BBC invited to bid for Five news contract

No way would they do that. It wouldn't have domestic news, it wouldn't be five branded and it would be tailored towards the wrong audience.

I think that only counts under certain circumstances is it not. Like if there was something prevent C4 from broadcasting news from ITN/ITV then it would get the BBC broadcast - I think,

This Five/BBC development sounds interesting though.

Well to be honest the only reason that there is a commercially funded BBC World is because there is a domestic based licence fee funded BBC. They share many resources, staff, equipment and programmes.

The difference between what is commercially funded and what is licence fee funded is certainly a grey area for me. If the commercial arm of the BBC are to be able to tender for commercial TV news contracts, then how about ITV & C4 being allocated a portion of the licence fee ? The BBC want to have their cake and eat it.

Well it wouldn't be the first time the BBC and Five have teamed up together - they had a joint film contract with 20th Century Fox (I think it was them) in the late 90s.

Stu

Yes, but you're making the assumption that the BBC ARE going to tender for this - when in fact five have only asked them to tender.

As per usual, you're taking any chance to bash the BBC when they've actually done nothing here - at all.

Well you would say that wouldn't you The only thing around here as predictable as my BBC bashing is your vehement defence of it. Ok, so ignore that final remark, and answer my other "hypothetical" point.

Yes, but owners of BBC World pay for the programmes, they get what they pay for. It's the same as the commercial channesl that come from BBC facilities - they pay a certain amount and get everything they pay for, If they for instance haven't paid for use of an edit suite or an aston machine, they don't just nip in and borrow one.



Eh? If it happened the BBC would provide a service..... and Five will pay for it instead of paying another producer (currently ITN). It's not unfair on ITV or Channel 4 - everything is put out to tender and the best bid wins.

It's just the same as when a production company hires BBC equipment or buys a BBC programme. It doesn't mean that every other facilities company or programme library should get some cash from the BBC as compensation

Does this mean that five can force the BBC to be their news providers? Very strange.

Why doesn't five just get RTL to provide them with news?

After all five is majority owned by RTL.

Because they'd have to set up a news service from scratch, which is very very expensive. ITN (or Sky, or the BBC) already have the infrastructure and experience - it's far cheaper

what complete, total, and absolute, b0llox

I think you'll find no mention of that obligation at the ITC website...