UK Conservative leader David Cameron was last night accused of paving the way for the destruction of the BBC after he threatened to hand £250million of its money to other broadcasters. Acccording to the Mail on Sunday, the Tories plan to force the Corporation to give away part of its licence fee funds to create new competition in public service broadcasting.
on Mar 30th, 2008 at 17:57
These comments seem to be all too late, as the BBC has quietly been selling off various divisions and becoming more commercial for well over 20 years now.
An example of how commerical the BBC’s operations have become is to look at how its US operations dominate the decisions on which programmes which BBC should make, as if these programmes can make money in the US.
on Mar 30th, 2008 at 23:32
I have just read all of the comments on the Mail\’s website and every one of them is anti BBC. Many go far further than David Cameron and wish to see an end to the licence fee and/or an end to the BBC. One of the comments says that this is definitely a vote winner.
I totally agree. The sooner the big lumbering bear meets its demise, the better.
on Apr 2nd, 2008 at 23:19
“The sooner the big lumbering bear meets its demise, the better.”
Eugh. That’s very, very ignorant. Do you realise how UK broadcasting will fall to bits without the BBC?
on Apr 3rd, 2008 at 15:05
Yes, in many ways, the BBC as we knew it (and cherished it) is gone. It behaves–with still some notable exceptions (but who knows for how much longer)–more like a commercial broadcaster with every passing day. It’s quite sad to see the subordination of public service broadcasting principles to commercial interests as if the two were virtually indistinguishable and the former does not matter much at all.
on Apr 3rd, 2008 at 15:22
I like the BBC, I like not having to listen to stupid commercials every 15 mintues. I like the local stations, I like the DAB stations there differant.
I’m sick of robojocks, I’m sick of tight playlists, I’m sick of local commercial stations that sound the same.
If the BBC is destroyed and I believe that these proposals are the thin end of the wedge, then quality broadcasting will quickly become dumped down broadcasting.
Let’s start the campaign!
on Apr 3rd, 2008 at 16:34
Recently, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started underwriting BBC World Service’s distribution to public stations in the US. In the past the Foundation provided grants to BBC World TV and BBC World Service Trust (about $400k each).
It seems like the world likes BBC. The British people are less excited about the whole thing because they have to pay for it.
Maybe one day the UN or one of the major foundations or some other international organization will have to take BBC (world radio, TV, website) under its wing. Of course, it sounds like a crazy idea. But I think our fragmented world needs a service that would unite us.