Why the BBC matters

AB22 Easy Tiger

AB22 Easy Tiger

Heaven Branch
Contributor
Good article in Prospect

Slashing the BBC’s budget and threatening its future funding make for good red-meat populist politics, cheered on by newspaper owners who think they stand to gain. But where is the calm, rational debate about the future of public service broadcasting, and why it matters more than ever?

 


junglist31 said:
In what way is the BBC not a waste of money? Unless you sit watching housing or cooking programs during the day or absolute garbage on a weekend, it's awful. I don't listen to their radio stations either before anyone asks.
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I would encourage anyone who has a problem with the BBC to spend some time watching TV in the USA.

Every single frame has some form of advert. You get far less actual television, you're watching adverts half the time. Also the programmes that are commissioned are chock full of product placement. Everything is designed around persuading you to buy something.

Like all good things the BBC will only truly be appreciated when it's gone and you have Fox News lasered into your brain 24hrs a day and we all become commercial zombies like the yanks.
 
mux said:
I would encourage anyone who has a problem with the BBC to spend some time watching TV in the USA.

Every single frame has some form of advert. You get far less actual television, you're watching adverts half the time. Also the programmes that are commissioned are chock full of product placement. Everything is designed around persuading you to buy something.

Like all good things the BBC will only truly be appreciated when it's gone and you have Fox News lasered into your brain 24hrs a day and we all become commercial zombies like the yanks.
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Long live Auntie Beeb.
 
I don’t watch it. Bar Match of the Day.

It is essential as a democratic society that we have a neutral broadcaster. If not then the one’s with the money get in every time, then they get more money, then they pay for more advertising, then they get in, then… you get the picture. We’re in more of a bubble than America which is massive in comparison.

They have actually produced a lot of quality series in the last few years?

#defundthebbc ?

Why, what would be the point?
 
Seaham Towny said:
I don’t watch it. Bar Match of the Day.

It is essential as a democratic society that we have a neutral broadcaster. If not then the one’s with the money get in every time, then they get more money, then they pay for more advertising, then they get in, then… you get the picture. We’re in more of a bubble than America which is massive in comparison.

They have actually produced a lot of quality series in the last few years?

#defundthebbc ?

Why, what would be the point?
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You tend to find that it's people who don't relate to BBC News who want to destroy the BBC. Its the global leading broadcaster. BBC News is a tiny part of it. I don't like BBC Radio 3, I think Radio 1 is shite for bairns, I don't want to destroy the entire corporation for everyone else.
 
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mux said:
Apart from the fact they moved a massive part of their operations to Manchester, you're spot on :lol:
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Apart from the fact that they ended up moving about half of what they planned to and then moved some back subsequently and reopened Television Centre, you’re spot on Muxy lad
 
mux said:
You tend to find that it's people who don't relate to BBC News who want to destroy the BBC. Its the global leading broadcaster. BBC News is a tiny part of it. I don't like BBC Radio 3, I think Radio 1 is shite for bairns, I don't want to destroy the entire corporation for everyone else.
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I listen to Crouchy’s podcast and watch MOTD mate. Can’t drive so no radio..

It’s massive and politically neutral. It is absolutely essential even if the license fee is a piss take
 

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