One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I can easily see a big American company making Call The Midwife. They love British talent (to the extent American actors and creatives complain Brits get too many jobs), they like filming in Britain (cheaper, interesting, London), they like British stories (which sell well around the world)
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I can easily see a big American company making Call The Midwife. They love British talent (to the extent American actors and creatives complain Brits get too many jobs), they like filming in Britain (cheaper, interesting, London), they like British stories (which sell well around the world)
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
Call the Midwife is made by a subsidiary of All3Media which is owned by Discovery Media, an American company. The BBC doesn't own it.
I somehow have the feeling there's more videos or leaks coming next week. Whenever there seems to be a bit of a lull or some respite, they always seem to reemerge.
Cummings
"Officials I spoke to in 2021 said to me and others that there were various parties after I left and the PM was aware of them. I have also been told there are other photos of other parties against the rules in 2021, some picturing the PM."
Will Sue Gray be interviewing Cummings as part of her enquiry or would that be too bloody simple ?
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I think also that some of the most pro-BBC are older voters who see it as a great British institution. Like the NHS, or the police, imperfect but part of essential Britishness.
Those opposed are the UK Q-Anon and a younger generation who are simply unbothered, but won't queue up to vote on the issue.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I can easily see a big American company making Call The Midwife. They love British talent (to the extent American actors and creatives complain Brits get too many jobs), they like filming in Britain (cheaper, interesting, London), they like British stories (which sell well around the world)
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
Call the Midwife is made by a subsidiary of All3Media which is owned by Discovery Media, an American company. The BBC doesn't own it.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I think also that some of the most pro-BBC are older voters who see it as a great British institution. Like the NHS, or the police, imperfect but part of essential Britishness.
And it's those people who are holding it back from becoming a private streaming service that dominates UK TV and movie production and exports it globally and brings billions in profits, investment and thousands of high value jobs to the UK owned by a UK company. The licence fee will never allow the BBC to become that globally facing exporter of great UK TV. Instead Netflix has become that.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
I somehow have the feeling there's more videos or leaks coming next week. Whenever there seems to be a bit of a lull or some respite, they always seem to reemerge.
Cummings
"Officials I spoke to in 2021 said to me and others that there were various parties after I left and the PM was aware of them. I have also been told there are other photos of other parties against the rules in 2021, some picturing the PM."
Will Sue Gray be interviewing Cummings as part of her enquiry or would that be too bloody simple ?
The legal blob will dismiss it as too bloody simple because reasons (on which I will continue my submissions this afternoon, m'lud, as this seems a reasonable time to break for lunch). I hope Cummings has already said to Gray "Talk to me" and will report back if refused.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I can easily see a big American company making Call The Midwife. They love British talent (to the extent American actors and creatives complain Brits get too many jobs), they like filming in Britain (cheaper, interesting, London), they like British stories (which sell well around the world)
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
Call the Midwife is made by a subsidiary of All3Media which is owned by Discovery Media, an American company. The BBC doesn't own it.
Hah. QED
I think the show probably started before discovery bought All3, but what it does show is how much US media companies value British TV production. They've poured tens of billions into buying UK production companies and making TV shows here. Like so many of our other industries, we don't see the value where so many others do.
Just catching up with the Sussexes being denied both state or their own funded protection whilst in the UK.
Is the artist formerly known as HRH the Prince Andrew still in receipt of state funded protection? Asking for a friend.
Plenty of people in the UK have bodyguards. How can the British state stop them from having protection ?
I think the state can stop them having armed bodyguards in the UK as having concealed weapons for non police is pretty much a non starter* and having the powers the police bodyguards in Protection Command have.
One can shut down roads and occupy buildings to provide security, other bodyguards cannot.
The BBC is materially incapable of investing the same $10-12bn per year that the big three are pumping into TV show production and that's because it is limited by the licence fee and public funding model. The BBC could be a global powerhouse of TV production but it's not. That's because it can't raise the necessary money and invest in production houses, in house production and it can't cut the waste of having 17 replications of duties.
It may be worth reminding people that the first season of the upcoming Lord of the Rings series on Amazon will cost Amazon more money (£340 M + £182 M for rights) than the entire BBC spends on drama in a year (£289 M for 2021). The BBC funded by the licence fee is a minnow in the TV world. Saving the licence fee will not save the BBC, further inaction will ultimately kill the BBC. If the BBC wants to be a major player in the streaming world, which is what TV is in the 21st century, things do have to change.
Indeed. The lack of understanding about the global media landscape when our MPs and other numpties talk about the BBC and why it should or shouldn't keep the licence fee is laughable. The BBC pretence that £3.7bn per year or a number in that region is enough is also ridiculous. A media organisation today needs £12-15bn in revenue just to feed the media investment beast to create enough output for the following year. The BBC is uniquely placed as the major UK media organisation to take advantage of our huge TV and movie production capability and the dominance of English language media globally, but it has clung onto the licence model for 5 years too long instead of gambling on being a global streaming player.
The BBC also has a GREAT brand. Still. But, as you say, they need to move fast to monetise and scale up, because in 5 years, certainly 10, it will be too late
If they cling on to their present dwindling fee, which is evermore unsustainable, they are doomed to become one of the irrelevant state broadcasters of old Europe, somewhere between RTE in Ireland and RAI in Italy. Still significant at home but dwarfed globally, and increasingly ignored on any wider stage
I actively want the BBC to survive, as a great British institution (and brand). But they need to wise up. To be fair I think plenty of people within the BBC know this. As it is so bloody obvious
Britbox is a step in the right direction. It seems to have enough subscribers to be commissioning some original drama, which is positive.
The BBC's output in drama is incredibly weak, but as you observe, everyone else's is moving that way too.
Britbox has a global reach, it is about to be rolled out in Australia.
The BBC missed a trick with IPlayer. However it looks like they wanted to create a version of IPlayer as far back as 2012 that would have been like Netflix but were stopped by the govt partly due to the public service remit. I read an article on wired earlier today that was talking about it.
Project Kangaroo was the name - it was a JV between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 for a Netflix style service. The Government blocked it on competition grounds. Recently, they have admitted they were wrong.
A bit too late….
BTW, if people think subscription is the answer for the BBC, look at what is happening in France owith the paid subscription service Salto, which combines the equivalent (roughly) of France’s BBC and Channel 4 (it’s more like France’s BBC / ITV combo but hey). Doing very poorly in subscribers (as is Britbox in the U.K.) because people won’t pay for product they think they should be getting for free.
It’s got 2 million outside of the UK and expanding Into S Africa and Australia and 555k in the UK and grown by 10% over the last 12 months.
Not too shabby and it is still growing in a market where you have free on demand catch up services from all main terrestrial channels as well as quite a few on free view. It is losing money though.
One of the issues with Britbox, from my perspective, is that it targets a small segment of the market - older, mostly white, men who think TV was better when they were growing up in the 60s and 70s. It's not easy to run a subscription service that doesn't appeal to women very much or the under 40s at all.
One of the things Netflix has going for it is that it has hugely wide appeal, it really does have something for everyone. For example my dad watches Star Trek and a few other sci-fi shows, my wife watches some of the trash shows like Sexy Beast but also a lot of the documentaries and drama shows. It even has Bollywood movies!
Britbox seems to built on a nostalgic view of Britishness rather than a forwards looking one that takes advantage of the nation's huge resources in TV production.
Well by your yardstick I am their target demographic. I wouldn’t touch it as it doesn’t offer the niche stuff I cannot get elsewhere.
The emphasis on the Britishness is, I suspect, down to it initially launching in the US. It’s biggest market over 1.5 million subscribers. Netflix has a global reach, Britbox is expanding into new territories at a slow pace. It will probably survive but I cannot see it thriving.
It has a great back catalogue to exploit and is offering new original drama too. However they won’t make much original drama until they are making money. No different to SKY in that respect.
Many years ago I took part in a BBC trial for an online service as did a fair few on the Classic TV group I was a member of. I got to see some great material. The sort of stuff you could only get on grainy VHS with time codes burnt in. The market for that sort of thing is probably no more than a few thousand people though.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
I can easily see a big American company making Call The Midwife. They love British talent (to the extent American actors and creatives complain Brits get too many jobs), they like filming in Britain (cheaper, interesting, London), they like British stories (which sell well around the world)
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
Call the Midwife is made by a subsidiary of All3Media which is owned by Discovery Media, an American company. The BBC doesn't own it.
Hah. QED
I think the show probably started before discovery bought All3, but what it does show is how much US media companies value British TV production. They've poured tens of billions into buying UK production companies and making TV shows here. Like so many of our other industries, we don't see the value where so many others do.
Call the Midwife is also really popular in… America
Just catching up with the Sussexes being denied both state or their own funded protection whilst in the UK.
Is the artist formerly known as HRH the Prince Andrew still in receipt of state funded protection? Asking for a friend.
I find this situation with Harry and Meghan to be difficult. They have renounced their royal status, so the question comes as to whether I - as an ordinary citizen - could expect similar treatment from the UK police if I was living in America and came over, and offered to pay for the protection. Since their request apparently includes 'local intelligence', I doubt it.
On the other hand, they are not ordinary citizens, and are a legitimate target - for the scummier sections of the media, if not something more serious.
It may be easier if they did not try to trade off their ex-royal status, whilst saying they are most certainly not royalty (nudge nudge).
Despite not being very sympathetic with their plight, I think we should probably do so - and make sure every penny spent on their security is billed. Also, ensure that 'intelligence' pertaining to the royal family is not made known to them or their security.
Mercifully, we've got some proper politics and polling approaching as Portugal goes to the polls a fortnight today.
Two polls out tonight and both make decent reading for the incumbent Socialists:
The Pitagorica poll (changes from last election):
Socialists: 38.8% (+2.5) Social Democrats: 29.3% (+1.5) ENOUGH (Chega): 7.8% (+6.5) Left Bloc: 6.8% (-2.7) Liberal Initiative: 4.9% (+3.6) Unitary Democratic Coalition: 4.6% (-1.7)
The Aximage poll:
Socialists: 38.1% (+1.8) Social Democrats: 28.5% (+0.7) ENOUGH (Chega): 9.0% (+7.7) Left Bloc: 7.4% (-2.1) Unitary Democratic Coalition: 4.8% (-1.5) Liberal Initiative: 3.7% (+2.4)
Chega won a single seat in Lisbon (the biggest district with 48 MPs followed by Porto with 40 MPs) last time but will do much better. The Socialists were eight short of an overall majority but the Portuguese system (like the Swedish system) requires the opposing bloc to have more than a majority (116) in its own right . I suspect the Socialists and Left Bloc will hold the majority between them.
The leader of Chega is one Andre Ventura who split from the Social Democrats in 2018. He has set Chega up as a socially conservative, nationalist party (you know the score). However, it seems unlikely PSD would ever work with Chega given the personal animosity between Ventura and current PSD leader Raul Rio.
All this means Antonio Costs should be re-elected without too many dramas but nothing, as we've seen here in recent times, can be assumed to be certain.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
On the never-ending BBC debate, I'll say what I've said for years:
Personally, I don't mind paying the licence fee. I get my money's worth. It's worth if for BBC Radio and podcasts alone (which are not actually covered by the fee, but you know what I mean).
However, the world has changed and the BBC (and governmental governance of it) has not changed accordingly. It is unsustainable in its current form - and the sooner it accepts this, the better.
If it does not change radically then we'll lose it - and IMO that'll be a big negative for the country in terms of soft power. But at that point the public won't miss it, as a whole.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
Yes, fuckwit, but 1. If you are talking about trust in media companies, you are basically talking about trust in their news operations. I mean, you don't really think too hard about the trustworthiness of a game show or a soap opera do you? Actually perhaps you do
2. Wankerish emojis about the difference between call the midwife (on the telly) vs the news (on the telly) but you still think it is OK to put the BBC up against colgate palmolive as "trusted brands"?
Are you sure you are intelligent enough to post on here? And it is only extreme natural courtesy which makes me put that as a question.
I somehow have the feeling there's more videos and leaks coming next week.
Hope so, the Ashes are long gone, it is three weeks til the Winter Olympics and we have an international break from proper football too. We need something to entertain us and bet on.
Rangers at Pittodrie on Tuesday.
Out of interest do we have any Rangers fans on PB (I know we've plenty of SNP Types)?
Am personally a fan of Partick Thistle FC.
NOT because I give a blind fiddler's farewell fuck for soccer. Rather, because of the team's mentions in George Macdonald Fraser's "McAuslan" stories!
Quite right too. It's also a crucial get-out-clause in Glasgow if any of the locals start inquiring which team you support, and you aren't too sure which one they do ...
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
Yes, fuckwit, but 1. If you are talking about trust in media companies, you are basically talking about trust in their news operations. I mean, you don't really think too hard about the trustworthiness of a game show or a soap opera do you? Actually perhaps you do
2. Wankerish emojis about the difference between call the midwife (on the telly) vs the news (on the telly) but you still think it is OK to put the BBC up against colgate palmolive as "trusted brands"?
Are you sure you are intelligent enough to post on here? And it is only extreme natural courtesy which makes me put that as a question.
I made the cardinal error of replying to one of your witless comments. I should have seen it for what it was. Baiting to get into an argument so you can resort to abuse. You offer nothing to this group or any discussion you participate in. You deliberately provoke and pick arguments. I’m not Charles. I won’t waste my time on your crap. I won’t lower myself to your level and respond with personal insults. I wish you inner peace and humility. Byeeeee.
On the never-ending BBC debate, I'll say what I've said for years:
Personally, I don't mind paying the licence fee. I get my money's worth. It's worth if for BBC Radio and podcasts alone (which are not actually covered by the fee, but you know what I mean).
However, the world has changed and the BBC (and governmental governance of it) has not changed accordingly. It is unsustainable in its current form - and the sooner it accepts this, the better.
If it does not change radically then we'll lose it - and IMO that'll be a big negative for the country in terms of soft power. But at that point the public won't miss it, as a whole.
The last bit is why I'm really worried, the BBC is on a path of slow decline. To fully fund a what the BBC needs the licence fee probably needs to double or triple which we know isn't going to happen and the only way to do this is to spin it out into a company, dump the public service element into a directly funded taxpayer channel that looks like BBC News but with a few documentaries. BBC1 and BBC2 become subscription only and the subscription buys iPlayer access. iPlayer is offered globally at $12-15 per month for 4K streaming.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
AP - Election overhaul in Alaska aimed at reducing partisanship By BECKY BOHRER
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — As partisan warfare has become the norm in state legislatures and Congress, Alaska is set to embark on an experiment to see if voters themselves can disarm the combatants.
A new election system, narrowly passed by voters in 2020 and set to be used in this year’s races, is aimed at getting candidates to appeal to a broad range of voters beyond their traditional base. The system would end party primaries and send the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, to the general election, where ranked-choice voting would determine a winner. . . .
For the changes to kick in, they must survive a challenge before the Alaska Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on Tuesday.
Critics are challenging the measure’s constitutionality and allege that it would dilute the power of political parties. A state court judge last year upheld the new system.
This year’s midterm ballot will feature races for U.S. Senate, the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and governor. And under a new redistricting plan that also is the subject of litigation, all but one of the legislature’s 60 seats is up for election. All will be subject to the election reforms if the high court allows them. . . .
Alaska lawmakers have a history of crossing party lines to form majorities in the state House or Senate . . . .
An exception to the [usual] Republican grip on power came between 2007 and 2012, a period that included a 10-10 split between Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate, adoption of a new oil tax system under then-Gov. Sarah Palin and a windfall in oil revenue. During that era, Democrats held an edge in the majority coalitions alongside as many as six Republicans.
In 2013, after Republicans reclaimed control of the chamber and with Republicans leading the House and in the governor’s office, oil taxes were rolled back. Since then, Senate majorities have been largely Republican.
As lawmakers struggled with deficits following a tank in oil prices, long-time Republican-led control of the House gave way, starting in 2017, to a series of coalition majorities predominantly comprised of Democrats, even as Republicans were elected to a majority of the seats. The number of Republicans who have been part of the coalitions, however, has fallen from as many as eight in 2019 to just two in the current legislature.
The House has struggled after the last two election cycles to organize a majority, similar to political dynamics that play out in other countries. That has made governing difficult — for example, the chamber took a month to elect a speaker in 2019 and nearly as long last year.
Republicans who joined Democrats and independents as part of a coalition in recent years have faced backlash from within their party. Many of them have been censured, labeled turncoats or lost primaries. . . .
Honestly, guys: mortgage your grannies, rob your kids' piggy banks, empty the client account, prostitute your wives, and pile on Bojo gone by end Q1 at any odds at all.
This the best advice you will ever receive not financial advoce. DYOR. TVOYIMGDAWAU. E&OE.
On the never-ending BBC debate, I'll say what I've said for years:
Personally, I don't mind paying the licence fee. I get my money's worth. It's worth if for BBC Radio and podcasts alone (which are not actually covered by the fee, but you know what I mean).
However, the world has changed and the BBC (and governmental governance of it) has not changed accordingly. It is unsustainable in its current form - and the sooner it accepts this, the better.
If it does not change radically then we'll lose it - and IMO that'll be a big negative for the country in terms of soft power. But at that point the public won't miss it, as a whole.
The last bit is why I'm really worried, the BBC is on a path of slow decline. To fully fund a what the BBC needs the licence fee probably needs to double or triple which we know isn't going to happen and the only way to do this is to spin it out into a company, dump the public service element into a directly funded taxpayer channel that looks like BBC News but with a few documentaries. BBC1 and BBC2 become subscription only and the subscription buys iPlayer access. iPlayer is offered globally at $12-15 per month for 4K streaming.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If the BBC is going to manage a transition to being a global player alongside Netflix it's going to need a very large dose funding to prime the pump. Whatever a new funding model looks like a two-year freeze to its current funding is the worst possible way to start this transition off. It's a route to killing the BBC, not saving it from the tyranny of the licence fee.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
Yes, fuckwit, but 1. If you are talking about trust in media companies, you are basically talking about trust in their news operations. I mean, you don't really think too hard about the trustworthiness of a game show or a soap opera do you? Actually perhaps you do
2. Wankerish emojis about the difference between call the midwife (on the telly) vs the news (on the telly) but you still think it is OK to put the BBC up against colgate palmolive as "trusted brands"?
Are you sure you are intelligent enough to post on here? And it is only extreme natural courtesy which makes me put that as a question.
I made the cardinal error of replying to one of your witless comments. I should have seen it for what it was. Baiting to get into an argument so you can resort to abuse. You offer nothing to this group or any discussion you participate in. You deliberately provoke and pick arguments. I’m not Charles. I won’t waste my time on your crap. I won’t lower myself to your level and respond with personal insults. I wish you inner peace and humility. Byeeeee.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
It would be remiss of the BBC not to have some plans for what to do when the licence fee goes, given the extent of bureaucracy in the organisation. They have had at least since the Peacock report of 1986 to get ready for it.
Interesting comments from this focus group of Conservative voters. I don't know if James Johnson is reliable and unbiased but if these comments are representative of Tory voters' thinking Johnson is toast.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If (If!) the BBC is so bloody popular, then why are its fanbois so afraid of a voluntary subscription model, as opposed to the current COMPULSORY TV Poll Tax?
You pay, you get.
No one gets fined for NOT subscribing to SKY, do they?
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If the BBC is going to manage a transition to being a global player alongside Netflix it's going to need a very large dose funding to prime the pump. Whatever a new funding model looks like a two-year freeze to its current funding is the worst possible way to start this transition off. It's a route to killing the BBC, not saving it from the tyranny of the licence fee.
It’s not going to kill off the BBC. It will focus minds in Broadcasting House. That’s a good thing
The BBC needs to be faced with reality. The licence fee is going. So what replaces it?
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If (If!) the BBC is so bloody popular, then why are its fanbois so afraid of a voluntary subscription model, as opposed to the current COMPULSORY TV Poll Tax?
You pay, you get.
No one gets fined for NOT subscribing to SKY, do they?
You mean, stop the British Broadcasting Company, er... broadcasting?
Interesting comments from this focus group of Conservative voters. I don't know if James Johnson is reliable and unbiased but if these comments are representative of Tory voters' thinking Johnson is toast.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If the BBC is going to manage a transition to being a global player alongside Netflix it's going to need a very large dose funding to prime the pump. Whatever a new funding model looks like a two-year freeze to its current funding is the worst possible way to start this transition off. It's a route to killing the BBC, not saving it from the tyranny of the licence fee.
Privatise it, the BBC is worth tens of billions. That would be more than enough money for the BBC to buyout it's partner production companies and actually own it's library. Start properly remastering the archive and monetise it properly. Sell radio productions to a private company, if they want to keep it going as is then fine, if not let them do what's necessary. Radio and TV are not the same product, one competes with Spotify and the other one competes with Netflix. Having one company try and do both will mean doing neither very well.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
And running into the morning of the funeral. That was a telling little detail, I think.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
For a while I have been thinking it would be glorious if Johnson soldiered on sullying the Conservative brand further. I have no time for the Conservative Party in its UKIP-lite form and the sooner we are rid, the better.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
And running into the morning of the funeral. That was a telling little detail, I think.
Yup, I think where it struck a chord with so many millions is that over the last two years so many of us missed funerals, weddings, birthdays, and other major life moments for those we cared about because we stuck to the rules, just like Her Majesty.
It was a giant fuck you to the country from Boris Johnson and his staff.
Interesting comments from this focus group of Conservative voters. I don't know if James Johnson is reliable and unbiased but if these comments are representative of Tory voters' thinking Johnson is toast.
“I quite liked him at the beginning. I felt confidence during the pandemic, and that he was doing the best for all of us. Now, it’s like, we’ve been made a fool of.”
“It’s the fact that he lied. If he turned round and said “yep, I’ve done it, I’m sorry,” that would have been okay. But he lied. What else has he been lying about?”
“He hides behind this buffoonism of his, that he can get away things if he apologises.”
“Now he’s got Brexit done, I don’t think he’s the person to model the party for the future.”
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
Significant that Telegram has put Loder's statement OUTSIDE their paywall, this ensuring wider distribution?
Reckon that most Tory MPs and many core supporters are already subscribers, but even so . . .
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
For a while I have been thinking it would be glorious if Johnson soldiered on sullying the Conservative brand further. I have no time for the Conservative Party in its UKIP-lite form and the sooner we are rid, the better.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
Even Steve Baker would be better than Boris at the moment
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
For a while I have been thinking it would be glorious if Johnson soldiered on sullying the Conservative brand further. I have no time for the Conservative Party in its UKIP-lite form and the sooner we are rid, the better.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
Steve Baker would be an improvement. He seems honest.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
I am not sure it will
The mps have to be sure that if a vonc occurs he loses or he is in place for 12 month
Patience is a virtue and the next few weeks may well be very dramatic
On the BBC I agree with the licence freeze and why should we have to pay tax to watch it in these days of subscription media
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Yes, I've just read up on him - authentic, reads like a Red Wall MP rather than West Dorset. SW trains man. Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Yes, I've just read up on him - authentic, should be a Red Wall MP rather than West Dorset. SW trains man. Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
I'm going to give him a pass on that, the whips but out a massive misinformation campaign when it came to Owen Paterson, he's a top bloke, no appellate process, his wife committed suicide because of it, go easy on him.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
I think that's actually still produced by an independent UK company. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony snap them up for a few hundred million before their financial year end.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If (If!) the BBC is so bloody popular, then why are its fanbois so afraid of a voluntary subscription model, as opposed to the current COMPULSORY TV Poll Tax?
You pay, you get.
No one gets fined for NOT subscribing to SKY, do they?
You mean, stop the British Broadcasting Company, er... broadcasting?
The public good aspects of broadcasting (non-exclusion and non-rivalry), which cannot be charged for and therefore need subsidy, suggest that the broadcast spectrum be limited to news and other information/education activities which can justify tax funding. The rest of BBC output could be on subscription.
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
You've inadvertently hit on what I was going to post, but coming from a slightly different angle.
I honestly don't know what the best solution for the BBC is but all I would say is you don't get to make substantial changes without other elements also substantially changing.
If it needs to change to survive and thrive then so be it, but when it changes then we can hardly be surprised if it then...changes.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Yes, I've just read up on him - authentic, reads like a Red Wall MP rather than West Dorset. SW trains man. Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
The BBC could surely plug a lot of its future funding gap through advertisement? The windfall for its primetime television would be huge.
Don't get me wrong, I prefer TV/radio with no adverts, but if the TV licence is abandoned then advertising should be an option on the table to fill the gap.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Yes, I've just read up on him - authentic, should be a Red Wall MP rather than West Dorset. SW trains man. Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
I'm going to give him a pass on that, the whips but out a massive misinformation campaign when it came to Owen Paterson, he's a top bloke, no appellate process, his wife committed suicide because of it, go easy on him.
Bloody hell, you've got a copy of the Whips' crib sheet for the Paterson vote?
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
And running into the morning of the funeral. That was a telling little detail, I think.
Yup, I think where it struck a chord with so many millions is that over the last two years so many of us missed funerals, weddings, birthdays, and other major life moments for those we cared about because we stuck to the rules, just like Her Majesty.
It was a giant fuck you to the country from Boris Johnson and his staff.
Relative postponed a wedding about that time, too, come to think of it.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
I think that's actually still produced by an independent UK company. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony snap them up for a few hundred million before their financial year end.
Isn’t it made by Starz? In America?
They do a lot of period drama. They made Spartacus, one of the greatest TV period dramas of all time
Re: contrast between HMQ and the PM, wondering if the latter was influenced by the contrast between her father and BJ's proclaimed role model WSC?
When rationing really started to bite in WW2, the King famously had a line painted on the inside of his bath tube (4" from bottom IIRC) to limit his personal usage of hot water. He also was scrupulous in adherence to other rationing measures for himself and Royal Household.
In contrast, Churchill continued to splash about in a full tub (usually twice a day) and was rather lax (to put it mildly) in rationing his own table.
In his defense, should point out that WSC was working all the time like a dynamo. BJ? Not so much!
Interesting comments from this focus group of Conservative voters. I don't know if James Johnson is reliable and unbiased but if these comments are representative of Tory voters' thinking Johnson is toast.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
Yes, I've just read up on him - authentic, should be a Red Wall MP rather than West Dorset. SW trains man. Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
I'm going to give him a pass on that, the whips but out a massive misinformation campaign when it came to Owen Paterson, he's a top bloke, no appellate process, his wife committed suicide because of it, go easy on him.
Bloody hell, you've got a copy of the Whips' crib sheet for the Paterson vote?
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
I think that's actually still produced by an independent UK company. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony snap them up for a few hundred million before their financial year end.
Isn’t it made by Starz? In America?
They do a lot of period drama. They made Spartacus, one of the greatest TV period dramas of all time
Starz don't make anything. They just licence stuff from media companies.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Brady would never tell. The only thing Journo can do is count public pledges. If some is going to publicly admit a letter, they likely have submitted one.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
For a while I have been thinking it would be glorious if Johnson soldiered on sullying the Conservative brand further. I have no time for the Conservative Party in its UKIP-lite form and the sooner we are rid, the better.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
Even Steve Baker would be better than Boris at the moment
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
For a while I have been thinking it would be glorious if Johnson soldiered on sullying the Conservative brand further. I have no time for the Conservative Party in its UKIP-lite form and the sooner we are rid, the better.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
Steve Baker would be an improvement. He seems honest.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
It's not the popular bits that need protecting. It's the fact that the BBC has a remit to broadcast religious programming when no commercial station would touch it. It's the role it plays in disaster planning and other national crises and so on. There is so much that the BBC does that matters to small groups that would just be lost under a commercial system. We need to decide whether having a national broadcaster is a public good or not and I happen to believe passionately that it is. The fact that this is being rushed in to save the Prime Minister's skin just makes me despair.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
And running into the morning of the funeral. That was a telling little detail, I think.
Yup, I think where it struck a chord with so many millions is that over the last two years so many of us missed funerals, weddings, birthdays, and other major life moments for those we cared about because we stuck to the rules, just like Her Majesty.
It was a giant fuck you to the country from Boris Johnson and his staff.
Relative postponed a wedding about that time, too, come to think of it.
My mother missed the funeral of one of her dearest friend, so did plenty of her kids, siblings, and grandchildren because there was a limit on how many people could attend a funeral during lockdown.
A colleague of mine was married during the pandemic, and she had to retract my invitation, we were both upset about it.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
He's one of our local MPs, an avid Brexiteer and quite far to the right.
He has recently voted to save Paterson, continue to allow water companies to discharge sewage, and he was a Plan B rebel.
Oh, and he thinks the government have had "...a stonking record of success so far" with Brexit and levelling up, according to his words in that article.
So he may not be all bad but he's certainly not all there, either.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
I think you are being nostalgic. These great brands can be made obsolete very quickly by technological change; and where you have an enormous left leaning bureaucracy insulated from reality, that makes things worse.
I used to listen to 6 Music, until they had continuous tributes to BLM from the DJs around the time of George Floyds death, which went completely against the idea of being impartial and objective. So I then stopped listening to the BBC as I cannot tolerate its continuous illiberal woke propoganda and find my music from spotify instead, £12 per month ad and sermon free.
Worth reading the link to the article in the Telegraph, which isn't paywalled. For this chap, the 'insult' to HMQ looks like the final straw. I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
It's funny, PB's pre-eminent monarchist couldn't spot why the parties held the night before Prince Philip's funeral would be so damaging to Boris Johnson.
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Brady would never tell. The only thing Journo can do is count public pledges. If some is going to publicly admit a letter, they likely have submitted one.
I expect if and when all the letters are in, Brady and the 22 Committee will tell Boris to resign with dignity
Indeed, his cabinet may or cabinet resignations could follow
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
If (If!) the BBC is so bloody popular, then why are its fanbois so afraid of a voluntary subscription model, as opposed to the current COMPULSORY TV Poll Tax?
You pay, you get.
No one gets fined for NOT subscribing to SKY, do they?
You mean, stop the British Broadcasting Company, er... broadcasting?
If (If!) the BBC is so bloody popular, then why are its fanbois so afraid of a VOLUNTARY subscription model, as opposed to the current COMPULSORY TV Poll Tax?
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Brady would never tell. The only thing Journo can do is count public pledges. If some is going to publicly admit a letter, they likely have submitted one.
I expect if and when all the letters are in, Brady and the 22 Committee will tell Boris to resign with dignity
Yeah that is the decent thing to do. All the commentators seem to think, as soon as it gets to a vonc it’s curtains for Boris.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Brady would never tell. The only thing Journo can do is count public pledges. If some is going to publicly admit a letter, they likely have submitted one.
Unless journos are counting some people who have privately submitted letters
Interesting comments from this focus group of Conservative voters. I don't know if James Johnson is reliable and unbiased but if these comments are representative of Tory voters' thinking Johnson is toast.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
I think that's actually still produced by an independent UK company. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony snap them up for a few hundred million before their financial year end.
Isn’t it made by Starz? In America?
They do a lot of period drama. They made Spartacus, one of the greatest TV period dramas of all time
Starz don't make anything. They just licence stuff from media companies.
Really?
“Designed as a 16-part limited series, the first eight episodes premiered on May 5, 2019. On June 3, 2019, Starz ordered the remaining eight episodes, which premiered on October 11, 2020. The series finale aired on November 29, 2020.”
“The White Princess Original network Starz (US) The White Princess is a historical drama television miniseries developed for Starz. “
I guess it’s just semantics. What is ‘made’? Certainly looks like Starz commissioned and financed it
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
It's not the popular bits that need protecting. It's the fact that the BBC has a remit to broadcast religious programming when no commercial station would touch it.
As doscussed on many PB threads, the BBC's coverage of social-economic issues has moved very clearly to the right since the 1990's, not only because of indirect government influence, but because of the increasing number of conservatives on these issues actually within the organisation itself, like Tim Davie, Evan Davis, Andrew Neil and Nick Robinson, all of whom in earlier years had personal Conservative connections. At the same time the organisation pays lip service on questions of diversity, resulting in a very strange mix.
On very pressing and urgent, daily social issues , like foodbanks, for instance, both BBC Television and Radio are alternately extremely nervous and uninterested in broaching them compared to twenty years ago.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
Its domestic news coverage and some its drama is blatantly slated to the left. To my mind. Yet at the same time it is patriotic, monarchist, unionist (generally) and very British. So I can see how it might annoy lefties at times
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
I think that's actually still produced by an independent UK company. Though I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony snap them up for a few hundred million before their financial year end.
Isn’t it made by Starz? In America?
They do a lot of period drama. They made Spartacus, one of the greatest TV period dramas of all time
As doscussed on many PB threads, the BBC's coverage of social-economic issues has moved very clearly to the right since the 1990's, not only because of indirect government influence, but because of the increasing number of conservatives on these issues actually within the organisation itself, like Tim Davie, Evan Davis, Andrew Neil and Nick Robinson, all of whom in earlier years had personal Conservative connections. At the same time the organisation pays lip service on questions of diversity, resulting in a very strange mix.
On very pressing and urgent, daily social issues like foodbanks, both BBC Television and Radio are alternately extremely nervous or uninterested in broaching them compared to twenty years ago.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
It's not the popular bits that need protecting. It's the fact that the BBC has a remit to broadcast religious programming when no commercial station would touch it. It's the role it plays in disaster planning and other national crises and so on. There is so much that the BBC does that matters to small groups that would just be lost under a commercial system. We need to decide whether having a national broadcaster is a public good or not and I happen to believe passionately that it is. The fact that this is being rushed in to save the Prime Minister's skin just makes me despair.
Really? If you are a god botherer I can see that pre internet, protected religious broadcasts would be a good thing, but why can't churches put out podcasts these days? It's not like vicars/rabbis/imams have anything else to do except on Sundays/Saturdays/Fridays. Disasters ditto, it can all go on gov.uk these days.
According to the Guardian the BBC licence story was a Dead Cat attempt to save Johnson's sorry hide. The Guardian also says up to 35 letters are already in Brady's mailbox. If you believe Johnson should go, I urge you all lobby your Conservative MP. Write that email, it'll be done in minutes.
Done.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
Brady would never tell. The only thing Journo can do is count public pledges. If some is going to publicly admit a letter, they likely have submitted one.
I expect if and when all the letters are in, Brady and the 22 Committee will tell Boris to resign with dignity
Indeed, his cabinet may or cabinet resignations could follow
Possibly. But at least one fly in the ointment - when has Boris Johnson ever done ANYTHING with dignity?
The BBC could surely plug a lot of its future funding gap through advertisement? The windfall for its primetime television would be huge.
Don't get me wrong, I prefer TV/radio with no adverts, but if the TV licence is abandoned then advertising should be an option on the table to fill the gap.
One of the best things about Netflix is that there are no adverts.
It was always something that confused the hell out of me about Sky. You pay £££s for a subscription to this service, in order to have a quantity of adverts that would make ITV blush thrown at you.
Adverts are offering diminishing returns, which is why Youtube are pushing their ad-free subscription option, why ITV are in trouble, why The Guardian will remove their adverts if you offer them tuppence-ha'penny, etc. A move by the BBC to being advertising-funded would be a sign of managed decline, rather than a transformation that could lead to a sustainable future.
One thing I don't understand about the 'lets undermine the BBC' brigade in Tory party. The BBC makes British/England TV. They should love the stuff: Call the Midwife being tonight's prime example.
Do they seriously think that Apple will make a TV series that worships the world of 1950s and 1960s english nuns and midwives? Dripping with nostalgia?
Archers would be another. They seriously think Netflix would do the Archers?
"Hey, we need to sell some Global Britain shit. We got anything?"
Ah, those well known news shows ‘call the midwife’ and ‘the archers’ as referenced in this thread. 😂😂😂😂
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
I doubt there is a right winger on PB who actually wants the BBC brought down. That would be vandalism. It’s clear lefty bias irritates, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s a great British brand and wields great soft power - for the whole UK
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
The funding model shouldn’t really be a matter of left v right. More what is fair in the modern era of,how we consume media.
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
It's not the popular bits that need protecting. It's the fact that the BBC has a remit to broadcast religious programming when no commercial station would touch it. It's the role it plays in disaster planning and other national crises and so on. There is so much that the BBC does that matters to small groups that would just be lost under a commercial system. We need to decide whether having a national broadcaster is a public good or not and I happen to believe passionately that it is. The fact that this is being rushed in to save the Prime Minister's skin just makes me despair.
"There is so much that the BBC does that matters to small groups that would just be lost under a commercial system."
Is this even really true now that it is possible to produce content really cheaply and upload to YouTube. Many YouTube channels have come about and become popular exactly for this reason, they have found a niche that the mass market seems to overlook or does very poorly.
But because of how accessible camera equipment is, how you can edit at home and that their are platform like YouTube, you can go global with your niche interest and find several 100k other people who share that.
All I see is exactly this. The BBC tries to be everything to everybody and the real hardcore people in say tech, or science etc, go well that's a bit shit or wrong and we actually know this topic, so we will do our own videos.
We have seen it with COVID, Dr John Campbell has had over 400 million views.
Comments
Call The Midwife’s central premise is very strong, and made for TV dramatization. Peaky Blinders is a massive hit in America so there’s no aversion to working class UK narratives
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/sep/20/brad-pitt-snoop-dogg-asap-rocky-peaky-blinders-steven-knight-gangster-series?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
This is not an argument for demolishing the Beeb, but the idea our stories would not get told without it is silly.
Now, the Archers, there you have me. I doubt Netflix would make that. But it must cost about £30 a year to make so if it’s threatened you could probably make it yourself, in a shed
Those opposed are the UK Q-Anon and a younger generation who are simply unbothered, but won't queue up to vote on the issue.
"The 2020 Reuters Digital News Report found the BBC to be the most trusted news brand in the United States."
https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/one-of-americas-most-trusted-media-brands-bbc-world-news-turns-30-today
One can shut down roads and occupy buildings to provide security, other bodyguards cannot.
*Outside head of states/governments.
The emphasis on the Britishness is, I suspect, down to it initially launching in the US. It’s biggest market over 1.5 million subscribers. Netflix has a global reach, Britbox is expanding into new territories at a slow pace. It will probably survive but I cannot see it thriving.
It has a great back catalogue to exploit and is offering new original drama too. However they won’t make much original drama until they are making money. No different to SKY in that respect.
Many years ago I took part in a BBC trial for an online service as did a fair few on the Classic TV group I was a member of. I got to see some great material. The sort of stuff you could only get on grainy VHS with time codes burnt in. The market for that sort of thing is probably no more than a few thousand people though.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-25/whats-on-tv-saturday-call-the-midwife-holiday-special-the-repair-shop-on-discovery
‘Call the Midwife is one of PBS’ most popular shows, reaching over 10 million viewers per episode.’
On the other hand, they are not ordinary citizens, and are a legitimate target - for the scummier sections of the media, if not something more serious.
It may be easier if they did not try to trade off their ex-royal status, whilst saying they are most certainly not royalty (nudge nudge).
Despite not being very sympathetic with their plight, I think we should probably do so - and make sure every penny spent on their security is billed. Also, ensure that 'intelligence' pertaining to the royal family is not made known to them or their security.
Mercifully, we've got some proper politics and polling approaching as Portugal goes to the polls a fortnight today.
Two polls out tonight and both make decent reading for the incumbent Socialists:
The Pitagorica poll (changes from last election):
Socialists: 38.8% (+2.5)
Social Democrats: 29.3% (+1.5)
ENOUGH (Chega): 7.8% (+6.5)
Left Bloc: 6.8% (-2.7)
Liberal Initiative: 4.9% (+3.6)
Unitary Democratic Coalition: 4.6% (-1.7)
The Aximage poll:
Socialists: 38.1% (+1.8)
Social Democrats: 28.5% (+0.7)
ENOUGH (Chega): 9.0% (+7.7)
Left Bloc: 7.4% (-2.1)
Unitary Democratic Coalition: 4.8% (-1.5)
Liberal Initiative: 3.7% (+2.4)
Chega won a single seat in Lisbon (the biggest district with 48 MPs followed by Porto with 40 MPs) last time but will do much better. The Socialists were eight short of an overall majority but the Portuguese system (like the Swedish system) requires the opposing bloc to have more than a majority (116) in its own right . I suspect the Socialists and Left Bloc will hold the majority between them.
The leader of Chega is one Andre Ventura who split from the Social Democrats in 2018. He has set Chega up as a socially conservative, nationalist party (you know the score). However, it seems unlikely PSD would ever work with Chega given the personal animosity between Ventura and current PSD leader Raul Rio.
All this means Antonio Costs should be re-elected without too many dramas but nothing, as we've seen here in recent times, can be assumed to be certain.
The BBC is about more than news.
The BBC brand globally is about far more than news.
“The No 10 party situation is now an embarrassment to me and many of my colleagues”
https://twitter.com/chrisloder/status/1482812366169460741
Personally, I don't mind paying the licence fee. I get my money's worth. It's worth if for BBC Radio and podcasts alone (which are not actually covered by the fee, but you know what I mean).
However, the world has changed and the BBC (and governmental governance of it) has not changed accordingly. It is unsustainable in its current form - and the sooner it accepts this, the better.
If it does not change radically then we'll lose it - and IMO that'll be a big negative for the country in terms of soft power. But at that point the public won't miss it, as a whole.
(RIP: an early victim of Covid.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb59dEHRt5Q
2. Wankerish emojis about the difference between call the midwife (on the telly) vs the news (on the telly) but you still think it is OK to put the BBC up against colgate palmolive as "trusted brands"?
Are you sure you are intelligent enough to post on here? And it is only extreme natural courtesy which makes me put that as a question.
We just want the BBC to thrive and prosper. It really could be a British Netflix, plus all the news and radio stations and the rest. The potential is there but it won’t be realised if the BBC refuses to budge from its license fee model. That’s all
I've never heard of Chris Loder - not a usual suspect, I think. It looks to me like the knives are out for BJ among a lot of his own MPs.
AP - Election overhaul in Alaska aimed at reducing partisanship
By BECKY BOHRER
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — As partisan warfare has become the norm in state legislatures and Congress, Alaska is set to embark on an experiment to see if voters themselves can disarm the combatants.
A new election system, narrowly passed by voters in 2020 and set to be used in this year’s races, is aimed at getting candidates to appeal to a broad range of voters beyond their traditional base. The system would end party primaries and send the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, to the general election, where ranked-choice voting would determine a winner. . . .
For the changes to kick in, they must survive a challenge before the Alaska Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on Tuesday.
Critics are challenging the measure’s constitutionality and allege that it would dilute the power of political parties. A state court judge last year upheld the new system.
This year’s midterm ballot will feature races for U.S. Senate, the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and governor. And under a new redistricting plan that also is the subject of litigation, all but one of the legislature’s 60 seats is up for election. All will be subject to the election reforms if the high court allows them. . . .
Alaska lawmakers have a history of crossing party lines to form majorities in the state House or Senate . . . .
An exception to the [usual] Republican grip on power came between 2007 and 2012, a period that included a 10-10 split between Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate, adoption of a new oil tax system under then-Gov. Sarah Palin and a windfall in oil revenue. During that era, Democrats held an edge in the majority coalitions alongside as many as six Republicans.
In 2013, after Republicans reclaimed control of the chamber and with Republicans leading the House and in the governor’s office, oil taxes were rolled back. Since then, Senate majorities have been largely Republican.
As lawmakers struggled with deficits following a tank in oil prices, long-time Republican-led control of the House gave way, starting in 2017, to a series of coalition majorities predominantly comprised of Democrats, even as Republicans were elected to a majority of the seats. The number of Republicans who have been part of the coalitions, however, has fallen from as many as eight in 2019 to just two in the current legislature.
The House has struggled after the last two election cycles to organize a majority, similar to political dynamics that play out in other countries. That has made governing difficult — for example, the chamber took a month to elect a speaker in 2019 and nearly as long last year.
Republicans who joined Democrats and independents as part of a coalition in recent years have faced backlash from within their party. Many of them have been censured, labeled turncoats or lost primaries. . . .
Malik Faisal Akram, who held four people hostage in a synagogue, was originally from Blackburn
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/world-news/texas-synagogue-hostage-taker-understood-22771493
This
the best advice you will ever receivenot financial advoce. DYOR. TVOYIMGDAWAU. E&OE.But think my general point is still correct. Because I think the worst has NOT yet come out . . . yet . . .
https://twitter.com/jamesjohnson252/status/1482739732723515396?s=20
You pay, you get.
No one gets fined for NOT subscribing to SKY, do they?
As for Chris Loder, I'm a huge fan, he used to be a train guard, then worked his way up the rail industry where he was the head of new trains for one of the train companies.
Someone who likes trains that much must be awesome.
I'm kinda regretting this morning's tip, if it turns out be loser, I may have temper my legendary modesty.
The BBC needs to be faced with reality. The licence fee is going. So what replaces it?
I don’t see the BBC as left wing or right wing. I think it is pretty even handed.
However the future of my, and my children's country currently rests in the hands of a dangerous fool. The relatively harmless BBC stunt today demonstrates he will try any old wizard wheeze to save himself, but what is this cornered big dog capable of? Let's just be done with him. Whoever comes next (so long as it isn't Steve Baker) has to be better, and good luck to them.
It was a giant fuck you to the country from Boris Johnson and his staff.
“I quite liked him at the beginning. I felt confidence during the pandemic, and that he was doing the best for all of us. Now, it’s like, we’ve been made a fool of.”
“It’s the fact that he lied. If he turned round and said “yep, I’ve done it, I’m sorry,” that would have been okay. But he lied. What else has he been lying about?”
“He hides behind this buffoonism of his, that he can get away things if he apologises.”
“Now he’s got Brexit done, I don’t think he’s the person to model the party for the future.”
Reckon that most Tory MPs and many core supporters are already subscribers, but even so . . .
The mps have to be sure that if a vonc occurs he loses or he is in place for 12 month
Patience is a virtue and the next few weeks may well be very dramatic
On the BBC I agree with the licence freeze and why should we have to pay tax to watch it in these days of subscription media
It is also a powerful voice in global media. To stay that way, it must change
Ok I’m gonna watch The Spanish Princess, a drama about Tudor British royalty, with all British talent, shot mainly in Eastern Europe, made by Americans. Later
Mind you, he voted to exonerate Paterson, so he isn't a total goodie, is he?
I honestly don't know what the best solution for the BBC is but all I would say is you don't get to make substantial changes without other elements also substantially changing.
If it needs to change to survive and thrive then so be it, but when it changes then we can hardly be surprised if it then...changes.
Don't get me wrong, I prefer TV/radio with no adverts, but if the TV licence is abandoned then advertising should be an option on the table to fill the gap.
Don't believe anything you read about Brady letters, except MPs saying they have sent one. No way anyone knows any more than that.
They do a lot of period drama. They made Spartacus, one of the greatest TV period dramas of all time
When rationing really started to bite in WW2, the King famously had a line painted on the inside of his bath tube (4" from bottom IIRC) to limit his personal usage of hot water. He also was scrupulous in adherence to other rationing measures for himself and Royal Household.
In contrast, Churchill continued to splash about in a full tub (usually twice a day) and was rather lax (to put it mildly) in rationing his own table.
In his defense, should point out that WSC was working all the time like a dynamo. BJ? Not so much!
Criticism of lockdown parties is now spreading into a general view of Boris and his fitness to govern - perhaps irreversibly so
A colleague of mine was married during the pandemic, and she had to retract my invitation, we were both upset about it.
He has recently voted to save Paterson, continue to allow water companies to discharge sewage, and he was a Plan B rebel.
Oh, and he thinks the government have had "...a stonking record of success so far" with Brexit and levelling up, according to his words in that article.
So he may not be all bad but he's certainly not all there, either.
I used to listen to 6 Music, until they had continuous tributes to BLM from the DJs around the time of George Floyds death, which went completely against the idea of being impartial and objective. So I then stopped listening to the BBC as I cannot tolerate its continuous illiberal woke propoganda and find my music from spotify instead, £12 per month ad and sermon free.
If he carriages on like this there may be more.
Indeed, his cabinet may or cabinet resignations could follow
“Designed as a 16-part limited series, the first eight episodes premiered on May 5, 2019. On June 3, 2019, Starz ordered the remaining eight episodes, which premiered on October 11, 2020. The series finale aired on November 29, 2020.”
“The White Princess
Original network
Starz (US)
The White Princess is a historical drama television miniseries developed for Starz. “
I guess it’s just semantics. What is ‘made’? Certainly looks like Starz commissioned and financed it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Princess_(miniseries)
On very pressing and urgent, daily social issues , like foodbanks, for instance, both BBC Television and Radio are alternately extremely nervous and uninterested in broaching them compared to twenty years ago.
It was always something that confused the hell out of me about Sky. You pay £££s for a subscription to this service, in order to have a quantity of adverts that would make ITV blush thrown at you.
Adverts are offering diminishing returns, which is why Youtube are pushing their ad-free subscription option, why ITV are in trouble, why The Guardian will remove their adverts if you offer them tuppence-ha'penny, etc. A move by the BBC to being advertising-funded would be a sign of managed decline, rather than a transformation that could lead to a sustainable future.
Is this even really true now that it is possible to produce content really cheaply and upload to YouTube. Many YouTube channels have come about and become popular exactly for this reason, they have found a niche that the mass market seems to overlook or does very poorly.
But because of how accessible camera equipment is, how you can edit at home and that their are platform like YouTube, you can go global with your niche interest and find several 100k other people who share that.
All I see is exactly this. The BBC tries to be everything to everybody and the real hardcore people in say tech, or science etc, go well that's a bit shit or wrong and we actually know this topic, so we will do our own videos.
We have seen it with COVID, Dr John Campbell has had over 400 million views.