The trouble with justifying the BBC on the basis of the dramas it 'makes' is that in reality they are just paying independent production companies to come up with many of their biggest hits.
The same can't be said of the News and Current Affairs output.
The other general point is that News and Current Affairs is also required to commission shows from indies, so in fact much of the News and Current Affairs output does, indeed, involve paying independent production companies to come up with many of their biggest hits. Question Time is an obvious example, many of the long form documentaries, and, indeed, some of the regional political programmes.
It's also unfair to say the Beeb are reliant on indies for hits in drama and entertainment because they're obliged by law to commission a percentage of their output from indies. The Beeb could make 100% of its drama and entertainment in-house, like it used to do in the seventies, but it's not permitted to do so.
It's only Current Affairs that is required to meet the 25% quota - News is exempt.
BBC conceived Question Time for themselves and made it in house for nearly 20 years, before putting it out to an independent.
The English regional political programmes were also conceived and made in house until it was decided they were classed as current affairs rather than news and Juniper were contracted to make the London edition to help satisfy the quota.
The BBC could legally still make 75% of its drama and entertainment in house but it chosen to do much less than that.
Can see the BBC losing millions of viewers and listeners in the next few months in protest, whipped up by an anti-BBC press who are blind to the Conservative government's hypocrisy.
Can see the BBC losing millions of viewers and listeners in the next few months in protest.
They've just said on the 1pm news the BBC have also lost 120 million quid because of Covid. I'm not clear how or why?
The changes to the licence fee for over 75s was delayed by at least 2 months, which is probably in part why. I imagine there's also been some costs relating to events being cancelled due to Covid-19 which the BBC had already spent money towards (e.g. Glastonbury, Wimbledon, Euros, Olympics).
So they're going to be making more money but still go ahead with the pointless cuts? Ridiculous.
Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm fairly certain you're wrong. Previously the free over 75s TV licences were paid for by the government, and the BBC received this money. The government are no longer funding any of these free licences, and as the BBC is funding the remaining free licences they are not receiving the revenue from those licences.
Can see the BBC losing millions of viewers and listeners in the next few months in protest.
They've just said on the 1pm news the BBC have also lost 120 million quid because of Covid. I'm not clear how or why?
People not paying the license fee, lots of productions have been stopped, the BBC has had to pay out to do things to deal with Covid. This could possibly include money they would have made but now will not. All the sports rights although i'm not sure if they get a refund!
Can see the BBC losing millions of viewers and listeners in the next few months in protest.
They've just said on the 1pm news the BBC have also lost 120 million quid because of Covid. I'm not clear how or why?
People not paying the license fee, lots of productions have been stopped, the BBC has had to pay out to do things to deal with Covid. This could possibly include money they would have made but now will not. All the sports rights although i'm not sure if they get a refund!
People suddenly not paying the licence fee, I wonder how many?
The BBC is of course less affected by the Covid 19 virus than their commercial rivals, who lose advertising revenue despite viewing being up, and the subscription channels, hard hit by the lack of sport, which affects Sky and BT in particular.
However, I am sure BBC Worldwide revenue is down substantially, they have had to fund these licence fees longer than expected, and there will have been some people who have dropped their licence fee payments.
Can see the BBC losing millions of viewers and listeners in the next few months in protest.
They've just said on the 1pm news the BBC have also lost 120 million quid because of Covid. I'm not clear how or why?
The delay to the over 75 licence fee cost £40m per month for two months together with the income from foreign programme sales dropping to almost zero. They have also had to buy in programmes from abroad to fill big gaps in the schedules. That's all in addition to the Covid specific costs, such as providing taxis to and from work for all staff.