Coronavirus

but maybe it's a fair argument to shut it down, like Diego I rarely watch the BBC, despite what Aberdude alludes to most of the time. I also pay the fee, but the BBC over the decades have lost the rights to most sporting events, SKY now dictate, date and times. So if I want to watch those events, I have to pay for them, and I'm struggling to see why the BBC continue to adopt old attitudes. It's a bit like when BBC606 got shut down, they didn't give a shhite about the millions of football supporters. So my view is if I want to watch, I pay for it, if I don't want to watch it, I shouldn't have too. I wouldn't let SKY freeload money of me, so why should I make an exception for the BBC?

 

I never had you down as a 5Live man or am I thinking of Radio 4?

 

You must be thinking of 4
5Live have some great presenters and feature some great interviews. They also have a sense of humour and "normality" in their programmes.
Well worth a listen.

 

As I said I think it's a fair point about paying for something you don't use. It needs to be addressed. But that's different to wanting it shut down. The criticism of those who do, is largely aimed at the news coverage, so for me I'd rather have that element of publicly funded, independent news coverage in a world of politically and financially motivated news media outlets. It may not be perfect but BBC in its news and journalism is still more independent than any other.

 

This is also a fair point and one I’ve heard the Beeb counter with the fact that people pay for news media now online instead of buying papers, they pay for TV channels via numerous platforms etc, and the entire BBC costs around £12 a month, and that’s remaining advert free.

 

I'll check it out. I channel hop most days and listen to some right **** in the morning, so welcome any recommendation.

 

Beware the golf and tennis commentary (which can go on for hours in a big tournament).

Whispering voice, "he's just about to tee off on the fourth" sound of game swish, tock "beautiful shot".
What the **** is that about, some things just don't suit radio but the BBC have to show no bias against anyone

 

I'm tight though mate and I don't want to pay anyone £12 a month. I'll give you an example, when I used to have SKY and paid them silly money, I stopped it all, I kept a basic package (which I now no longer have). I found out through their small print that the free calls is not actually free, but you pay £10 a month for it. The argument pursude as follows, but it's only £10 a month and you get all free calls. But I have a mobile, my calls are all free on that, so why do I need to pay you £120 a year for calls, that I'm not going to make. Hence it was disconnected. I own my own house, paid up mortgage, I'm debt free, there is a reason for that, because I don't let no fooker skank money out of me. I don't buy papers, and I don't subscribe online to anything. The BBC is the only fee, that for some reason is legally allowed to be collected from me. Aside from choices such as water, gas, and electric, but they are all essentials to life, the BBC is not.

 

Wtf! Tbf I think there's a second talksport channel that does that ****. I was driving and saw it and thought, ahh maybe that's dedicated to live match coverage. Tuned in and it was the golf

 

Yeah, when I say shut it down, I don't mean literally. I couldn't care what the BBC report or do tbph, and I'm sure some of it is good stuff, I just don't need it or want it though. Afterall I got to leave our Citizen Smith (Archers) with something to put a smile on his face

 

I can’t argue with that logic tbh mate. Personally I do use the BBC website daily, I do watch some of their TV output, including the news, I sometimes listen to their radio and I do like that all of them don’t carry ads. (Personal bleat incoming here - ****ing newspaper websites and their ridiculous overloading of ads and video content that takes a ****ing age to load and often fails - rant over) and it's costing me £3 a week.

 

I sill get that same feeling when I look at maps in shopping centres and amusement parks that have a sign saying "You are here"

 

You are not legally bound to pay a license fee for the BBC. Just tell them you don't watch live TV, cancel your DD. Answer no mail (and there will be plenty) speak to nobody and never allow BBC sales people in your house, you will be bullied.

 

^^^^^
This. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to read an article from a link to a newspaper, only to give up due to the ads etc.

 

That’s simply not true, if you have a TV and have been paying the licence, then you’ve admitted that you’re liable for the legally enforceable charge. There’s a process to follow if you think you are no longer liable to pay it, and just cancelling your DD ain’t it.

There’s a real irony around the push to stop TV licence evasion being a criminal offence, and thus non payment would be a civil matter for the courts. As in a civil case the judge will rule based solely of the most likely probability, whereas in a criminal case the evidence has to prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

 

This argument about 'You can do this, they can't catch you if you do that, and they're not allowed to do the other' reminds me very much of the cannabis debate: because the laws are barely enforceable, some people are convinced it's legal - it isn't. It's as you say in the TV licence case - the authorities are far too hard pressed to enforce it, and to obtain convictions based on reasonable doubt. When it goes civil though, just like with any debt, the BBC will employ agencies and bailiffs to take you to civil court - that you pay for if you lose, don't forget - and the judge makes a decision (or their ****ing clerk does, that he or she rubber-stamps, in reality ) without being hampered by niceties of juries and doubt.

It may lead to little old grannies having measures like paying it off over the next 100 years at 10p a week, but Joe Public will be hounded as they now are for parking fines and HP loans. AND DON'T FORGET - you pay the bailiffs costs if you lose, not the BBC.

 

Boohoo, was tempted to do a seperate thread for this, but anyway...

https://www.cityam.com/boohoo-shares-plunge-as-major-shareholder-dumps-stock/

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-boohoo-amid-leicester-garment-factory-claims

 

guess you missed this last week then....considering it was plastered on the news way back then.