BBC and The TV Licence

Don't forget Emmerdale keeps losing its sponsors and then takes months to find a new one. Not all poular programmes on ITV are sponsored. All new run drama's are sponsored but after that its hard to find sponsors for these drama's

There is only Coronation Street (Cadburys) Emmerdale (can't remember), New Run British Drama (Lindemans), some British Detective Dramas (Leerdamers), The Bill (Co-op/CIS/Smile - but then how many years did The Bill not have a sponsor for!!!)

How many programmes are sponsored on either C4 or Five or even on the satellite channels - its at most 15% of all programmes!!!!!!!!!!

What about programmes for the minorities, what about in-depth investigative journalism (which ITV doesn't have), what about the Arts, what about experimentational programmes - do you think that Renovation would have ever made it to the screen if BBC wasn't as it is today? For certain Little Britain would NOT have been made - too risque for advertisers. A whole host of other comedies, factual and Drama's would not have been made as they would not ahve got the advertisers (one prime example being the popular Blackpool - too experimental for both ITV and its advertisers)

If that means having a brain and appreciating intelligent, original, quality, impartial (well more-or-less), television and radio programmes, not interupted by the mind-numbing adverts that you seem to love watching and paying for through the products you buy - then yes. Far better than being a right-wing ****, which I assume you are given your views on this matter.

Hear hear.

Only partly true, they co-own UKTV with flextech. Under the licence, provided by the government, UKTV are only allowed to have 10 different style TV channels (excluding the +1 channels). If UKTV wanted more different style channels then the BBC would have to sell its stake.

Also remember, when UKGold first started it was a jointventure between BBC and Thames!!!!!

I'm 'to the'' right of centre poltically. But desipte my opnion with this along with other things.


Should be put too the public vote.

If the licence fee has to put to the vote, then so should the Sky subscription!!!!!!

SKY £525 per annum - for what???????

Football from next season HAS to be split across different platforms
Films are now on terrestrial sooner than what they used to be
US drama's - wait for them to appear on either C4 or Five
Many documentaries on Discovery or National Geographic are actually co-produced by the BBC or Granada Wild Productions

What British programmes, of good quality, do they actually show

err... and what about 1Xtra, 5 Live Sports Extra, 6 Music, Network 7, Asian Network etc..?

What rubbish. People choose to subscribe to Sky. They have the choice to pay for the service. They don't have that choice with the BBC license fee. So why on earth would there be a "vote" on the Sky subscription?

I thought this was going to be a serious discussion, but I see since my last post that it's mostly (not entirely - there are still intelligent contributors around here) a bunch of kids running amok. I'll come back when your parents have put you to bed...

Why should the SKY subscription be put to a vote?
No one makes you pay it.
But it the law to pay BBC.
And as for British programmes I like US programmes a lot more weres our LOST,Stargate,Weeds,Nip/Tuck,Simpsons,Malcolm,24 and so on.

I do not watch a lot of British programmes made ,only SKY NEWS,Doctor Who,My Hero/Family,Brainiac Histoy/Science Abuse and that it.

"End-the-TV-License-Now":

You'll be in a better position to understand the importance of public service broadcasting when you grow up. At the moment you're not even able to take on board and understand any of the arguments which counter your own.

Until you are capable of intelligent debate, please go away. Again.

I made the same argument a few months ago but if we go on the orginal premise that we should not pay for what we don't use then it should be optional to have a 30% discount at Tescos as I don't want to pay for their advertsing, I must insist on a discount on all products advertised on ITV & Murdoch vision. I don't see why I should pay to make him or shareholders rich when I don't watch his channels yet money is given to him by these companies which ultimately goes on the price of what we buy. BBC programmes are infinately cheaper than commercial ones because of this. The most incredible thing about SKY is that you actually pay for watching 12-14mins of commercials per hour. Paying for what you already pay for!

If not for SKY/cable we would still just have 4 channels that would not be any good for anyone would it.
But I bet some BBC/TV TAX lovers would like it if all other channels went off air and it went just back to having BBC.
As for ads they been around for 100 of years before BBC and be on long long after the TV TAX is dead. As it will not be round in 30 years I think.
As more and more do not like paying for it.
But if it goes I think BBC must not go.