by SRD » Sat Apr 04, 2020 8:02 am
What's "fair" got to do with it? If the BBC goes subscription it will no longer be able to afford all the extraneous, uneconomic, output over and above the handful of middle of the road channels it already runs, channels that the government force it to run as they have to have viewing figures to justify the Licence. There will be no more speech radio, the only competition being one channel that is highly subsidised by the media organisation that owns it which will fold as soon as the BBC does. There wil be no more youth support like the Mercury awards, no more classical support like the Proms, no more local radio based locally rather than franchising from a central company, no more shipping forecasts, no more holding politicians to account, no more innovative comedy or drama. Just a melange of soft porn, cute animals & American comedy with the occasional Party Political Broadcast (in favour of only one party) dressed up as a news report (look at the way Fox reports Trump).
Ok the BBC is bloated managementwise, but with the demands of govenment for accountability and the jobs of the bosses on the line for the slightest slip up that's hardly surprising.
And it might be said they pay too much for their stars, although I notice that they are snapped up pretty quickly by the independents at greater salaries as soon as they become available.
Further, there isn't an actual broadcaster in the world (as opposed to the media owners) who doesn't openly look up to the BBC and envy it it's independence, all that will be lost if it has to go commercial in any way, and to make it pay to view would make it kowtow to commercial pressures.
Incidentally, all those commercial media companies pay the BBC for their output, albeit at a reduced rate as they have to cary it by law, so it's coming out of the subscriptions you pay.
And if you only watch online you only have to pay the Licence Fee if you watch BBC.
Currently investigating the Hillmans of Sussex.