France Televisions

This would be a fantastic idea in the UK. I can see it being so useful to remove some of the teleshopping and gambling channels, they obviously couldn't afford the levy. Of course with the media ownership rules, any such move would be so controversial that Rupert and Co. would create such a major stink that the politics of the issue would kill it.

It would be a fantastic idea if it was feasible. All terrestrial broadcasters cry foul to the fact that BBC gets Licence Fee and they don't, advertising revenue is the only source of income that ITV, Channel 4 and five have - so it is like going into a restaurant and saying they have to close at their most profitable hour. No advertising after 8pm would be majorly unfair aswell considering that the news is beforehand and the main channels do not put too much advertising into those blocks of programming.

Then there is the problem of the digital switchover, which we are ahead of other countries in Europe for, like France. This would be the final knell for channels who are struggling with poor advertising revenue as it is, and in the multi-platform society, if ITV, Channel 4 and five have to compromise their advertising after 8pm, the rest of the digital channels will have to also.

No you've misunderstood my (perhaps ill stated) meaning. I am proposing that the commercial channels continue Advertising but charge more for it and pass the surplus to the BBC in lieu of the Licence Fee, hence Rupert going ballistic.

My whole approach to the BBC is the hardest thing I find to reconcile with the rest of my laissez-faire free market philosophy on most things, because its the one thing that doesn't fall in to the model, and yet I feel very protective of.

That being said, I'm deeply uncomfortable about the idea of subsidising it via the private sector. The one way I've found comfort in the BBC's position is the idea that it is exists alone in a completely different space, entirely seperate from commercial interest, thus allowing a unique funding model. As soon as you start mingling this, I find it harder to justify its position.

Yeah, cos that would work!