Diesel

Maybe it is actually time to de-regulate the compulsory subscription to the BBC - even if you watch only Men & Motors, like me But does anyone think that Labour will get its own back on the BBC for the recent WMD debacle, and the death of that poor scientist?

Odds on the licence fee will go - I only hope Labour goes down with it...

D

barge

mmm men & motors after 11pm

andrew6321

believe me, the BBC has far more dirt on Blair/Campbell/Hoon, etc than it is letting on.

There's more chance of the BBC stuffing Labour...

pbee

How long is the BBC been around compared to this government ??. The BBC will still be around after this government, How easy life will be for either party during the cross over is anyones guess.

In some ways the media is just as powerful in some instances more so than any government. Who will new labour upset next Murdoch ??

Luke

If the media could talk...the Royals and the Goverment would be finished.They are well gagged.

Inforcer

do you trust ANY politician?
job discription as follows
must be bent as **** a good lier from birth with a silver spoon sticking out of your mouth plus talk like you have a golf ball in there as well, Smile on cue, bull**** 99.9% all of the tme and look after no.1, get fat get sacked and bloodsuck of the state untill you die. Oh must have a minted family so you dnwtf is going on about from the start!

or is it just me!
who thinks like this?

Butkus

I agree. I don't trust any politicians.

scoobynutta555

so people think that if the government wanted to take on the bbc they would lose, even more surprisingly they think the bbc has more dirt on the government than what the government could have on the bbc?

My point of view, why should i pay £105+ for a 'service' which i do not watch/listen to, in fact i rarely watch any tv at all, yet the very fact i have a tv in the room i have to pay a licence for it even if its never 'tuned' to a channel. And even when tuned into bbc i have to watch adverts promoting other bbc programmes. Have you ever watched bbc and not seen an 'advert' of one kind or another?

If a government, not just this one, wanted to take on the bbc and privatise it, or whatever, i dont think there would be a big hoo haa about it. IMHO the corporation is on borrowed time anyway, its an ideal from 60 years ago, and curiously i cant think of another nation that follows the same principle, but that might be me being ignorant

Back to the point, the ball is in government court, thay can choose when/if to tackle the bbc. I seriously doubt the bbc has more 'dirt' than the government esp with resources government has, and considering that not much of the media would be rushing to the bbcs cause and airing said dirt. I think its taken as a given in this day an age of privatisation and deregulation, youd see a very muted response from the rest of the media about their loss of millions upon millions of subsidy.

All IMHO

Katana

You mean theres other channels apart from Men and Motors?

beemerboy

NO, there cant be.....

i havent seen any other channels

Katana

Well there is Bravo channel too.

Diesel

Hmmmm, I know a couple of the BBC on screen political journos certainly have a tale or two up their sleeves... However, and as pointed out here, scrapping the licence fee should be part of the generally existent de-regulation policy here, and so it would be easier for the government to 'get away' with it...

Personally I'm happy to pay the licence fee/BBC subscription as I have never watched a SKY 1 programme in my life - it is absolute crap compared to BBC 1 & 2!

They WILL get their own back for this because it is easy to 'spin' - I would if I was a politician. How DARE the tail wag the dog...

Leslie

Diesel

Why are you blaming the BBC for the death of Dr Kelly and the WMD debacle?

Les

Diesel

Leslie

Notwithstanding the fact that I think the BBC unceremoniously grassed him up, I am not blaming the BBC for his death am I ???? That's NOT what I'm on about here, blame...

D

Pete Croney

Diesel

It was the MoD that admitted it was him to the tabloids, alledgedly on Hoon's say so. The BBC refused to reveal that he was their source, until a statement was made after his death.

Diesel

Even more reason for Labour to twist the knife then Pete...

Pete Croney

I agree mate.

BBC Governors and jornos are already claiming they have received threats and the enquiry hasn't even started yet.

Leslie

Diesel

I asked because that is how your first post read to me. Pete has covered what happened.

I agree with the rest of what you said though!

Les

tiggers

Do you trust politicians?
Do you trust the media?

No and er.. No

So what's the point - let 'em get on with it as we will never know the truth which is probably somewhere between both points of view anyway!!!

As for the TV tax (as that is what the license is) it should have gone long ago - if this happens as a result of the current situation then some good will have come out of it.

Regards,

tiggers.

Brendan Hughes

Much as the Brits like to whine about everything, the BBC is generally considered to be one of the best, if not THE best, most impartial broadcast news agencies in the world.

Would you prefer to get your news from CNN? Sky, controlled by Mr Murdoch? El Presidente Berlusconi?

Although it kicks out some real crap (News 24 has taken a real hammering), I think that's because it can't work out what it's doing in these times of changing media.

Sad day if some flash-in-the-pan politician closes it down because they don't like whistleblowing.

Attempt at credibility - my wife is a broadcast journalist. (Doesn't mean I have a clue what I'm on about though )

Diesel

If it is that good Brendan, then it will survive mighty fine in the real non-compulsory subscription TV world. Especially as it makes a packet out of worldwide sales & co-prods & by competing with me in selling formats like TOTP abroad My company expects no citizen subscription income to help it develop, programme & sell formats...

I would of course subscribe to the BBC were it deregulated. About £80 for 2 decent channels would be fine - forget the high cost per viewer BBC3 & 4 and the myriad local Radio leeches to make it realistic...

D