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TV Licence Fee Decision

No Continued universal over 75's exemption (June 2019)

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PA
Parker

Wouldn't be surprised to see Good Morning Britain leapfrog in front of BBC Breakfast now in the ratings and viewer share, and the BBC's viewing figures collapse generally.


I'm not entirely sure how you've jumped to that conclusion.

Piers sounding off about the issue of the day, and the fact today's issue was the Licence Fee, means viewers will now stop watching BBC Breakfast?

Its very rare that viewers stop watching quality and commence watching utter ego fest drivel, bigotry and tat. The conversation here is getting childish and downright silly.
:-(
A former member
Presumably all those papers so outraged at pensioners having to pay for the BBC are willing to give away their products for free to the over 75s too.

This is a very brilliant point.
GM
Gary McEwan
Please correct me if my maths are completely out. The BBC say it would cost £745 million to cover the licence for over 75s. However if everyone of those 3.7 million pensioners were to pay the £154.50, that only equates to £571 million.

So what is the extra millions covering?
RI
Riaz
I'm not saying they should give them up. I'm saying they can't afford two children's channels.


Should the BBC turn the clock back to the 1980s with CBBC from the Broom Cupboard on BBC1 for about 1½ hours during weekday afternoons?
BR
Brekkie
I suspect even with two channels the volume of new childrens content airing each week on the BBC isn't hugely different to 20 years ago.
JK
JKDerry
Riaz posted:
I'm not saying they should give them up. I'm saying they can't afford two children's channels.


Should the BBC turn the clock back to the 1980s with CBBC from the Broom Cupboard on BBC1 for about 1½ hours during weekday afternoons?

Yes please, instead of the wall to wall nonsense they air now in my opinion.


For a little perspective, take a look at a typical weekday afternoon on BBC One in 1989 and now in 2019:

Tuesday 13th June in 1989 had - 3.50pm Chucklevision. 4.10pm Lassie. 4.30pm Belle and Sebastian. 4.55pm Newsround. 5.05pm Know How with Johnny Ball. All linked together with Andy Crane in the Children's BBC broom cupboard. Followed by Neighbours at 5.35pm.

Thursday 13th June 2019 we have - 3.00pm Escape to the Country. 3.45pm Garden Rescue. 4.30pm Flog it. 5.15pm Pointless.

Which do you prefer?
SE
Square Eyes Founding member

For a little perspective, take a look at a typical weekday afternoon on BBC One in 1989 and now in 2019:

Tuesday 13th June in 1989 had - 3.50pm Chucklevision. 4.10pm Lassie. 4.30pm Belle and Sebastian. 4.55pm Newsround. 5.05pm Know How with Johnny Ball. All linked together with Andy Crane in the Children's BBC broom cupboard. Followed by Neighbours at 5.35pm.

Thursday 13th June 2019 we have - 3.00pm Escape to the Country. 3.45pm Garden Rescue. 4.30pm Flog it. 5.15pm Pointless.

Which do you prefer?


Well no doubt the over 75's will prefer what they have now as would most adults. There is a full kids TV schedule on CBBC and so the BBC haven't stopped providing this content. So your point is moot.
JC
JCB
Riaz posted:
I'm not saying they should give them up. I'm saying they can't afford two children's channels.


Should the BBC turn the clock back to the 1980s with CBBC from the Broom Cupboard on BBC1 for about 1½ hours during weekday afternoons?

Yes please, instead of the wall to wall nonsense they air now in my opinion.


But that "wall to wall nonsense" is exactly the kind of stuff that is popular with pensioners. Rolling Eyes
GM
Gary McEwan
As much it's makes me want to pull my hair out, but my gran doesn't have BBC One off at all during the day even though the schedule is nothing but repeats.

She's even mentioned on a few occasions that she seen certain episodes at least.
RI
Riaz
The TV license hasn't been fit for purpose for years. The BBC has got bigger and bigger and the TV license has only increased bit by bit.

It makes sense to me that it wouldn't be fit for purpose.

BBC News, BBC Four, CBeebies and CBBC should really be gone by now.

I think they'd need to consider advertising because I'm not sure how else they are going to get the money to support all the services they have left. It may end what the BBC is all about but I think it's all over. The BBC really is on its knees now.


The BBC is in a better position regarding its major source of revenue compared with many independent TV channels. It has an almost guaranteed income from the TV licence - despite a decrease in the number of houses with an active TV licence - and is not at the mercy of advertisers and neither does it request subscription payments.

The reality is that the BBC, like most other organisations, has to learn to cut its coats from the piece of cloth that it has. There has been criticism of BBC bosses squandering money on Holby City and just exactly how many episodes of Eastenders does the BBC really need to produce every week?

The BBC needs to have a long and hard think about exactly what it wants to be and whether it can realistically afford it. The bosses should also be aware that the TV licence (in anything resembling the current form) has about 10 years maximum life left, so they should start to explore alternative methods of funding.

Perhaps the BBC should have a bash at offering a subscription only channel and / or put certain iPlayer material behind a paywall in order to evaluate the public's view of such a concept and whether it's successful or not.

I'm also wondering whether the BBC should continue with Radio 1 or whether it's a relic from the late 20th century offering a service that can easily be covered by commercial and internet radio stations nowadays.
PE
Pete Founding member
Riaz posted:
I'm also wondering whether the BBC should continue with Radio 1 or whether it's a relic from the late 20th century offering a service that can easily be covered by commercial and internet radio stations nowadays.


Anyone who suggests Radio 1 and commercial pop stations are the same has clearly never listened to one or the other.
GM
Gary McEwan
Pete posted:
Riaz posted:
I'm also wondering whether the BBC should continue with Radio 1 or whether it's a relic from the late 20th century offering a service that can easily be covered by commercial and internet radio stations nowadays.


Anyone who suggests Radio 1 and commercial pop stations are the same has clearly never listened to one or the other.


I'd quite happily listen to Clyde 1 any day of the week over Radio 1.

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