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Oh, so part of the BBC's output is exempt from journalistic integrity?

As for the Beeb's news coverage, that has been accused of having a left-wing bias, from just after the second World War, until the present day.;)

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I’m inclined to agree with you about the World Service.

And I also agree with you about Jonathan Woss. He annoys the heck out if me not for his speech impediment but for his “I am the important one in this programme not you” manner and that sly “who me?” look when he says something smutty.

However you can’t blame him for his salary – you have to blame the corporation for being conned by him. The same goes for Wogan and Chris Evans, although to be fair Chris Evans’ show on Radio 2 at 5 o’clock is entertaining.

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I'm not saying it's exempt, but I really don't personally care what kind of bias Blue Peter has unless it's going to harm the kids who watch it.

For news coverage, yeah, Cyfr said something about a left-wing bias to me earlier but I personally don't see it, though it could be my horrible liberal-tinted glasses blinding me from it! Generally speaking I think they do a good job with neutrality.

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seems the BBC has decided that there are to many white faces on the screen and has decided that 50% of new hires will be from the ethnic minority communities,
BBC in push to hire ethnic minorities - Telegraph

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Arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!:mad:

Until 50% of the population is none white, at present I think the figure is around 10%, then stupid, patronising initiatives like this, only fuel ill feeling.

I hate with a vengence positive discrimination, and now we have the knowledge that we are helping to fund it at the B.B.C.:mad:

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I agree with you on this one mate. Its the racist Police recuiting all over again.

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The best person, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, should always get the job.

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Exactly. At the moment if you are a straight, white, English male you have no chance of a job. I had to wear one of those ninja suits that just show your eyes ( are they called hijab?) at my last interview.

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...and you still get the trolley dolly job with B.A.?

Ridiculous.:D

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What is, the thought of me in a ninja suit?

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Well said. I have some sky programmes, but really resent how they package their mixes. We only watch about 4 programmes, on a regular basis on Sky, but these all fall into seperate mixes, so have to pay £19.00 fro the 'privilege'. I think the quality on most Sky programmes is rubbish, so many repeats. When the BBC HD freesat is launched I will definitely be kicking Sky into touch.

Their customer service department is terrible, you can be on hold for 20 minutes then speak to someone whose grasp of the English Language leaves a lot to be desired. Just grateful, when I have rung them that I have found a geographic number (which doesn't cost me anything to ring) for them on Saynoto0870, rather than pay the inflataed price of calls to their 0870 number (dread to think how much that would cost). Is really annoys me that you can upgrade your package online, but need to speak to a customer advisor to downgrade.

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The tv license is for the signal received in order to view the picture, so regardless of whether you are just watching ITV, Ch4, or Sky or just foreign programmes, it makes no difference, you are still receiving a signal. It is the Goverment that set the license fee, NOT the BBC.

It's really quite simple, if you don't like it & don't want to pay, switch the tv off & get rid, nobody forces you to watch it.

I suspect that if we didn't have a tv license fee, then the goverment would get us in some other way, maybe we wouldn't have the NHS?

Incidently, the lads & lasses in the 2 call centres (Bristol & Darwen) that answer your calls, do exactly just that - they answer calls, they have no say over what letters go out, or any control over Enquiry Officers, or methods of payment.

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I read in the news not too long ago that the TV license is to be phased out by 2017 and replaced with a more general 'entertainment' license that would cover computers and mobile devices.

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The cost of a colour television licence is to rise next month to £139.50, and £47 for a licence for a black and white TV....up £4!!!
Iv just renewed mine at the end of feb, so i dont have to pay that till next year.

Wonder how many havent paid for one?:rolleyes:

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Think I'll get a black & white telly when I go to Uni!
Prefer black & white films anyway and saving 92 quid sounds like a perk :D
Mind you that's if I can get a black and whit telly that is ready for digital switchover. :rolleyes:

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Given the choice of paying for BBC or just having free view I would plump for the free view.
Years ago they argued that there was not enough revenue from adv.to pay for it.Then there were 2 channels using adv. now there are scores of them.Not to mention the BBC advertise on European channels.
Yet another jobs for the boys regime.

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If, as stated by jambutty, the BBC's programming is so great, it should prosper mightily in the open marketplace without the forced contributions of the long suffering British taxpayers.

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But BBC is a shareholder in freeview - in otherwords part of your licence fee goes towards freeview

The Organisation

Freeview is managed by DTV Services Ltd, a company owned and run by its five shareholders - BBC, BSkyB Channel 4, ITV and National Grid Wireless. Launched in October 2002, the Freeview service provides free-to-air digital TV channels, radio stations and interactive services through an aerial.

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You can watch BBC channels online for free hours after its been aired on television and you don't have to pay for a tv licence apparently if the programme is shown after its been aired on telly.

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Whenever I click on a news video clip from the BBC website, the news story is allways preceeded by an advertisment , usually from big oil or an international finance company , I don't know if UK users of the site have this or if it's just reserved for overseas ISPs

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Where did I state that BBC’s programming was great? I stated that the license fee was great value and that is nowhere near the same thing. In that the bulk of the money raised by the license fee goes to fund the BBC in part.

I enjoy listening to BBC Radio 2 or Radio Lancashire during the day and TV during the evenings. I like many of the programmes on all BBC TV channels but I accept that one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

If there were no BBC or it went fully funded by adverts we would still have to pay the license fee to view TV no matter which stations we view.

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I'm actally surprised that no one has mentioned that the BBC is to open its own Arabic TV Channel in opposition to Al jezera (don't know if thats the right spelling) apperantly they tried it before in the 90s but it folded after about 2 years, makes you wonder what the BBC stands for as it does very little for the British. Can I please put an order in for some good news for the TV licence payer, because we never get any.:eek::confused:

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There is nothing surprising about the BBC broadcasting to foreign countries. The BBC World Service has been broadcasting radio programmes to foreign countries for decades and just as importantly people listened. And not just ex-pats or English speaking countries either. Many foreign listeners used the World Service to learn English. In fact donkey’s years ago the World Service had actual English lessons for specific countries.

The BBC does a lot more than most people give them credit for.

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I agree there. I'm learning basic German with BBC online for free. I could only take French and Spanish at school but the German language appeals to me. Anyway, the BBC have been very helpful in that respect.

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The way you've gone to bat for this organization in your various posts certainly implies approval. Would it make you happier if I just deleted the word "programming?" The main point is that you can't legally own a t.v. set in Britain without a license. An alien concept to yours truly.

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Oh dear. Another barrack-room lawyer.

From: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/
Do I need a TV Licence?

-
"You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, digital box, DVD or video recorder, PC, laptop or mobile phone to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV.

If you use a digital box with a hi-fi system or another device that can only be used to produce sounds and can't display TV programmes, and you don't install or use any other TV receiving equipment, you don't need a TV Licence."

There doesn't seem to be anything there to say it's illegal to own a telly.

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Then why does your government go to such pains and expense in order to enforce the licensing laws? Even poor Cyfr, who doesn't own a t.v. is being hounded. If people refuse to buy a license, what happens? Do you end up in court or do they just confiscate the telly?

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People are fined.

The Accrington Observer is full each week of people who were fined for not having a licence.

Though I never understand why people are fined various amounts.

The usual fine seems to be £240.

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The Conservatives might be on to a vote winner, with their proposal not to give the BBC all the proceeds of the licence fee, but to share some of it with other broadcasting companies.


BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Tories plan to share licence fee

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I'm a little surprised that no one has picked up on the fact the the Beeb are sending around 350 personel to the Olympics in China, more than the British Olimpic team themselves, well I suppose Sue Barker will need her hairdresser and Liniker will have some one carrying his stock of crisps:rolleyes:

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Let's hope the 350 plus strong team win some awards for their broadcasting.:D

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It's seems annoying that there is a compulsory charge for TV in todays media world. It could be £136 saved.

Labour MPs seem to have a loathing of the BBC, largely for he Iraq War coverage and anti-government stance it takes but that is the beauty of the BBC. It is the people's channel and I would like that reinforced.

Cameron is spot on - Murdock has too much power

Having been to the USA I would caution against a free market approach. Instead of 6 minutes of ads, they get 16 minutes of ads. Necessary they argue in order that they can generate more money for programme buying.

The ad free BBC makes it difficult for other private channels to increase their ad quantity time.

The fact the BBC are less shackled to dumbed down mass consumption also sets quality standards that other TV companies try to compete with. I shudder when I go to the USA and see the so called choice and free market there.

USA TV news is a disgrace. Fox especially. The BBC sets standards that make British TV the best in the world.

Considering Sky's crappy package is also around £150 per year I think the BBC is good value, with Radio and the best website in the world that projects Britain as a nation to other nations...

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Well now then, mi owd fettlers , I've just dug up this old thread to say after watching the last episode of the BBC program "Cranford' (we get stuff a bit late here) that those who knock the BBC don't know what they are talking about .........absolutly brilliant ............In my opinion there is no way any TV company in the world could produce such good programming , knocks the socks off anything produced this side of the Atlantic , you guys should be proud when you go down to the post office every week and buy that 5/- TV license stamp and stick it on that card ......no but seriously , only the BBC could produce such a good program . ;)

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I couldn’t agree with you more except for one ever so tiny detail. But you wouldn’t be expected to know that, living abroad as you are.

We can’t pay for the TV license at the Post Office any more. We can pay at any shop displaying the Pay Point sign and we get charged £0.50 for the privilege. There’s always DD of course but I don’t like people helping themselves to the money in my bank account.