To add to Jim's excellent explanation, the TV licence of just over £100 per
household per year also pays for the BBC's 5 national radio stations and a
number of local radio stations. I avidly listen to BBC LondonLive which
includes shows from Ross Allen, Norman Jay, Bob Jones and Coldcut amongst
others.
The licence fee also pays for BBC Online (www.bbc.co.uk) which is reportedly
the most visited web site in Britain.
In recent years the TV licence has come in for criticism as people have to
buy one even if they never watch BBC (in practice unlikely) and commercial
television has had to compete for advertising with the new satellite and
cable channels. Fortunately the Labour government seems to have some
affection for the Beeb and has not thrown it to Rupert Murdoch's dogs. There
is currently a proposal to increase the television output to a total of 7
channels to reflect the digital era.
Richard
P.S. Jim, Ross Allen is great at the moment while I'm trying to do up my
kitchen on those dark winter weeknights.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kerr, Jim [mailto:jkerr@hbase.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 10 January 2001 15:58
To: 'stephanie'
Cc: 'acid-jazz@ucsd.edu'
Subject: RE: How does the BBC work? (was Jazz)
Here are random thoughts:
2 channels, BBC 1 and BBC 2, are sort of government funded (but not in a way
that allows govt to exert direct control in the way of State TV in Eastern
Bloc countries).
Simply put, it works like this: if you own a TV you pay a license fee and
that covers the cost of BBC programming. So the most noticeable difference
to US telly is that there are 2 whole channels with absolutely no
advertising. It's quite blissful to come back and watch after a prolonged
period in the US, I can tell you.
BBC 2 tends to be a the most highbrow of the 5 terrestrial stations.
BBC 1 has a reputation for 'quality' PBS-type programming. You will notice
that most of your PBS costume dramas are co-produced by PBS stations and the
BBC, though in more recent years both BBC 1 and 2 have had to broaden the
appeal of their programming so you can now expect to see mainstream game
show type shlock at some time on most evenings and I guess the most popular
BBC 1 show is the gritty soap Eastenders.
There are 3 independent channels - ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. ITV is
traditionally more populist than both BBC channels. It was the channel that
gave us all Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Channel 4 started some 15 years ago with a remit to provide quality
independent TV. It has a reputation for more multicultural and cutting edge
programming; a lot of successful independent British films have received
some degree of Channel 4 financing.
Channel 5 - launched just a few years ago - is simply tabloid TV.
We are on the threshold of a new TV age with now a significant number of
people with cable or satellite TV - primarily the Murdoch Sky Channels which
have been buying up exclusive rights to show sporting events of interest to
the British public at an alarming rate - and now digital TV.
At the moment there is a lot of hand-wringing in the broadsheet newspapers
about whether the massive expansion in the number of channels which will be
available to digital TV subscribers (and we will certainly be in a US-type
situation where hundreds of specialist domestic as well as foreign channels
become available) is driving quality down.
Don't ask me - I gave up watching years ago. Radio is much more interesting.
Oh, and if anyone from the BBC happens to bump into this posting:
WORLDWIDE AT A SENSIBLE HOUR AND NORMAN JAY AND ROSS ALLEN TO DO THE
SATURDAY NIGHT 8 TILL 12 SLOTS PLEASE!
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: stephanie [mailto:nnine@yahoo.com]
Sent: 10 January 2001 15:14
To: ajlist
Subject: How does the BBC work? (was Jazz)
Can anyone across the pond over there explain a bit
about how European tv, specifically British tv, works?
I know it's a completely different system with fewer
chanels, but government funded, with what's generally
considered to be better programming. A German friend
of mine says the programming that would be comparable
to public tc and radio over here is much for
up-to-date and experimental, less stuffy. I assume
the questions about commercialization v/s gov't
control are very different under a system like that.
What do you think of that system? How does it work?
strengths and weaknesses? i know that's a lot of
questions, but i dont' need a thesis, just some
general impressions. =)
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Wed Jan 10 2001 - 18:24:36 CET