BBC - value, quality, divisive or alternatives better

[Gerry557]

After having a difference of opinion on the merits of the BBC with @Arborbridge over on another thread about a film I thought it better to move that issue to a new thread away from the film.

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=42476

Arb suggested that the BBC was good value and of decent quality although not having the film Falling for Fargo that was being discussed. I had a slightly different opinion that over £14 per month was not good value as there was little to justify the fee but feel forced to buy one to watch other channels and that alternatives offered better quality and you can simply cancel when no longer needed. Something that is made extremely difficult with the TV Licence.

Some comments

I can't find any trace of this film in my usual hire service, so I'm guessing it is only available to the favoured ones who feed the US almost-non-UK-tax paying corporations.

Basically then, this film is out of bounds for people like me who have so far refused to deal with these corporate joyriders. They not only pay little in UK tax, but worse, lure away talent trained at the expense of the BBC and other UK based and hard pressed arts institutions.

As regards British institutions like the BBC losing people to the American thuggernauts: I find it ironic that people often compain about the high salaries the BBC pays, but then these people leave and receive far more from other organisations. DOH!

The cost of the BBC on my purse is very reasonable, and from what I see of subscriptions services quite a bargain. Another problem with the latter is the thought that you may like some things on one service and a some things on another, so one would end up paying out twice, in effect.

Whilst I commend Arb for his pro British stance and the support of cinemaparadiso a British company

So where do you stand on the BBC or its alternatives. I suppose we mean streaming services such as Apple TV, Netflix, Disney, Prime, Max, Hulu, paramount+ and Starz. There is terrestrial TV and its online versions such as Iplayer or if you want to stay close to home Britbox.

So issues like Tax, costs, value, quality, choice and surrounding issues making over 75s pay etc

I will include some of my comments in the next window

[Gerry557]

Some of my comments



arb, corporate joyriders sounds a bit hard. How much tax did the BBC pay? I know they were doing special deals so individuals could be companies so as to reduce their tax. So it would be nice to see a comparison of income, profit and tax between them.

I also think its against the rules to stop people working for other organisations just because they were trained by the BBC. We might be able to keep some doctors and nurses though so that idea might have merit. Who, out of interest in Falling for Figaro was trained by the BBC?

Personally I see the BBC as the ones that rip us off with forced high charges not to even watch them and that they make it almost impossible to cancel, even when you are dead. I struggle to find anything worth watching on the BBC, The English was good but that was a while back now. Unfortunately The Repair Shop, Flog It and RuPauls Drag Race doesn't do it for me. Pay per view for the BBC works for me although I think it would upset you as it would go out of business without me subsidising it and as most people wouldn't pay.

They have to twist your arm and threaten fines and prison to get you to pay. I will leave you to come up with another name other than corporate joyriders. Hopefully there is a funny one that wont get moderated for swear words

[Gerry557]

I couldn't find out how much tax the BBC paid on income of £5Bn
Netflix had £1Bn UK income and paid £3.2m. Id have to check the profit stated but suspect they divert some (legally) to lower tax areas

It looks like it was the BBC that decided to cancel the free TV licences for over 75s after a cut in government funding where they expected them to continue. I might retort that they prioritised paying Gary Lineker millions at the expense of the OAPs. Yes I know its not that simple.

Quality wise the BBC is a follower and whilst it has HD channels and occasional surround sound other offer 4k and Atmos. I think there are lower quality for cheaper options. Is apple TV the best quality I think its better than Netflix

Content is a very personal choice. I struggle to find anything on the BBC. Do they still make films? The English is the last good thing I remember watching but not on the BBC as I wanted the surround sound.

Im not sure about others stealing BBC staff Im sure they will work for whoever pays and might mix employers. Maybe there are some better examples.

Has anyone tried to cancel a TV licence and found it timely and easy.

[JohnB]

Britbox (now ITVx) is often an a more attractive source of BBC content, because it show the best of its past glories.

The problem all streaming services face is churn, people like me subscribing for a month, burning through their expensive content and leaving. The BBC licence fee is becoming like that, its tempting to have gaps between renewal, no hardship if you don't follow their topical content like news and sport. If they switched to a monthly subscription, their revenue would collapse.

I support the idea of the BBC, but if I look at the production costs of the content I actually consume, it starts looking poor value, except perhaps their news website. You need news from someone, and all alternatives cost more or have clear biases.

But the market is being distorted by streaming companies commissioning content at huge cost (Tolkien laundry list series), making losses, but hoping their deep pockets will remove competition. As some point we'll have a rationalisation.

[kempiejon]

Britbox (now ITVx)

JohnB your experience may differ but I don't think that's the case. ITVx is a free streaming service in the UK with ads, showing much commercial TV but not much BBC originated content. I watch ITVx often. Britbox I do not use, as I understood it's a UK output for the overseas market.
wiki says

BritBox is an online digital video subscription service, founded by BBC Studios and ITV, operating in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa.

Don't know if it has adds I assumed not.

[gryffron]

Moderator Message:
Just a reminder that whilst discussion of BBC programs is entirely relevant here.
Any political comments will see this thread shifted to the CAN.
Gryffron

[JohnB]

The BBC are backing out of their share of Britbox, which was going to be rebranded under the ITVx label, with I guess an add-driven and a subscription side. Not sure how far that's progressed.

[Redmires]

I'd pay the licence fee just for Radio 4, but that probably counts me as a wierdo on this board.

[nimnarb]

I'd pay the licence fee just for Radio 4, but that probably counts me as a wierdo on this board.

Are all these still going? Haven't listened at all recently apart from Gardeners Question time and Today in Parliament but

used to a lot.

Desert Island Discs
I’m Sorry, I Haven’t A Clue
The Pips
Gardeners’ Question Time
Endless comedy shows
Shipping Forecast.
Today in Parliament
The Archers
Women’s Hour
Just A Minute
national treasures
Enjoy Jeremy Vine in the morning, or is that Radio 2.



Sometime this month marks the centenary of the pips I think I heard.

[kempiejon]

And sailing away, that and the test card alone are worth the licence fee, in fact I would happily sell my house and all my possessions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lzS8yW8INA&t=64s

[Gerry557]

I'm answering one of my own questions. Yes the BBC do make films often in collaboration with others. In fact I watched one recently. One Life staring Anthony Hopkins.

I watched a That's Life video of part of the story and found it quite moving so watched the film based on that. Unfortunately it's not available on the BBC so you will have to use one of those fang dangle new providers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Life_(2023_film)

I wonder how many years it takes to get BBC produced films on the BBC.

[Gerry557]

Britbox (now ITVx) is often an a more attractive source of BBC content, because it show the best of its past glories.

The problem all streaming services face is churn, people like me subscribing for a month, burning through their expensive content and leaving. The BBC licence fee is becoming like that, its tempting to have gaps between renewal, no hardship if you don't follow their topical content like news and sport. If they switched to a monthly subscription, their revenue would collapse.

I support the idea of the BBC, but if I look at the production costs of the content I actually consume, it starts looking poor value, except perhaps their news website. You need news from someone, and all alternatives cost more or have clear biases.

But the market is being distorted by streaming companies commissioning content at huge cost (Tolkien laundry list series), making losses, but hoping their deep pockets will remove competition. As some point we'll have a rationalisation.

Talking of past glories, I was flicking through terrestrial tv and stopped on a "Are you being served" It had a trigger warning about how things were done in times past. For some reason they weren't in the shop but a hotel.

I also leave big gaps between licences and would churn it occasionally if I could. I think that is why they make it so difficult to cancel.

Maybe the BBC produce more content than I imagined (see upthread) It is expensive especially to get great quality programmes albeit that is in the eye of the beholder. There have been some great tv programmes and there are lists. I don't know how the BBC would fair. Probably Blue Planet programmes would make the list. Some think the BBC went to wokey. I have to admit I don't like being preached too when it should be entertaining. So for me it's poor value. Much cheaper to buy Blue planet on UHD and better quality.

I'm not sure I would really miss the BBC apart from the world service. I don't know anyone under 30 that has a TV Licence so that is going to filter through in time.

[Gerry557]

Apparently there is a leaked recording of The BBC's director general Tim Davies admiting that the BBC is proud to be woke.

This follows new research which suggests the national broadcaster has failed to stick to its own guidelines on impartiality.

Some have called for the BBC to be defunded.

At least I gave it the opportunity to continue if it had a following prepared to pay to watch. I don't really care for aliens in doctor who need to use gendered pronouns. Although I'm happy they picked English as a language when there is so many other areas of the cosmos. More cushions to hide behind please.

[SalvorHardin]

The BBC does still produce some good shows. The standout one for me last year was the Northern Ireland police drama "Blue Lights" (already renewed for series 4 with series 2 showing later this year).

Where the BBC has a problem is that the streamers have a lot of old BBC shows and this provides easy access to evidence that the BBC's output ain't what it used to be. Especially as a lot of cherry picking occurs with what goes onto the streamers.

Okay, there's a selection bias in that if you have several streaming services (and the BBC iPlayer) you have more historic BBC output than you can realistically watch without it becoming a full time job. When you include the ITV programming as well...

Britbox is closing and moving to ITVX premium at the end of April. ITVX is £5.99 p.m. (same price as Britbox).

Acorn TV has some BBC programmes (and some good stuff of their own, e.g. The Chelsea Detective)£4.99 p.m.

UKTV Play (free with adverts) has some BBC programmes. I've just started Pie in the Sky, easy comfort viewing after just finishing Foyle's War (on Acorn).

[kempiejon]

The BBC are backing out of their share of Britbox, which was going to be rebranded under the ITVx label, with I guess an add-driven and a subscription side. Not sure how far that's progressed.

ITV plc has today announced that it has sold its entire 50% interest in digital subscription streaming service BritBox International to its joint venture partner BBC

more here https://lemonfool.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=650370#p650370
and here, https://www.londonstockexchange.com/new ... l/16356537

[scrumpyjack]

Just about the only thing I find worth watching on the BBC is Death in Paradise - a good bit of harmless escapism There really isn't anything else there worth watching, for me, so I really must be becoming a cantankerous old codger

[Redmires]

The BBC are backing out of their share of Britbox, which was going to be rebranded under the ITVx label, with I guess an add-driven and a subscription side. Not sure how far that's progressed.

ITV plc has today announced that it has sold its entire 50% interest in digital subscription streaming service BritBox International to its joint venture partner BBC

more here https://lemonfool.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=650370#p650370
and here, https://www.londonstockexchange.com/new ... l/16356537

But did anyone know that the BBC owns channels in the UK that show adverts. I was surprised too.

UKTV Media Limited,[1] trading as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), a commercial subsidiary of the BBC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKTV

[XFool]

Just about the only thing I find worth watching on the BBC is Death in Paradise - a good bit of harmless escapism There really isn't anything else there worth watching, for me, so I really must be becoming a cantankerous old codger

On the evidence I think we can confirm that.

[XFool]

After having a difference of opinion on the merits of the BBC with @Arborbridge over on another thread about a film I thought it better to move that issue to a new thread away from the film.

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=42476

Arb suggested that the BBC was good value and of decent quality although not having the film Falling for Fargo that was being discussed. I had a slightly different opinion that over £14 per month was not good value as there was little to justify the fee but feel forced to buy one to watch other channels and that alternatives offered better quality and you can simply cancel when no longer needed. Something that is made extremely difficult with the TV Licence.

BBC for £14 per month? But it isn't just about "films", is it?

There is BBC Television, several channels: Drama, documentaries, entertainment, news, politics, science. There is BBC Radio, several channels: Comedy, drama, music, news, science.

And what is commonly and widely acknowledged as one of the best (possibly the best) news websites on the Internet.

If that's not value and quality what is?

[Midsmartin]

I think the BBC is good value for radio 4 alone.
The TV is all an extra bonus. The government is pushing the BBC into a death spiral: funding cuts mean worse quality. Fewer people watch, and it's worse, so let's cut their funding some more.

What they are good at and should do more of is programming that doesn't assume you're an idiot. Anything sciency on TV is dumbed down in a way that, so far, it is not on the radio. In fact most TV science coverage has disappeared. The news coverage is getting worse. They no longer have staff to do quality investigative journalism, and dare not offend the government.

But as I read today that the owner of GB news wants to buy more media outlets, it's more important than ever to retain an island of attempted impartiality and sanity.