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I think it's outrageous that we have no choice, we have a tv, therefore we need to pay for a service we may not even use.
We pay over a hundred pounds, yet what they consider to be their best programmes air first on the digital channels, only available at extra cost.
The government has just decided the Beeb will be funded this way for the next ten years, but warned them to improve the quality of their programmes. This is just after they paid 3 million pounds to poach Graham Norton from Channel 4. After spending our money, and not knowing what to do with him, they're getting him to front a spin off of Come Dancing.
There must be loads of talent out there who'd love to work, and bring something new to our screens for a fraction of the cost.
I like Graham Norton by the way, as he let me shoot my ping pong ball on his show!

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P.s. sorry about thread not reading BBC, second time l've done that, & you can't re-edit title.
Less diet coke, more speed!

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Ahh yes but did you read the rest of what the minister had to say? Not only is the licence fee protected for the next ten years but the BBC is encouraged to experiment with internet broadcasting so that the Government can insist on a tax on Personal Computers and hand held devices.

I agree with her about the ridiculous and pointless ratings war with the independent stations. The Beeb also makes a great show of being accountable to the public, but you try and persuade them to change their minds on anything, and all you end up with is a stream of statistics and quotes from "Lifestyle" surveys to prove whatever position they choose to adopt.

I did hope that things would change for the better when Michael Grade took over, but there is precious little evidence of an improvement so far. And I still cant get my head around the idea that it is necessary for them to schedule sporting events on the two main terrestrial channels at the same time. Where is the choice in that?

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It'll be interesting to see what they come up with, in line with the new guidelines.
All the good documentaries they used to do such as 40 minutes, which brought groundbreaking stories to air, they decommissioned. Play for Today, was sometimes brilliant, we're lucky to get one or two good dramas a year, usually adaptations of 'classics.'

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I quite agree. However the Mrs Gaskel thing they did over christmas on BBC 1 was spectacularly well done. The Beeb have always been good at period drama. It is astonishing that they have internationally recognised strengths in certain areas and yet choose to do hardly anything with them.

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l read your comments before how you loved Mrs. Gaskel's 'Our Friends in the North- the early years!'
l'm afraid l disagree.l watched the first one, the costumes were so wrong for the date, l got so grumpy l switched off. Usually, it's spot on with breeches and bodice rippers though.
Where's the next Dennis Potter though? Support new talent, not poach other channels with vast ammounts of our money.

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Why don't you write something? There are plenty of guidlines and examples for new writers on the Beeb's "Get Writing" site. I will happily copy edit for for you.

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l will. l wrote and entered a competition when l was in Scotland, but most of the schemes offer you work placements instead of production.

Sadly l was too late with my idea, for 'Pets Win Prizes!'

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i dont understan how in a demoracy we dont have a choice to have the product or not its a bit like going to asda and been charged for a chicken regardless if you have one in your trolly or not

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That is preposterous! Most people use PCs for a million and one other things. Are they suggesting that something we have used for years is suddenly going to require a licence because something we have no interest in whatsoever is going to become available?

What about PC users overseas tuning in to the BBC sites? How are they going to get their licence fees for that?

This minister wasn't trained by Hyndborg BC was he?

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Apparently they tax PC's in Germany, so presumably that's where the idea comes from.

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As much as l'm not a consevative, l thought we lived in a free market economy- a legacy of Thatcher's. l agree with Chav,[hang out the flags-lol,] we have no choice if we want to pay or not. Put on adverts if they must, and rely on that.
As for a tax on computers, they'll try and sqeeze every last penny out of us. They brought in a window tax in days of old. Brick up your pc's like they did with their windows, when they introduced that!

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No, but it will probably make Gordon Brown feel a lot better at loosing the revenue he used to get when I was a smoker!:D

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I don't see how they would police a tax on computers, unless it was done at point of sale.

We have four computers in our house, one of which is a 486 and is in the loft at the moment, gathering dust (do people still use them?!), another one is for the kids to use, and is not able to connect to the net as the modem cable is knackered.

The other desktop would probably qualify, and I use the laptop for work.

But I have four, does that mean I would have to pay for four, or would it work like a TV licence - one covers everything?