyway AND 100% of people will either watch, listen or surf the BBC, the license should simply be abolished and the BBC funded from general taxation. Simples, there's so much fucking pretentious BS from self serving LEFTIES like Nick Ross. Everything the Beeb does can still be done but without all the ridiculous and expensive twattage like detector vans and all the legal waste of chasing people for non payment. It would also be a progressive method of funding the beeb. But if there's one country that really doesn't understand media, that has a poll tax on watching TV, that tries to regulate and censor the internet, that is allowing an unelected EU imposed bureaucrat called Pete Johnson to control how hard working families spend their money, it's the UK.
It would also be a huge political boost for any party that did abolish the license. But Nigel Farage is right, the London elite political and media classes have too much to lose, so they won't do it.

Surly, surly..