The BBC Funded by Subscription or Advertising?

Like silverlining we watch a lot of BBC and other channels on Freeview. Don’t have any other subscription channels. Always find something to watch, often on BBC iplayer which is a great resource. There are things on BBC that I don’t like but let’s face it, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. There has to be variety.

I don’t mind adverts I completely space out when they re on and have no idea what they rave been drivelling about its in one ear and out the other

I d rather have adverts and no tv license

Should add I don’t have any paid for channels or tv and listen to the radio sometimes all night

MaizieD, Have I understood correctly MaizieD that The TV licence fee money is initially paid into the Government's Consolidated Fund and then the vast majority is then given directly back to the BBC to fund its services?

That is, for every £1 of licence fee collected- 86p funds BBC services, 5p covers licence fee collection and pension costs- 9p supports other services like Freeview, Freest and Welsh Language S4C as per government agreements?

If that's not the case what do you say the Consolidated fund spends the money on?

I happily pay a licence fee in order to have a national broadcaster that has some other agenda than selling air time to the lowest common denominator. Because we have BBC, we also have a higher level of competitive commercial broadcasters in UK.

Just take one look at the calibre of USA broadcasting. What an appalling prospect.

Wholeheartedly agree👏👏👏

Yes I know how the license fee works ( re YouTube, etc) otherwise I would have stopped paying a long time ago, as I do use You tube etc. But it is a system from a bygone time - pre streaming services, etc and it is the BBC that benefits from the majority of it. I think it particularly difficult for young people to understand this type of system, as they consume media in a completely different way to previously.

Let’s not forget that the Open University resulted in BBC4. But heaven forbid that people should be educated. The thought of the BBC becoming like Fox News fills me with dread.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. Most of them really informative and educational. Even so they are getting filled with more and more advertising and you have to pay to listen to them ad free. What would happen to the BBC is that the quality of the programmes would diminish and we’d all end up having to pay to watch ad free for a channel nowhere near as good as it is now. Be careful what you wish for.

I absolutely agree that the licence fee is, as Galaxy says, a system from a bygone time, but there is no compelling reason why the government shouldn't continue to fund it and it should be kept at arms length from political control but with a requirement to maintain its impartiality. It is an institution which is admired and trusted internationally and as such is a valuable source of soft power.

The introduction of advertising and sponsorship would, I think, be bound to completely alter its programming and the quality of its output as programme makers would have to consider the needs of advertisers and sponsors as well as the needs of its audience.

What would happen to the Foreign Service? To local radio?

I’m currently watching all of the old BBC stuff about the Brontes on iplayer. Doubt if we’d get those sort of programmes in the future. Also Dickensian and two adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

I petty much only watch the BBC. Usually on iplayer which is a terrific resource. Commercial TV is almost all inane rubbish as well as being made unwatchable by advertising. Ads would be my first choice for Room 101. A waste of money, a tax dodge, and major destroyer of the environment. I would be willing to pay a sub for ad free.

Just to ad, I am quite happy paying the license and regard as great value for money compared to Naflix, amazon and all the other below par simpleton-targeted dross.

Only time I want to watch BBC is when Doctor Who is on!

All I can say is that it would appear the excessive salary being paid to Samir Shah as the BBC Chairman, is funded by license payers and following the Trump sage, millions now believe he is unreliable, cannot be trusted to do the right thing and definitely does not act with integrity. The other big factor is that if Trump succeeds with his $10 billion lawsuit, which Shah intends to fight with income received from license fee payers, the BBC may be declared Bankrupt or enter into Administration. Shah needs to resign, because when there is a bad apple left in the cart, which is rotten to the core, this needs to be removed before all of the remaining healthy apples get infected the same way.

Sueinkent

Just to ad, I am quite happy paying the license and regard as great value for money compared to Naflix, amazon and all the other below par simpleton-targeted dross.

simpleton-targeted dross

We do like Darby and Joan on Prime 😂

But then, we are probably simpletons

So, what are your preferences, SueinKent? Strictly, Eastenders, Tittybangbang, Danny Dyer: I Believe in UFOs or other such intellectually stimulating offerings?

Sueinkent

Just to ad, I am quite happy paying the license and regard as great value for money compared to Naflix, amazon and all the other below par simpleton-targeted dross.

If you pretty much only watch the bbc how do you know that the output from streaming channels are directed is ^simpleton targeted dross
You don’t know that, do you?

Allira

Sueinkent

Just to ad, I am quite happy paying the license and regard as great value for money compared to Naflix, amazon and all the other below par simpleton-targeted dross.

simpleton-targeted dross

We do like Darby and Joan on Prime 😂

But then, we are probably simpletons

So, what are your preferences, SueinKent? Strictly, Eastenders, Tittybangbang, Danny Dyer: I Believe in UFOs or other such intellectually stimulating offerings?

Not to mention repeats!!

Eight on BBC1 today
Eighteen plus an old film on BBC2 today
BBC4 - doesn't even bother to say which are repeats because they all are, plus old films
BBC3 - don't ask!

How much would the BBC pay me to sit in a room and keep choosing old programmes and pressing the repeat button I wonder?
Even a simpleton could do that.

I don't really care about adverts in themselves. They are easily avoided - just record the programme and skip them, or watch on a subscription version of the catch-up channel.

My concern is that advertisers influence what is screened. Suppose there is a concern about the efficacy or side-effects of a new drug. If it is made by a company that also advertises shampoo, hairspray, baby food and more, how likely is it that a channel that relies on the advertising revenue will screen it?

If we want an independent service (independent of financial concerns) we have to keep advertising out, IMO.

Is a anyone influenced by the adverts?
One or two are fun at Christmas but, apart from that, we skip or silence them.

BBC is not biased. People complain it is biased in opposing ways. They are all wrong. It is great value for money - less than 50p a day per licence holder, much less in terms of cost per head using it. Why do smaller channels rely on BBC programmes for much of their output (comedy, quiz, documentary). They'll be in trouble if their supply from BBC dries up.

RSALLAN2002

BBC is not biased. People complain it is biased in opposing ways. They are all wrong. It is great value for money - less than 50p a day per licence holder, much less in terms of cost per head using it. Why do smaller channels rely on BBC programmes for much of their output (comedy, quiz, documentary). They'll be in trouble if their supply from BBC dries up.

Precisely. People used to moan about repeats when there were only a few channels but now seem quite happy to watch repeats of old BBC programmes on the numerous freeview channels. Which, as you pointed out, would close down without the drip feed of old BBC series. Take away everything that the BBC has provided us with over the decades and there wouldn’t be much left to watch.

The BBC is the last place I can find uninterrupted TV so I would be horrified if it changed.

Agree with your post RSALLAN2002. The BBC is great value for money.

But not for those of us who don't use it, that is what is particularly difficult especially for a younger generation ( who access media in a completely
different way).