Author Topic: Corona virus.... the gift that keeps on giving  (Read 9998 times)

Offline Boomer

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Re: Corona virus.... the gift that keeps on giving
« Reply #160 on: April 08, 2020, 04:26:29 AM »
Here the BBC is mostly funded by a "TV Licence" that all households have to pay unless they can PROVE that they don't consume non-commercial BBC content in any way (Radio, TV, WebPages), so I guess you can call it a tax. It costs 157.50UKP per year per household. For that ya get several commercial free TV stations, a couple of internet only TV stations as well as internet catch-up for all stations, a plethora of local, national, and international radio stations, and commercial free access to the BBC website. It sounds expensive when compared to Netflix or Prime, but when you look at the content and breadth of media, it's not that bad.
The BBC does get some government tax money, mostly for providing the BBC World Service Radio and TV stations outside the UK.
The BBC also sells many of it's shows outside the UK, sells licences for show formats, and has several commercial TV Stations under the banner of UKTV. Many of these UKTV stations mostly show repeats of old BBC shows, but some also commission new content.
It's a complex beastie and it's likely that fairly soon the TV Licence will be scrapped and the BBC will become just like all the other commercial TV stations and pander only to the "majority" with boring quiz shows, brain-dead "reality" crap, and endless soaps.  :( They have plenty of these already, but mixed in are some gems that are actually worth watching.
New shows the likes of Top Gear, QI, Horizon, Red Dwarf, and Monty Python will never get made which will be a shame.
Additionally, the BBC will eventually get sold on to a company that has a particular political leaning and that will be the end of one of the few news sources to try to remain neutral.
George "Boomer" Garratt
Wickford, UK


Offline just gone

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Re: Corona virus.... the gift that keeps on giving
« Reply #161 on: April 08, 2020, 09:45:32 AM »
They also are funded by individual donations, corporate grants, fund raisers, etc.  So it is nowhere near 100% government funded.  Of course, trying to figure out how MUCH is government funding is apparently very difficult to determine.  Despite my [not terribly in-depth] research, I still don't know.  But I would guess it is more than 50%.

I'm not sure if there is controversy about the numbers they put out, but they (PBS) say 15% Federal funded. Now what year that's based on etc etc I don't know. So with State and local government adding to the mix it comes to around 31% and some small additional money from Universities some of which are surely Government funded.  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a Government created corporation which supports both PBS and NPR, I'm fairly certain that 100% of the corporation's money comes from the Federal government, but perhaps they have other assets I'm unaware of (i.e. too boring to research by me).

Although I'd hate to see PBS programing disappear, it's use of local broadcasting stations is becoming less and less relevant. As is broadcasting in general. At some point the money may be (depending on ones outlook of whether it should be spent at all) better spent on internet programming.

Here is some documentation I found but once I delved into it I started getting sleepy.  :P

https://www.cpb.org/files/aboutcpb/financials/audited/cpb_combinedstatements_fy19.pdf

https://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials



Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: Corona virus.... the gift that keeps on giving
« Reply #162 on: April 08, 2020, 10:38:56 AM »
I'm back and fully liquored up so the party is over for now for ya'll....it's still in progress with me.  Let's keep this a clean fight with no hitting below the belt from anyone.  I'm going to read all this stuff and then make a determination on what I'm going to do with this thread or not.  I'm feeling much better now.


Reminder, postings in the Open area should not be politicized or polarized.  Don't care who you support or not but things have a tendency to get heated under those conditions.  We have an Arena for those that want to get crazy.  If you need access to it just let us know.   No attacks on anyone or what they believe will be tolerated in Open.  Keep it civil, please.
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Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: Corona virus.... the gift that keeps on giving
« Reply #163 on: April 08, 2020, 10:55:55 AM »
Ok, I've read enough.  Topic locked.
"LOCTITE®"  The original thread locker...  #11  2020 Indian Roadmaster, ABS, Cruise control, heated grips and seats/w/AC 46 Monitoring with cutting edge technology U.N.I.T is Back! Member in good standing with the Knights of MEH.