The Anonymous Widower

Is It a Good Idea to Cut the BBC Licence Fee?

There are reports today, that the government is wanting to cut the BBC licence fee, as we must all make sacrifices in these hard times.

Obviously, it could be good for the country, but we must make sure that the quality of the BBC’s output doesn’t decline.

My viewing habits are I think fairly typical of someone, who is male and reasonably well off, as I have a subscription to Sky Sports, and digital television and  a Sky+ recorder.

• I watch football, cricket, tennis and sometimes other sports on Sky.
• If sport is on the BBC, I usually watch it.  Because there is nothing else to do today, I’m watching the golf, but I’d prefer to be watching football, cricket, tennis or athletics.
• I never watch soaps or any drama series that require you to see all episodes.  Even things like Spooks, which I do like, I rarely watch.
• I watch intelligent quizzes, like Mastermind, University Challenge and QI and sometimes inane ones like Shooting Stars.
• I always check BBC3 and BBC4 for intelligent or interesting programs.
• I watch old comedy and rarely any new stuff, except for things like Have I Got News For You.
• I watch the repeat channels like Dave, for repeats of programs I like.
• I rarely watch films on television, as you should see them in a proper cinema.
• I never watch anything other than sport with adverts.
• I watch a lot of documentaries and history programs.
• I watch a lot of news programs and always start the day with BBC Breakfast.
• I don’t watch property, gardening and makeover shows
• I only watch ITV, if I’m really desperate.
• I listen a lot to BBC Radio 5 Live and I often contribute to programmes with e-mails.

So cutting the licence fee would not affect my viewing much, unless shows that I liked weren’t made anymore.  I worry about BBC Radio 5  and BBC Sport going to  Manchester, as I think that could reduce the quality, as the good commentators and production staff, might not want to move north.  One northern-born Radio 5 presenter said as much very stridently in an off-air comment, that a microphone picked up.  If the north was so good, it would create more jobs without government subsidy, just like London and the greater South East does.

I hope too, that BBC cuts don’t mean that the BBC dumb downs. In fact cuts should mean that programs like East Enders, which are expensive to make should be replaced by something less inane, that would hopefully give ambition and perhaps a degree of education and enlightenment to those less fortunate than myself.

But what we really need is a better way to collect the licence, so that everybody pays and thus it could be reduced without atually reducing the total take to the BBC. Years ago, I proposed a Reverse TV Licence, where the BBC was paid for out of general taxation and if you didn’t have a TV, you got a payment from the government.But with technology now, we could go a lot better. Especially, as we’re all going to have to go digital and many of us will go to satellite or the Internet. Remember, many of us, pay a large subscription for all sorts of services on our mobile phone, but think that all television, music and film should be free.

One thing that has to be born in mind though, is that if the BBC cuts its budget and staff, many of the people affected will not just give up.  They will form their own production companies and make innovative programmes, that will probably broadcast through the Internet. The good ones will be found and promoted by the broadcasters and the amount of material generally available that is worth watching and listening to  will increase.

One point, I should make, is that the BBC sought my cooperation in a new program project.  It droned on for a couple of years and they must have spent a fortune to get no program at all. The program commissioning at the BBC is in my experience, a complete waste of space.  It would be so much better if independent companies took all the risk and then presented them to the BBC and others to broadcast. It would not be easy, but in the end, we’d get much better and more affordable television.

I think it is true to say, that some of the best programs, I have seen over the last few years, were created by independents and promoted by the likes of the BBC and Channel 4.

We live in interesting times.

July 17, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | World | BBC, Entertainment, ITV, Radio, Television