BBC Discussion

[Dave]

BG claimed that the BBC described those who wanted the UK to leave the EU as 'crackpots' and those who wanted to limit immigration as 'racists'. There is nothing in that old Daily Telegraph article to support either of those claims.

[Duke Fame]

He just did or did I imagine his post?

[Dave]

As I said, it's old hat. BBC bod admits 18 months ago that the Beeb used to be biased. Big deal!

Meanwhile, is BG going to come up with any evidence for the allegations he made in his previous post? No, I thought not.

[Bowden Guy]

Here is a good starting point, Dave.......

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10158679/BBC-has-deep-liberal-bias-executive-admits.html

[Duke Fame]

The BBC bias has become far more subtle, listen to R5, you will get an announcement say on the economy and the BBC will immediately get Ed Balls or Chris Leslie in the booth to put their two pennys in.

It shouldn't matter, the BBC should just be AN other media business who can do what they like but the fact is they tax most of us in order to keep it going. 

[Dave]

Re the EU, anyone who openly advocated withdrawal was branded as a crackpot..

When?  By whom? 

And, as for immigration, anyone who even talked about the pace, levels and societal effects, of significant (and previously unexperienced) migration to this country, was labelled a 'racist".

When?  By whom? 

Too many airy generalisations, BG!   

[Bowden Guy]

There have been two issues in the past ten years that have proved to be incredibly divisive in this country, namely our membership of the EU and Immigration/Migration. In both cases, the BBC has quite clearly taken an editorial line that fundamentally reflects the liberal/left viewpoints of the people within it. Re the EU, anyone who openly advocated withdrawal was branded as a crackpot. And, as for immigration, anyone who even talked about the pace, levels and societal effects, of significant (and previously unexperienced) migration to this country, was labelled a 'racist". Even the BBC has admitted this bias.

To point to the fact that Nick Robinson used to be a Young Conservative is ridiculous. Dave, I will take your Nick Robinson and trump it with Ian Katz, recently appointed as Editir of Newsnight after many years as a senior editor at The Guardian (for what it's worth).

[Dave]

This left-wing bias thing is very old hat, although it is still being pushed by some right wing newspapers.  Maybe it was true in the past, but not now.  If anything it's now the other way round.  See, for example http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/opinion/extract-how-the-bbc-leans-to-the-right-9129608.html  Which is no more than you'd expect when the BBC has a chief political correspondent who was once Chairman of the Young Conservatives! 

What does happen, of course, is that ministers are asked probing questions by the John Humphrys and Jeremy Paxmans of this world, and they don't like it up 'em, as Lance Corporal Jones used to say.  We happen to have a Tory-led government at the moment, so every time George Osborne or another minister is held to account on the Today programme, there are cries of 'left-wing bias' from the Daily Mail.  And yet I seem to recall that one of the most vociferous complainers about BBC bias was Tony Blair! 

Every time I go abroad I am reminded of how good the BBC is.  God forbid that we should ruin one of the world's most respected media organisations.

[Duke Fame]

The main issue with the BBC is that it leaves itself open to accusations of bias, if it wasn't the state broadcaster, nobody would care that it has a Labour bias in it's reporting. The other issue is that the lowest paid chap with a £5 old telly has to pay £170 for the privilege yet the well off chap with digital, internet and smart telly in every room pays the same - they said the poll tax was unfair but this is worse as the poorest take in the least content.

The fairest way is to have adverts and subscription, those who really don't want adverts can pay to have them 'ad-free'. Nobody is worse off, we pay by taking in the adverts / subscribing.

[Duke Fame]

@Bowden Guy I'm not entirely sure you're right. Deloitte do a biannual review of the BBC and they regularly find that for every £1 spent by the BBC they get £2 back.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc-worth-over-8bn-to-uk-economy/5050632.article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9806298/BBC-we-make-2-for-the-economy-for-every-1-of-licence-fee.html

The BBC is a convenient target for every government who like to accuse it of bias or money-wasting. It's an incredible institution and having experienced TV and radio in many countries, I'd pay double the licence fee to access the BBC's services.

With these sort of reviews, it very much depends who's paying the bill as to the conclusion it comes to.

I agree with BG that the BBC does need to change and in reality, holding onto the unique way the BBC is funded is a bit daft. The state don't really need to control the airwaves unless we have a war on or we live in North Korea. The BBC could be a world beater in terms of information services but it has to compete properly accross the globe or it will be left behind.

Don't get rid of the BBC, just privatise it. It should raise billions.

[Howard]

@Bowden Guy I'm not entirely sure you're right. Deloitte do a biannual review of the BBC and they regularly find that for every £1 spent by the BBC they get £2 back.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc-worth-over-8bn-to-uk-economy/5050632.article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9806298/BBC-we-make-2-for-the-economy-for-every-1-of-licence-fee.html

The BBC is a convenient target for every government who like to accuse it of bias or money-wasting. It's an incredible institution and having experienced TV and radio in many countries, I'd pay double the licence fee to access the BBC's services.

[Bowden Guy]

According to the BBC Trust, the median age of BBC1 viewers is 59 (up from 56). Younger people now seem to have deserted terrestrial TV and they no longer have the same relationship with TV as my generation did. On-demand services, TV on mobiles and tablets, box sets etc etc. The BBC is an anachronism and has had its day. I will give it 10 years at the most.

[Duke Fame]

If the BBC is so good, then as soon as its main source of revenue is abolished (a compulsory tax, the non- payment of which can lead to imprisonment) it will have a great future as a subscription-only service. All those people who like cookery, motoring and dancing shows can then happily pay their money direct to the Corporation.

Introducing a fair market,advertising and subscription will give the BBC a lease of life when it can be privatised. This should have happened years ago.

[Bowden Guy]

If the BBC is so good, then as soon as its main source of revenue is abolished (a compulsory tax, the non- payment of which can lead to imprisonment) it will have a great future as a subscription-only service. All those people who like cookery, motoring and dancing shows can then happily pay their money direct to the Corporation.

[tonysheldon]

Yawn, change the record. We all know why debt wet up, we were spendin more than we earnt, we had to drop living standards because the lifestyle we had was not affordable, govt spending was based on huge income from banks which turned out to be unsustainable. Food banks will be used if you supply them, there is no need for them if people prioritise their spending as food is very cheap.
Bug to
By all means come up with an argument but not the tired bbc/guardian/mirror rhetoric

The Guardian and Mirror are entitled to a view, and are the only national papers not to support a right-wing agenda, (although the Guardian actually supported the Libs at the last general election). But to suggest that the BBC has a left-wing agenda is wrong-headed. It in fact reports political debate as straight-forwardly as possible and is seen throughout the world as a trusted source of information. Its pursuit of a balanced line sometimes makes programmes a little dull, but to accuse it of "rhetoric" is bizarre. The BBC is far from perfect, but let's get some form of proportion here.