I take it you work for the BBC Daytime department.
The BBC didn't bother with the old and the sick an the housebound when there were only three channels (two of which were the BBC's) so why worry about them now when they will have, once we've all gone digital, at the very least, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, C4, E4, More4, Film4, C5, 5*, 5USA, plus loads of radio stations.
BBC Daytime has a thousand and one property programmes that all look the same, a thousand and a one ornament programmes that all look the same and a thousand and one consumer affair programmes that all look the same.
When the BBC started its Daytime programming in the mid 80s, it had a much more varied schedule that now. They'd show classic British comedy and classic British drama. They'd have topical debate and a variety roadshow and quizzes and a certain Australian soap opera. The Clothes Show was in there as well (That's the fashion I'm referring to). They even had time for a little bit of religion.
But somewhere along the line they got lazy and filled the schedule with far too many property and ornament programmes. And then they decided they shouldn't be showing American dramas at 2.15 in the afternoon on BBC1. So they replaced them with the occasional token British drama, but mostly with Escape To The frigging Country.
But I'm at work all day. I don't see Daytime TV. So why should it bother me?
It bothers me when I see the BBC facing financial constraints and responding to this by telling every programme they have to cut their budget by 10% or whatever it was.
The BBC receives a licence fee - a guaranteed income. A licence fee that some people want to see scrapped in this multichannel age. This licence fee means the BBC doesn't have to behave like a commercial organisation. They don't have to transmit 24/7 just so they can boast about their audience share.
They've just lauched this project Delivering Quality First. But they have a very broad definition of the word "Quality". Mark Thompson says another licence fee settlement like the last one and they'd have to start cutting services. Well, good. The BBC have their fingers in too many pies. Once upon a time they were happy with 2 TV channels and 4 radio stations all with limited hours of transmission. They should go back to that.
They should prioritise. Slash the number of hours they transmit - how about 6 a day - eliminate the filler (this especially means you "One Show") and concentrate on just a few select genres.
Drama - thought-provoking fare like Edge Of Darkness and Boys From The Blackstuff; populist stuff that gets people buzzing like Call The Midlife. Cut down on the soaps. 13 episodes a year of Eastenders, Casualty, Holby City and Waterloo Road is adequate. And revive the Play For Today type one-offs
Let's have much more effort to find the next generation of high-rated comedy classics - the next generation of Fawlty Towers, Porridge and Dad's Army.
Arts, in-depth Current Affairs, ground-breaking documentaries, Children's TV.
A few light entertainment spectaculars like Strictly and big budget variety shows, like the ones Stanley Baxter used to make.
Cut out the wallpaper. Make every TV programme you make a water-cooler programme. Leave the tripey stuff to commercial TV.
Really mean what you say, BBC. DELIVERING QUALITY FIRST!!!!!!! Quality above quantity. Show some ambition BBC to really justify the licence fee.
