Paywall for iPlayer?

[Owen Smith]

You think the BBC is left wing. I happen to think they have a right wing bias. That's the problem for a broadcaster trying to do real news, whichever government is in power will hate the BBC for pointing out various things the government does wrong. So the BBC will die by a thousand cuts over the next 30 years, as the pressure from Murdoch funded (legally) MPs means something is taken from the BBC at every General Election.

Personally I believe the BBC's funding levels should be restored to what they were 10 years ago in real terms, including having the S4C and World Service budgets put back. This would be a significant rise in the licence fee and I would be glad to pay it.

The other problem is there are now a lot more over 75s than there used to be, and this will only increase. It should be changed to a free TV licence 10 years after you got your state pension, so it does gradually go up. But once the cost of this is transferred to the BBC it will be almost impossible to ever get the age increased. What happens when a quarter of the population is over 75?

-- 
Owen Smith <owen.smith at cantab.net>
Cambridge, UK

> On 6 Jul 2015, at 20:29, Graham Temple (gmail) <graham.j.temple at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Yes but the BBC have themselves to blame for the current antipathy from the
> present government with their dreadful left wing bias, which was cringing in
> the recent election coverage.  However I do totally agree that if the baby
> goes out with the bathwater it would be a real shame as I agree much of what
> they offer is excellent.
> 
> GT
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: get_iplayer [mailto:get_iplayer-bounces at lists.infradead.org] On Behalf
> Of michael norman
> Sent: 06 July 2015 18:57
> To: get_iplayer at lists.infradead.org
> Subject: Re: Paywall for iPlayer?
> 
> 
>>> 
>>> Mike
>> Some real anti-BBC comments being posted on the forums. While I think 
>> the BBC can be pretty arrogant as an organisation (for example when 
>> dealing with complaints) I'm a great supporter of PBS broadcasting and 
>> I think the range and quality of programmes produced by the 
>> Corporation is just astounding, especially when compared to some of 
>> the dross put out by the Commercial channels. Having spent a fair bit 
>> of time abroad in recent years, I've not come across a broadcaster 
>> which can even come close to rivalling the BBC whether it's radio or 
>> TV. I've never had any dealings with the BBC other than as a viewer so 
>> I cannot comment on whether it's top-heavy with management, etc.
>> 
>> For me, the licence fee is excellent value for money - not a day goes 
>> by without me referring to the BBC website, reading news etc, ditto 
>> listening to radio and viewing TV.  And the iPlayer is now providing 
>> the type of TV I dreamed about 20 years ago (knocking spots off ITV's
>> offering) and, of course, get_iplayer is an invaluable bolt-on. I do 
>> think the loophole that allows viewers to watch TV output online (as 
>> long as it's not live) does need to be plugged. I'm more than happy to 
>> pay the licence fee and would hate any move towards subscriptions fees 
>> whether it's for TV or iPlayer access, equally I would be against any 
>> move to make any of the BBC channels to carry commercials.
>> 
>> Alan
> 
> Agreed, fortunately without having had to experience being abroad without
> the BBC.
> 
> The crucial point I was trying to make in the context of this list was and
> is how does the bbc plug what they perceive as the iPlayer gap.  Its ironic
> that iPlayer is streets ahead technically of all the other catch up
> services, particularly ITVs offering, aside from anything about quality
> content the BBC started the whole thing and have made it work.
> 
> What happens next ? I don't know, I fear the worst.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> get_iplayer mailing list
> get_iplayer at lists.infradead.org
> http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> get_iplayer mailing list
> get_iplayer at lists.infradead.org
> http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer