Comments on: +++ Cameron : “I Want to Freeze BBC Licence Fee” +++

By: Adam Drucker

Adam Drucker — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:57:49 +0000

Well the newspapers are are on their last legs. What does that leave? Sky and Fox News? Anonymous comments posted on blogs? Anything that comes out of the EU?

By: Taxfodder

Taxfodder — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:13:39 +0000

I take any newscasts, political programming, in fact anything I see produced by the BBC with a very large pinch of salt.

At best the truth and the BBC are strange bedfellows.

The same goes for Westminster and anything that comes out of it.

By: squareeyes

squareeyes — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:04:26 +0000

why not close down the BBC, show repeats of it’s programmes on Sky, and give everyone Sky or Virgin TV with the remaining money?

Job done

By: Willy

Willy — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:51:52 +0000

The licence fee is an indefensible burden on poor people.
Why does the BBC need to spend zillions to make light ent programmes that would be made commercially anyway – at no cost to us?
The BBC Trust can’t be trusted to represent us and stop this monumental waste.
Who’s for setting up a BBC Reform Society?
1m non-payers is a start.

By: Dr Gloom

Dr Gloom — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:21:28 +0000

What does all this matter.

We’re all heading top speed towards membership of a European Superstate; nothing can stop that. Obama wants it. The Europeans that matter want it. Now I hear even China wants it! Dave can do nothing about it. Let the BBC provide the funeral music. UK RIP.

By: Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:12:18 +0000

Frank, I’m only being realistic. I’ve been around a bit.

As someone else said on here, “for modern Britain, think the ‘Royle Family’”. All this talk about Brits being 21st century whizzkids on high-speed internet is delusional, alas.

I don’t want to witness the Labour Party rising from the dead with “Look how out of touch the Tories are!!” and running a “Save EastEnders and Strictly Come X Factor!!” campaign (no doubt backed by Murdoch’s muscle).

By: Tom H

Tom H — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:41:57 +0000

“Sink or swim”? Do you mean share the advertising revenue of ITV and C4? They’ll all sink, of course.

By: Frank Fartwell

Frank Fartwell — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:41:02 +0000

Mark Thompson says:
March 16, 2009 at 10:28 pm

“If an attempt is made to enfeeble the Beeb there are those that will argue that it is a threat to democracy.”

Who are you talking about exactly? Those in the BBC canteen? Get fucking real will you.

We have this new fangled inventioned called the internet. If you want any real data that is where you get it these days. The days of traditional broadcasters and the dead tree press are numbered. The BBC is not stupid – it knows the only way it will survive economically is through coercion.

The underlying economics of these entities suck because so much information, education and entertainment is available a mouse click away, often for free, hence their slow but sure deaths.

By: Dr Nerd

Dr Nerd — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:38:43 +0000

Surely once the analogue signal is switched off it won’t be possible to “licence dodge”? I had assumed the digital signal it would encoded; though, no doubt, there would be a brisk trade in get-arounds.

The radio analogue signal is never likely to be switched off, alas, as digital radio seems to have proved a flop (not long for this world IMHO).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:44:14 +0000

“He is not proposing deep cuts.”

So weak.