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This is what the BBC needs to do...
FIFA1966
Posts: 1,101 Forum Member
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It needs to scrap the licence fee and turn itself into what Sky is and that is a telecommunications company.
Think about it.
It would mean that if you don't want to watch it, you don't have to pay.
If Sky can survive with subscriptions and adverts, why can't the BBC?
You don't need to put the adverts on the BBC channels, just on the other non-BBC channels.
A question:
How much does Sky and BBC make in a year?
Think about it.
It would mean that if you don't want to watch it, you don't have to pay.
If Sky can survive with subscriptions and adverts, why can't the BBC?
You don't need to put the adverts on the BBC channels, just on the other non-BBC channels.
A question:
How much does Sky and BBC make in a year?
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Comments
No, no, no, no, no.
Read all the threads about the licence fee and why it is vital and essential not only for the BBC, but for the creative sector more broadly, the rest of the commercial sector, our democracy and our broader national life.
Privatization is NEVER the answer. Private means a race to the bottom. Private means a poorer 'service' at a much, much higher cost.
Oh god no!!
It is clear you haven't thought about it.
It is interesting you have FIFA as part of your 'handle' an organisation that is deemed by many to be one the most corrupt organisations in the world.
In answer to your question the BBC, for which a licence fee is paid, is a non profit making organisation and therefore does not 'make' money. The money comes and goes out primarily on providing programmes. They have also have duties decided by the government such as providing the World Service, rolling out digital TV, broadband etc.
I don't have to think about your idea to realise how naïve it is.
Firstly where is all this advertising supposed to be springing from?
Have you not noticed the reduction in overall advertising on ITV because advertising is spread more thinly across a multitude of channels, including existing subscription channels. The situation is so bad ITV's schedules are probably the worst they've had in all its existence, it can't afford local news, regular documentaries or current affairs programmes, apart from Birds of Feather has any money into comedy?
If a despot Prime Minister were to adopt your idea it would probably mean ITV would be forced to fill it schedules with endless rehashed & reworked versions of 'You've Been Framed'. The market has got so bad ITV is moving away from depending on commercials for its main income.
Don't be surprised if you the viewer has to start paying for ITV material, I believe C5 already charges people who want to watch that channel in HD.
You ask why can't the BBC be like Sky.....what get rid of all it's local radio stations, scarp regional TV programmes and news, be like Sky 1 and show cartoons for something like 4 hours a day into peak viewing time?
In the past week only BBC 1 has produced the following dramas Banished, Call The Midwife, The Musketeers, Holby City & The Casual Vacancy.
Prior to last week there was Death in Paradise, Silent Witness & Last Tango In Halifax in the coming week there's the revival of Poldark.
What equivalent programmes have there been on Sky's main entertainment channel Sky 1, there is 'Fortitude' on Sky Atlantic, apart from this high profile drama does Sky have anything else that equates to what the BBC is providing?
Sky customers are paying £258 a year for but are they seeing their £21.50 a month on screen in the form of entertainment or is a large chunk of the 'entertainment' subscription going to fund the multi billion pounds Sky spends on football?
Analysis shows that subscribers to television spend 70% of their viewing watching channels that are not part of their package and the ratings for BBC1 & 2 confirm that to be the case.
Finally, if you turn the BBC into a commercial company then they will have to spend large sums on advertising, operating a call centre that makes it almost impossible to cancel, will take an additional month's DDR on cancellation, pay hundreds of millions of pounds in dividends to its shareholders, and will pay it's top executive £6-£8m a year rather than a meagre few hundred thousand.
PS: No doubt they will set up an offshore company with admin offices in Dublin and the executives will live in the USA, subscribers will pay their fees into a bank located in Switzerland.
So why a new thread on your idea when there are numerous running at that same time? It's it to highlight your opinion over others who actually post on the current threads?
Sky is a different model and could only gave been formed as the BBC was there in the first place, if the BBC had taken ads when Sky would gave started there would have been a price war, an advert war, and supply of ads outstrip demand prices and income plummet and a different broadcasting place than today.
Sky has just paid 83% more for football rates its subscribers are going to pay a hefty increase on subscriptions very soon.
The LF if you had read the other threads running you would know keeps costs cheap just 40p per household per day, or for a family then 10p a day for the average 2A2C. Pensioners and people can afford it who are on low incomes, everyone paying means we all get a world recognised broadcasting service that only a few in the UK do not like but reach is in the high 80's %, do most of the public use it and respect it.
So let's say the BBC takes Adverts next month.
(1) Companies advertising budgets neutral no increase no decrease.
(2) Increase in advert slots so supply outstrips demand.
(3) Price battle between ITV and BBC for adverts and prices fall.
(4) Income falls for the main channels.
(5) ITV asks to be allowed to remove its PBS commitments.
(6) Ch4 or CH5 or both loose income, and are taken over by a USA broadcaster.
(7) Sky / BT get less Advert income increase their subscriptions.
(8) People cancel subscriptions as they cannot afford it.
(9) BBC radio looses star names as they can't afford it loose listeners, go commercial, - many who love advert free radio loose out.
(10) people like Murdoch provide news BBC news looses funding we are under the control of the Murdoch press and its connections to one government party only.
Summary we go thorough a massive change loose a world class broadcasting service the envy of the world, loose independent quality news, pensioners and low incomes loose put, subscriptions increase, quality falls like USA, foreign ownership of our TV More ads, less PSB commitments, more reality shows, and more government control.
So be very very careful what you wish for....do research first read other threads, as what you wish for will ruin our broadcasting, yes a few will be alright Jack, But the majority suffer because the few can pay ££££ for Sky.
Agree why with so many threads has one persons opinion got to be on a new thread to highlight their own views rather than post on the existing threads and join the informed debates there.
I think there used to be a website forum where certain DS contributors would make abusive remarks about other DS contributors who's opinion differed and it was a site where they organised their next campaign on Digital Spy.
Doesn't look organised or planned to me and a lack of research from not reading the existing threads and debates on this subject.
I'm not even going to try and follow that, this is an excellent post. Don't agree with the OP's view at all. People need to understand by killing the BBC or by making it advertising or subscription only it will change Broadcasting as a whole for the worse.
It has to be pointed out that the private sector is free to launch a subscription service, and in fact many have done that.
We don't need the BBC to be a subscription service as well, what would be the point? The point of the BBC is to be a public service. You don't get that with subscription!
If the country does not wish there to be a public service broadcaster then fair enough, but you would then close down the BBC.
I wouldn't suggest that at all. MPs take enough advice from people who don't research enough.
The BBC should remain true to its traditions.
Or it meams he had a few last night when he posted this and is currently in bed sleeping it off...
An outstanding post...well argued and well presented. I agree with every word. I wish I could be as succinct as you.
To add a little...many indie companies (which is set to increase due to plans explained by Lord Hall the other day) rely on work from the BBC. If the licence fee were ever to go, so would the indie companies, their jobs and all their creativity too.
The answer - they would have to go without.
And this is your great new vision for the future?
I agree with you. It is wrong that people can listen to BBC Radio, use the BBC website plus the BBC iPlayer catch-up service without paying a penny.
Thank you.
No it's more likely to be the same ignorant complainants, it may have escaped your notice there are already over 25m licence holders.
With the vast majority of households having 2 or more people and England & Wales only having 7.1m people living alone, I'll leave you to work it out.