Not only am I being forced to pay for something I don't watch, now I'm going to be forced to pay for something I cant even understand!!
Currently it's funded from your taxes, so if this goes through you will have the choice of throwing away your telly and not paying for it at all! Much better surely.
Currently it's funded from your taxes, so if this goes through you will have the choice of throwing away your telly and not paying for it at all! Much better surely.
Yeah no surprise there, most of my taxes go to stuff I don't use or want!
That's kinda the point of modern taxation though isn't it.
To a certain extent yes, I don't mind it being spent on things other tax payers benefit from, its when its frittered away on nonsense and used to line the pockets of certain individuals I get annoyed!
Most council chief executives command six figure salaries, its obscene!
Channel 4 has NEVER received any license fee money. They have always been a commercial broadcaster, originally when it was set up they received a subsidy from the ITV networks (much to the annoyance of said networks, and maybe where people might get the idea that it got license fee cash), but around the time Channel 5 started that subsidy was cut-off completely and is now wholly commercially funded.
Not directly, but they have done indirectly on numerous occasions. For example the BBC covered Channel 4s share of the digital switchover costs.
Not really, Channel 5 and ITV paid their share, but C4 complained they couldn't afford it and eventually a deal was struck whereby their contribution came out of the license fee instead.
And, to be honest, the government grants that go to C4 are far more insidious than the license fee, because you have to pay for that, even if you don't own a television at all. Speaking personally though, I'd rather see both scrapped and all TV moved to a solely advertising supported model these days. I think the days of needing public funding for television are long gone.
...I'd rather see both scrapped and all TV moved to a solely advertising supported model these days. I think the days of needing public funding for television are long gone.
The problem with model is that only lowest common dominator TV would get made. Think of any ITV TV programme you've liked from 20-30+ years ago and the chances of that show being made now is practically zero. Remember ITV used to have a public service remit that was identical to the BBC's, and over the past 30 years or so that has progressively eroded by each subsequent government.
National TV totally funded by advertising would consist entirely of identkit reality shows and late night tv gambling/ Babestation type shows (we're seeing this sort of programming now, so its not some hypothetical doomsday scenario). The last two are very cheap to produce and pay for themselves through the phone revenues
I do think that even the commercial stations are producing interesting quality programmes, In among the crowd pleasers. New commissions are important, and overseas sales critical.
Comments
Currently it's funded from your taxes, so if this goes through you will have the choice of throwing away your telly and not paying for it at all! Much better surely.
Yeah no surprise there, most of my taxes go to stuff I don't use or want!
That's kinda the point of modern taxation though isn't it.
To a certain extent yes, I don't mind it being spent on things other tax payers benefit from, its when its frittered away on nonsense and used to line the pockets of certain individuals I get annoyed!
Most council chief executives command six figure salaries, its obscene!
Not directly, but they have done indirectly on numerous occasions. For example the BBC covered Channel 4s share of the digital switchover costs.
I think that example comes under the auspices of this:
Also in 2009 Michael Grade said this 'BBC licence fee should be used to fund Channel 4, says Michael Grade'
And, to be honest, the government grants that go to C4 are far more insidious than the license fee, because you have to pay for that, even if you don't own a television at all. Speaking personally though, I'd rather see both scrapped and all TV moved to a solely advertising supported model these days. I think the days of needing public funding for television are long gone.
National TV totally funded by advertising would consist entirely of identkit reality shows and late night tv gambling/ Babestation type shows (we're seeing this sort of programming now, so its not some hypothetical doomsday scenario). The last two are very cheap to produce and pay for themselves through the phone revenues