Watching Stuff online

[reohn2]

Tony Hart and Pat Keysell .Vision on,magic

[pete75]

So there are programs you enjoy. Great. So why should I subsidise programs you enjoy watching ?

Because they're educational? Who knows, and frankly who cares...
If the beeb stops the decline into the mess that is US tv imo that's more than worthwhile. Personally I think radio 4 is worth the money alone.
If it can make cash doing a handful of high quality programs, selling them abroad and filling it's empty space with repeats and cheap tat then I'm good with that too.

As I said, I'm far from convinced that entertainment isn't a public service otherwise why bother with libraries, community sports centres and swimming pools. Why pay for cycle paths, parks and all the subsidies we pay to a plethora of things from wildlife sanctuaries, to areas of exceptional beauty etc etc
If it's all entertainment then why bother? Folk who want it can pay for it surely?

I suspect that a lot of those other things you listed would not exist without government (public) help. But clearly TV does exist without public subsidy (we are already there and already have it). In fact many think that TV would do better without a BBC as they would not have to compete against an organisation not under such commercial pressures.

Ian

Schools and hospitals clearly exist without public subsidy.

[drossall]

The central issue is why subscribing to the BBC should be compulsory based on ownership of hardware devices that do many many other things quite legally legally. Particularly when those other things are useful and sought by many.

Not entirely. The central issue is whether we ignore the law because we don't like it, or obey the law under protest and use our democratic right to try to get it changed.

[Psamathe]

The central issue is why subscribing to the BBC should be compulsory based on ownership of hardware devices that do many many other things quite legally legally. Particularly when those other things are useful and sought by many.

Not entirely. The central issue is whether we ignore the law because we don't like it, or obey the law under protest and use our democratic right to try to get it changed.

I agree - that was the original discussion. But I was responding to comments where the discussion had moved on to.

Ian

[drossall]

Sorry. My bad.