Current Affairs

[Manoverboard]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month. I was paying Sky a lot more before I cancelled and that was definitely helping to line the pockets of a media plutocrat , somone who has consistently used the power of the Media to promote personal advantage. I do think BBC news and current affairs programmes are dour.

But of course Murdoch has not had anything to do with Sky since 2018, they are now owned by Comcast.

I have a consumer's choice regarding SKY ( plus BT Sport ) and I am very happy to pay their fees. Conversely I am forced to pay for the BBC who are both over bloated and inefficient. This being the case I will criticise it to my heart's content.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month. I was paying Sky a lot more before I cancelled and that was definitely helping to line the pockets of a media plutocrat , somone who has consistently used the power of the Media to promote personal advantage. I do think BBC news and current affairs programmes are dour.

But of course Murdoch has not had anything to do with Sky since 2018, they are now owned by Comcast.

I have a consumer's choice regarding SKY ( plus BT Sport ) and I am very happy to pay their fees. Conversely I am forced to pay for the BBC who are both over bloated and inefficient. This being the case I will criticise it to my heart's content.

Though much more efficient than Sky. Just saying.....

[Jonty S1]

The regular contributors on this forum are probably aware enough to know this! Should you have sky sports in your package access your account online and pause sports. We are saving nearly £100 over the next 3 months. The bonus being that the repeats that are available to view are not blocked.

[Frank Manning]

Part of the reason why I don't have Sky sports is that I doubt if I would get any work done. However I expect to pay for the BBC t.v. local and national, and the various radio stations. Our local Solent radio , is a vitaĺ source of information and entertainment for many blind and partially sighted.

[Ray B]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month.

Frank, I would say that it is terrific value.

[Manoverboard]

I would say it is daylight robbery to charge such a fee during this isolation period and indeed for any period for the elderly and vulnerable in our society.

[Ray B]

Does Sky and other pay channels as well as news papers do as you suggest Moby?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Is the Daily Mail free at the present time? No it is still twice the price of the BBC for just one paper a day.

[Mervyn and Trish]

But on a positive note. Boris is on the mend. Still no doubt a long way to go but in the roght direction.

[Quizzical Bob]

The regular contributors on this forum are probably aware enough to know this! Should you have sky sports in your package access your account online and pause sports. We are saving nearly £100 over the next 3 months. The bonus being that the repeats that are available to view are not blocked.

Thanks for this. I have just gone into my Virgin Media account and paused mine.

Now for my annual haggle over the next year’s charges

[Manoverboard]

Is the Daily Mail free at the present time? No it is still twice the price of the BBC for just one paper a day.

The elderly and vulnerable do not buy papers every day, it is however possible that some local shops in the rural areas will deliver a yesterday's freebee for them to read. Especially during this particularly difficult period.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Don't worry Moby. I realise you are a lost cause. But for me, less than 50p a day for all that the BBC offers, or the day before yesterday's news packaged with 60% adverts for stuff I don't want, maybe if I'm really lucky free from a rural shop (but probably not), it's a no brainer I'm afraid. But each to his own.

[Manoverboard]

Don't worry Moby. I realise you are a lost cause. But for me, less than 50p a day for all that the BBC offers, or the day before yesterday's news packaged with 60% adverts for stuff I don't want, maybe if I'm really lucky free from a rural shop (but probably not), it's a no brainer I'm afraid. But each to his own.

I'm not a lost cause, far from it but there those out there who are less fortunate than either of us.

[Frank Manning]

When I look at where this anti BBC rhetoric is most strident, The Daily Wail's fury's about almost everything, the Express, even the Times, are all guilty. The truth is that the BBC with all its faults is hated because it is such good value in terms of the breadth and depth of its coverage when compared to some of the shallow badly written populist stuff and click bait, which the tabloids publish. They are happy to use the BBC, to quote them, etc., while in the same breath calling for almost certain ruin of a world admired organisation. When they achieve their aim? Unlimited influence and power for newspaper moguls, and editors. It will also be open season for biased populist cant.

People who genuinely cannot afford the fee should be helped of course. But dont kid me that this is a tax. It is excellent value, not just for the individual but for the nation.

[towny44]

Don't worry Moby. I realise you are a lost cause. But for me, less than 50p a day for all that the BBC offers, or the day before yesterday's news packaged with 60% adverts for stuff I don't want, maybe if I'm really lucky free from a rural shop (but probably not), it's a no brainer I'm afraid. But each to his own.

I do not dispute that the BBC is good value for money, we do enjoy quite a lot of their programming. However their news coverage is way too left wing for me, and even their drama seems to be peppered with politically correct innuendo. I imagine even if they did a drama based on Dinosaurs they would find some way to introduce racial stereotyping and issues of slavery.
If they could just go back to producing programmes that can be enjoyed, without introducing a political agenda, even Dr Who is now peppered with human rights and black activists, I worry that the head Dalek will soon sport a Hitler moustache.
Maybe it's me, perhaps I am becoming too paranoid, I think I will have to keep taking the ITV News tablets, and stay away from Laura and Emily and the other anti govt scribes in broadcasting house.

[Manoverboard]

I would say that BBC's Breakfast show has been far more friendly towards their guests and upbeat with lots of good news these past two days, thank you Auntie. Perhaps it is the Producers who generate the bias and aggression ….

Over to Merv for guidance.

[Frank Manning]

John, I can see where you are coming from with political agenda, but I think they are trying too hard for political correctness, and I agree it is irritating. In a world where lots of us dont give a fig for political correctness as long as we aren't being loudly objectionable. Aunty is behaving like a prim Sundayy school teacher, in public. Although as we know she has some rather risque habits.

[Jan Rosser]

I don’t normally get involved in posts like this and my philosophy is to change channels or switch off when I get irritated by the BBC or Sky but this morning I could actually strangle Naga Munchetty - what a bitch - she loves to bring Charlie down with her sarcasm - who cares whether or not he knows the characters from Frozen. Oooooooh rant over

[oldbluefox]

She does it constantly Jan and she's a right b****y know all. Can't stand her.

[Frank Manning]

I agree. She has something of a feminist chip on her shoulder. Always sniping.

[Ray B]

I heard on the morning news that the good old BBC is donating some ventilation machines to the new Nightingale Hospital.
They are coming from the set of Holby. Did not realize that they were real, thought they were just props.

[towny44]

Why do our journos act like little children constantly asking "when are we there", with their repeated demands to know an exit strategy. I do wish that one of the cabinet members answering their questions at the daily briefing was brave and sarcastic enough to give them a real put down.

[Happydays]

I heard on the morning news that the good old BBC is donating some ventilation machines to the new Nightingale Hospital.
They are coming from the set of Holby. Did not realize that they were real, thought they were just props.

They should have been props, no wonder the licence fee goes up

[Happydays]

Why do our journos act like little children constantly asking "when are we there", with their repeated demands to know an exit strategy. I do wish that one of the cabinet members answering their questions at the daily briefing was brave and sarcastic enough to give them a real put down.

I agree with you. They keep asking the same questions. Not an original thought between them!

[Ray B]

All of us mortals know that the end of the lock down will happen when it is the correct time and safe to do so, so as not to create a secondary re infection to the country.
Now I can not see that happening any time soon, so why can't the brain dead press see it.
They need to think their questions through before going ahead and asking stupid repetitive questions. Little rant over.