The disgraceful BBC

[Pontius Navigator]

Brilliant interview, brain like a planet. The set was clearly contrived and of course we don't know how long the actual programme took to video, but what a change. Question and answer rather than question answeinterjectansinterj. And if it was picked up and rebroadcast by MSM we could be sure some wizkid leftie editor would chop it about.

Yes, it's an hour long but you wouldn't be a waste of your time to watch it.

[barkingmad]

Jeff Taylor’s latest YouTube “Debate on BBC future starts today!” Is a very fair comment on what’s facing ‘Auntie’ in the near future.
And whilst I wouldn’t like to end up like the USA where you have to search hard for solid content in between hours of advert breaks I think it’s bad that not only have they not recognised the threat from other meeja they’ve also permitted their elite and aloof leftie sympathising managers to permit their content to display such obvious bias. Don’t blame the diminishing numbers of reluctant licence payers for your ultimate demise, Auntie!

[AtomKraft]

There's no way the BBC license fee would be subject to criminal enforcement in this day and age. Such legislation could never be introduced today.

The fact that it remains so is a hangover from the past and is indefensible.

That people languish in British jails for non-payment of it is a fcuking disgrace, and something citizens of no other country can understand.

It badly needs to be decriminalised.

[ian16th]

There's no way the BBC license fee would be subject to criminal enforcement in this day and age. Such legislation could never be introduced today.

The fact that it remains so is a hangover from the past and is indefensible.

That people languish in British jails for non-payment of it is a fcuking disgrace, and something citizens of no other country can understand.

It badly needs to be decriminalised.

ZA has a similar copycat law.

[AtomKraft]

Sure Ian, and your point is?

[barkingmad]

Try as hard as I can with searches I am unable to discover when TV licence evasion in the UK was made a criminal matter for the FIRST time.

Sect 363 of the Communications Act 2003 makes frequent mention of the criminal nature of the offence. And it’s no surprise that the Labour Government were in power then, so was it their policy to ensure that “Auntie” would remain fully funded so’s their left-wing managers could continue to spread the gospel according to Blair & Broon?

Such a caring socialist measure has resulted in 70% of those convicted being women, most of them single mums trying hard to raise kids, put food on the table etc.

The fact that enforcement was moved from the Home Office to the private firm Crapita helped to make this activity even more unpleasant for the unfortunates, not all of whom were deliberate offenders.

Back in 2015 it was acknowledged that reducing the severity of sanctions against evaders would result in an increase in evasion and reduction in revenue, so the latest hype is really old news.

Anyone suffering insomnia is welcome to read that govt blurb and I wish you all a pleasant sleep;

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... t-L-PB.pdf

[Boac]

I, for one, reckon we should have some sort of 'Public' advert-free channel, but how it should be funded...............?

[Pontius Navigator]

Sky has some free to air content for all viewers with subscription services for additional content. ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 4 have an advertising revenue stream. Netflix and and Amazon have a pure subscription model with a minimum combined cost almost identical to the BBC licence.

Why does the BBC not make BBC1 a free to air service with BBC2 and BBC4 as subscription services? Indeed they could provide BBC2 and BBC4 to Netflix or Amazon for a fee. Britbox is a subscription service by both BBC and ITV, a cheek as we have already paid for the BBC content.

BOAC, just to reply to your post after my post above. The BBC 1 channel could be subsidised through the other channel subscription as Sky do.

[Boac]

"Why does the BBC not make BBC1 a free to air service with BBC2 and BBC4 as subscription services? " - floats my boat (as they say in Male ).

[ian16th]

Sure Ian, and your point is?

One presumes that they understand it.

It is also an offence for a retailer to sell a TV to anyone without a licence.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ian, in UK you might remember the retailer needed your name and address for just that reason. Now it is unlikely that you will buy a TV without giving your name and address however, unless they get your permission to tell the licencing authority,they would breach the GDPR.

[ian16th]

Ian, in UK you might remember the retailer needed your name and address for just that reason. Now it is unlikely that you will buy a TV without giving your name and address however, unless they get your permission to tell the licencing authority,they would breach the GDPR.

Sorry, its so long since I bought a TV in the UK I can't remember the details.

I do remember it was the last Phillips model to use G8 chassis, it came with a piezoelectric remote control, that simply stepped through the 6 channels. Very advanced for the day.

[Pontius Navigator]

We watched part of an environmental drama the other day.It concerned birds dying from plastic pollution in the sea, and fish washed up on the beach. Really frightening for children watching, if teens still watch TV.

I remember when Dr Who was real fiction.

[Boac]

I just wish they would stop the plinky-plonky music that appears to be needed with everything including news bulletins, any time a luvvie steps outside the studio, whenever someone with a sad tale is interviewed etc etc.

Presumably licence payers have to pay royalities for this as well.

[llondel]

Ian, in UK you might remember the retailer needed your name and address for just that reason. Now it is unlikely that you will buy a TV without giving your name and address however, unless they get your permission to tell the licencing authority,they would breach the GDPR.

Apparently Tony Blair bought an enormous number of TVs while he was PM. The shop is obliged to ask you for a name and address but they are under no obligation to verify the accuracy of the information.

[G-CPTN]

How does one obtain a TV licence?
The Post Office don't seem to have forms, and the online application seems to assume that one has watched TV - "When did you stop beating your wife?" syndrome . . .

[Pontius Navigator]

G CPTN, the way they threaten remind you that you need to pay covers everyone as everyone is assumed to have a TV. No reminder and you don't exist.

We left our last house about a month before my licence expired. I let it lapse. Within a week the post office forwarded a number of increasing cataclysmic reminders. I knew the buyers weren't due to move in and simply binned them. Eventually they threatened to send the boys around. Helpfully they said I could tell them but why, I was breaking no law.

Then they started to send 'occupier' letters to our new address. It is a new house that had no aerial and our TV was not in use. Binned those too.

I really enjoyed that. Probably only their computer knew that I was ignoring it.

[Ibbie]

PN I bought a TV for my aunt in Staleyvegas some 15 years ago and gave my Spanish name and address.

They wrote to me in Spain telling me I needed a UK TV License. Furking Ejits! So it was not a total waste, it was shredded and recycled.

Also in the last 24 hours further annoyance has been caused by the BBC's inability to find suitably qualified and unbiased commen tators for televised rugby internationals.

Then this morning.....with the Corona virus being spread far and wide, why despatch a reporter and camera crew to Brize Norton, to record the arrival, through the fence, of the latest evacuation flight from Wohan? Totally pointless waist of resources and irresponsible. I trust the camera crew and reporter, along with the news editor responsible, are also placed in quarentine in Milton Keynes, instead of sending another crew and reporter to MK to possibly get infected, so they can give on the spot updates for news broadcasts.

[Pontius Navigator]

Bring back MacDonald Hobbley, after 7pm, attired in black tie, he would read the news, rarely any pictures, no jokes, no throwaway.

[Capetonian]

Bring back presenters such as Robert Dougall and Richard Baker, scholarly looking gentlemen who spoke the Queen's English. There were of course others of the same calibre but those are the two whom I associate with my childhood. We were not allowed to watch ITV as it was 'for common people and notherners', in my mother's view.