Afternoon:
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With all the leaden predictability of an EastEnders plotline, the brouhaha over Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross, and those blindingly unfunny phone calls to septuagenarian Andrew Sachs has mutated into a good old row about nonagenarian Auntie and her uncertain future. The BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, came out fighting on Sunday with an impassioned plea: "I do not believe the British public wants us to lose our creative nerve." He admitted the wrongs that had been done but was forthright about the BBC's need to nurture talent and to provide content including risqué content for all licence-fee payers.
Thompson's fire-fighting, Brand's departure, the resignation of Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas and Ross's suspension should all be enough to damp down the flaming old Manuel, except that it's easy to be snide about the BBC and commentators and politicians like the facile more than anything else. Some have chosen to question the licence fee yet again, others propose a two-tier BBC, with the core business of worthy-but-unpopular culture and current affairs, surrounded by commercial networks, pumping out Wossy-style innuendo for the masses.
But if you talk to people within the Corporation they point to the sad fate of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or the still sadder one of National Public Radio in the States. The ABC was weaned off the licence fee and on to an ordinary taxation-based subsidy. The result? With no independent income stream it has withered away to become a shadow of its former self. As for NPR in the States, funded by voluntary contribution, it has all the punch of ailing hospital radio, and relies for its hard-edged news on gulp! the BBC.
No, the Right and the centrist government of the day will always have an instinctual mistrust of the BBC and seek to clip its budgetary wings, because the Corporation remains a glaring anomaly in terms of British institutions: a Soviet-style state broadcaster that operates in a market economy while retaining the right to criticise its masters. By the same token, the Left will also perennially have it in for Auntie on the grounds of her evident establishmentarianism, as well as her newfound willingness to raise her skirts for revenue.
The truth is that the BBC is a great institution precisely because of its anomalousness. Britons are only too willing to defend others of their sacred cows the monarchy, the established Church, the unwritten constitution on this basis but I suspect Auntie is the only one who's really worth it. Certainly, if you asked foreigners, they couldn't give a toss for the other three but they always tune in when London's calling.
Lewis pales into insignificance
Don't cha love Lewis Hamilton and his unswerving ambition to excel at going faster? And don't cha love him because in a week that may see an African-American man win the US presidency, here we have another fabulous role model for disaffected young British black youth?
Er, hang on: without for a second doubting these men's abilities, it could be precisely because they're both light-skinned and Caucasian-featured men of mixed race that they've got so far. In racist societies — and for all the advances, the US and the UK retain many who judge people on the basis of their colour — gradation is everything. Obama may be pale enough for the White House but I suspect Hamilton is way beyond it so far as the black boy racers around my London manor are concerned.
Hordes succumb to mall mania
On Sunday I got as far as Notting Hill Gate, but then, like an exhausted mountaineer, decided I couldn't make it to the summit. I'm talking about the new Westfield shopping centre, natch. Ten years in the making, costing a whopping £1.6 billion, it was opened on Saturday by none other than Boris-the-Bunce, our creditworthy Mayor. How could I fail to succumb to the lure of its 265 shops and 50 restaurants? Simple: my 16-year-old had been the day before and told me the hordes were so vast Shepherd's Bush Tube had to be shut.
What could be the cause of such mania? Was it the prospect of a live appearance by R&B diva Leona Lewis? Or had there been a miraculous resurgence of consumer confidence? The alternative, that even 32 years after Brent Cross opened Londoners were still provincial enough to make a special trip to gawk at some shmatte shops, was too awful to contemplate.
Reader views (43)
The BBC is far better in terms of quality of content, range of content, cutting edge in terms of media technology because of the licence funding set up.
It is not perfect and could do with more transparency - there seems to be a lot of overpaid staff. It should be more accountable.
However, I'm sure that everyone who is complaining has enjoyed some of the BBC's produce and if not, because of the dia content of the free commercial channels, would have paid as much or more than the licence fee for pay per view.
With advertising taking up as much as a third of airtime and viewing being constantly interrupted is there not a cost in quality, even value for money? And what the cost to you or your children's mind from absorbing the bombardment of commercially manipulative ads?
Improve and keep the BBC.
- Aj, Hackney, London
The BBC's creative nerve? Seriously, I'm struggling to think of a single programme I watch on the BBC these days..... nope, in fact, I don't [and in the age of satellite, I could, before anyone points it out!]
- Marianne, SW France
It's too easy to knock the BBC. Ask most people whether they are happy with the Beeb's output and I'm sure they would answer 'not entirely' at the very least. In other words, you certainly can't please everyone.
In Holland, where I used to live, the 'state' channels such as Nederland 1 receive government grants and revenue from advertising. And the result is pretty dire, I can tell you: endless chat shows, political debates, game shows that have been running since the year dot - a lot of it very worthy stuff but tedious to say the least. Here in Norway, we have a licence fee system modeled on the British system and no advertising. Unfortunately the population of Norway is only about 4 1/2 million so even with a licence fee of roughly 200 quid, that doesn't allow a lot of revenue for making quality programs. The Norwegians do their best but the programming is supplemented by the familiar addition of chat shows, political debates and long-running game shows. There simply isn't enough cash to make high-quality programmes on a large scale in either Holland or Norway. And because of the language problem, neither of these countries can benefit much from selling their programmes abroad.
If you want good TV, you have to pay for it. I can see an argument for having perhaps one or two advertising slots per evening (not interrupting the programmes) AND retaining the licensing fee. The more financial resources the BBC has, the more chance there will be a high-quality programmes.
- David Frazer Wray, Oslo, Norway
The sooner the British public no longer have to fund the BBC, the better. We are asked by our councils what our ethnicity is and I think we should know the true political affiliations of the BBC's editorial staff. If the output of the BBC is anything to go on, the collective BBC staff has to be liberal left wing. There is no balance. A lot of the programmes are rubbish.
- William, London
The comparisons are ludicrous - The Monarchy does not peddle left wing propaganda nor does it cost £3bn a year. As for the Church - be serious. On the other hand Mr Self earns a good meal from the BBC from time to time and is therefore hardly an objective commentator in company with most of those called upon by this self serving organisation to defend it.
- Client State, London
I don't know of any dictatorship in this world where the population is forced by law to pay for a broadcasting corporation, except us mugs in the UK. The licence is an anathema in modern society and unethical IMO.
- Real, London
So remind me, how many women with children (well who used to have children) are currently in prison because they couldn't pay their TV licence?
The TV licence was great when it was affordable and the BBC provided quality programs. Neither of those conditions now apply. The BBC no longer provide educational or informative programs on anything like the scale they should and concentrate on commercial activities to the exclusion of all else.
They could provide proper educational programes. Teach languages, computer programs, anything. They do a few good dramas and a lot of rubbish and they harrass and hound many perfectly decent people for the horrific crime of NOT HAVING A TELEVISION.
Stop the TV tax. Make them take adverts like everyone else. They'd have to cut the huge payments to head honcos then, they won't be able to afford them.
- Thalia, london UK
You should think twice before tampering with the system you now have. In America of course all you have to do to watch is purchase a set but everything is paid for by commercial interests.
I envy the system you have and would be happy to pay the liscense fee as my children would be protected from the constant bombardment of commercialism they get every single day over here. And yes Mr. Thompson, its true at least for me, I crave BBC programs and news. Its a far cry better than what we get from our media sources.
- Quentin Cromwell, Swartz Creek USA
The TV licence is a monopoly, any other company would probably be investigated and split up by the government.
The BBC have been allowed to do as they please for far too long, wasting our money in the process.
I was an early adopter of Freeview and Freesat, but I have never watched a single programme on BBC4, BBC Parlinment, CBBC, CBeebies, or Freesat's BBC Alba, and BBC3 is nothing but endless repeats. I'm sure the majority of the population can say the same.
I have no problem with BBC1, BBC2, BBC News (although SkyNews is also on Freeview and just as good if not better), but the rest of these channels are a complete waste of money, and don't get me started on the radio stations!!
Why can't someone end this monopoly?
- Dylan, London
The licence fee will eventually be abolished and it will be the BBC's own fault.
Hardly a day goes by without reports of vast BBC excess and this careless spending of taxpayers money will be their downfall.
Cut the licence fee to £30, force the BBC to divest itself of all business interests and make it provide solely public service broadcasting that commercial channels won't provide.
- Egbert Nobacon, uk
There is no legitimate reason for a tv license in modern times and the concept itself is ridicolous. The BBC must fund itself, only then will it monitor salaries and the content of its programming; when its existance depends on it.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
The question that the zombified BBC [traumatised for a generation since it's deliberate infiltration by down right deceiptful, junketting, soft, squidgy, sugar coated socialists, you know the type Will, that generate
'chloroform for the proletariat' whilst they themselves live an oppulently over indulgent, selfish lifestyle] will always avoid is non-compulsory, FAIRER FUNDING BASED ON ALL it's consumers/VIEWERS options, and whether they choose to opt in or out.
Why has it unquestionably become convenient [and lazily accepted] 'right and fair practise', that a non-licence funding expat [in France say], and now a continental or even worldwide resident [courtesy of i-player] can 'free view' current BBC radio and TV output, all paid for by the 'generous' British Taxpayer?
- Dave, cumbria
The TV Licence fee has as much validity in this multimedia age as would a Newspaper Licence fee. In the days when the BBC was the only broadcaster it may have been a good idea. Now its just another tax.
"Want to read a newspaper, then you need a licence. Fail to produce a Newspaper licence on demand then you get a £1000 fine or 6m in jail. Your Newspaper Licence fee is good value as you will have access to 'The State' - a publication without adverts or commercial sponsorship or (any accountability)"
Stupid idea? Of course it is, so is the TV licence so scrap it now.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Scrap the fee and make them earn their keep in the REAL COMMERCIAL WORLD.
There is no reason to hvae to pay a tax sorry fee in the yaer 2008.
- P I Staker, London
Do NOT make assumptuions on Leona Lewis's performace at the opening of the Westfield Shopping Centre. I queued for HOURS and I was NOT disappointed. Well done, YET AGAIN Leona for your CONSISTENT levels of performance.
ANOTHER black superstar.
- Julian Meteor, Plymouth living in London
Make the BBC a commercial stataion like the rest, maybe then they will learn how to use their resources carefully, instead of abusing tax payers money on the likes of Ross and co.........Its time for change, time for a new goverment also.
- Anne,, Devon
The TV licensing fee is a complete farce.. this should be scrapped.
Why should we be paying the BBC bigwigs--they should earn what they deserve, like the rest of us in this country. Why cannot the audience pay a fee as per view if they like to watch it-like Sky? It must be a democratic process.
As for comments from Robin, the channels cannot deteriorate too much with adverts- people will simply switch off and watch what they like.
- Paribas, Dundee
If you want edgey comedy and news and current affairs then cut the licence fee in half and let's see how a bit of pressure brings out the best in them and gets rid of the greedy ones like Wogan who even charges "Children in Need" for his services. Until the BBC better reflects the British population, and that must mean moving out of London for good, nothing will ever change. And do we really need two newsreaders for every programme and do we really need the interminable adverts for BBC programmes on every half hour? I pay for programmes not self-advertising on a public TV channel, .... talk about madness.
- John Sinclair, Stonehaven, UK
It can be part adverts & part TV tax, & yes - there is no point in the huge BBC website either!
- Abby Grant, UK
the people who are mainly responsible for the attacks on the BBC Poll Tax are the BBC people who enjoy pushing their high pay and jollies down our throats. apparently the BBC needed more people to cover the Olympics than team GB. Is there anyone left in News and current affairs in the UK? Every programme has to send its people to the USA in spite of the BBC telling us how good its USA Reporters are. I saw one comment form a BBC person explaining that on some bus that went round the States each programme paid for its own reporter and it was saving money because otherwise they would each have to hire their own car! The other problem I have is that they ran out of original ideas sometime last week and are just repeating stuff that they have already broadcast.
- Dave, London
i totally agree with nobby clark,
and while we are at it lets do the same with royal mail,if they had to compete on an even playing field instead of being protected by the government they would have to improve the service or go out of business
- Peter, Hartlepool
Perhaps Will Self is correct and the public are content to continue paying for the BBC through the licence fee. The only way to find out is to ask us by way of a referendum. That will introduce accountability to the BBC - something that has been absent for many years.
- Robert, London
Will, there's a very easy solution. Let all those such as you, who like the BBC, pay a subscription to watch it. Those who don't watch it, won't have to pay. More importantly, they won't need to subsidise people like you who wish to watch it. Voila!
- Mike, london
Tell you what: let's scrap the fee and make the BBC earn the right to charge us for its programmes, as Sky has to. I choose not to pay Sky anything each month and would happily do the same for the BBC.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
It might be worth considering keeping the good bits of the BBC - Radio 4 and BBC 1 & BBC 2. Then either close or sell the rest. Pay for what remains from the National Lottery.
Scrap the TV Licence. Nobody asked me if any of the Licence fee/tax should be used to pay for one of the largest internet web sites in the world. If people want to use that then include advertising.
- Simon, London SW5
Those of you who don't want to keep the licence fee obviously haven't seen how bad TV can be in other countries where there is only advertisement based funding.
......... You don;t know what you have until it'd gone
- Robin, London
I didn't listen to the Ross show - but it sounds to me as if it was aired at completely the wrong time. The content was rude but anyone with half a brain would realise that the time of day it was aired was that when elderly, pensionable and those likely to be easy offended would be listening. If they don't know their audience or listeners then they really deserve all they get. They wouldn't air this thing on children's bbc would they!
So yes - there were a lot of stupid people that day, who should pay the penalty.
- Helen, London, London
The ABC in Australia is in much healthier shape than the article suggests, despite government cutbacks and a hostile press. A licence fee is no guarantor of public service broadcasting - New Zealand's broadcasting fee (scrapped in 2000) was only used to fund local programming on TVNZ (a 'state owned enterprise', ie: lowest common denominator commercial station).
- Ken, Croydon
Whenever, I see a great documentary, play, drama, entertainment show on the BBC, I say
"That's why I pay my licence fee"- It's because I do not resent paying for such excellent television.
When I see yet another reality programme, or bingo programme on ITV/Channel 4. I say
"That's why I pay my licence fee"- It's because I pay my licence fee, that I can be safe in the knowledge, that the BBC will continue to provide TV excellence, to protect me from the rubbish that pervades commercial channels.
It seems quite simple to me. Keep the licence fee.
You'll be sorry when the BBC has no regional news, and is full of bingo programmes.
- Drew, Tonbridge
The law surrounding the TV license is out of date. I dont buy into out of date food. Why should buy into the BBC?
- Jc, Glasgow
Well said Will. I'm as happy as anyone to see the Back of Woss and his outrageous salary for a while, but the BBC is the only news and media organisation in this country not beholden to special interest groups. It needs to stop trying to be all things to all people and get back to quality programming. The sheep who bleet about the license fee are just singing Rupert Murdoch's song for him.
- Pete, Southend-on-Sea
I object to paying the licence fee lets scrap it i would.nt miss bbc there is plenty of rubbish to watch on other channels with no licence fee. better watch out bbc there will be a rebellion.
- Elaine Arathoon, manchester
"But if you talk to people within the Corporation they point to the sad fate of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation"
At which point, the ABC stopped being a gravy train for meeja insiders to hire their friends, and they all had to go out and actually DO SOME WORK to support themselves.
"Soviet-style state broadcaster that operates in a market economy while retaining the right to criticise its masters."
Except it doesn't. Ever. It panders to the left and demonises the opposition!
"The BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, came out fighting on Sunday with an impassioned plea: "I do not believe the British public wants us to lose our creative nerve." He admitted the wrongs that had been done but was forthright about the BBC's need to nurture talent"
The BBC does not nurture talent. It actively prevents it! And the last time it had creative nerve was in about 1973!
- Andrew, London
The licence fee works out at about £2.70 a week per household. I would happily pay that just to be able to avoid having to watch adverts every twenty minutes. Not sure how programmes such as 'Blue Planet', 'Top Gear', 'Strictly come dancing' etc are 'minority-centric'. You must be happy in the home counties Frank, don't go to that London it's full of minorities.
- Jon, Camden, London
Duh!
The BBC licence fee might suit you Will but not sure it suits me.
The BBC might as well be called London TV - it so London orientated, like so many institutions (Government) - Regional BBC is just s joke.
Get rid of the Licence fee and get rid of the BBC.
It might be a romantic notion to the 'plum in your throat' minority but the rest of us are happy to see the back of it.
- Steve Carter, Hatherleigh, England
i think one shouldn't pay for license if he already pays for cable!
- Rpv, LONDON
I cannot even see where the legality of a licence fee exists. The European Convention on Human Rights (1948) now part of our Human Rights Act makes it illegal, for everyone has the right to freedom of expression. "This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises."
A right exists to licence the Enterprise, for obvious and good reason, but as I see it a public body cannot make a criminal offence out of not paying for someones thoughts and views freely given and received.
The sooner politicians realised the majority of people in the UK would applaud the scrappng of the fee and the end to the BBC as we know it the happier we would be.
- Peter Oldham, Rochdale, England
Having travelled in Asia and South America, I can say that the last place I would go to for news about the UK is the BBC. All their programmes (BBC World) are focussed on China, India, etc. As a licence-paying Brit abroad I would expect to at least have some news from home, but the BBC are useless. Even the sports news is restricted to snippets (motor-racing, tennis, rugby, cricket, with the occasional high-profile football match mentioned). CNN do a far better job as far as I'm concerned, and they don't charge me a penny (or a cent) !
- Mike, Leeds, UK
"I do not believe the British public wants us to lose our creative nerve."
What's creative about being rude, abusive and not even funny? The BBC is arrogant and complacent - its management, its talent and everybody else who works there.
- Greg, London
Heres a thought how bout they do like UTV, Channel 4, 5 and every single other station out there and charge for advertising, simple and effective, everyone wins.
- Philip, Derry
".. we must save the licence fee"; Otherwise I will lose a source of income!
I resent funding a political entity like the BBC who simply do not represent me. I can see how the Lefty-Liberal Elitist environment appeals to Will Self, but frankly I am sick to death of the minority-centric pandering that my forced tax goes on.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
We should not be forced by law have to pay a tax to watch TV or listen to radio it's nuts. The BBC should raise funds like any other charitable organisation (those who choose to can contribute). The BBC is NOT that important.
- Taxfreetv, London
"if you asked foreigners, they couldn't give a toss for the other three but they always tune in when London's calling."
Let them pay the licence fee then...I object to what is effectively a poll tax, to pay for a station I never watch/listen to.
- Shelly, London
