h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just saw/heard at my Dutch T.V. that the "Beep" has to cut down a lot of money. That means the loss of 1800 employees, on a total of 23 thousand.

They should become - as I understand - more interactive.

Maybe it's all from well reason, but the best quality television at the globe still comes from the BBC (and German Arte).

I'll instantly invent a god tonight and I'll try him to allure to obstruct this plan.


Greetings from Amsterdam

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7051414.stm

Right I might be being remarkably thick here and sorry to wiser heads if I am but.....

You would think from everything the BBCs budget had been cut or something. But unless I read the news stories wrong at the time isn't the licence fee going up by the rate of inflation every year for five years!?!?!?!?!?

Now by my maths that means the BBC will have the same amount of money in real terms in five years time as it does now. Surely?

And if so why sdo they need to cut jobs and orgional tv production? I really just do not understand this at all...

This is tiresome rubbish from the Beeb. Why does it need to become more "interactive"? Where is the demand for this from the public? Is there a wide desire for and great potential in interactivity (something TV audiences, in my experience, have shown little enthusiasm for beyond voting on gameshows) or is this media people scrambling after a trend and their own tiresome buzzwords?

>And if so why sdo they need to cut jobs and orgional tv production? I really just do not understand this at all...


In the UK both the beebs detractors and supporters generally tend to ignore that it is, in fact, a business and operates like one (indeed has to otherwise it would go the way of other state-owned giants). When businesses cut jobs and productivity it tends to be because there's a pinch in profits (not really possible in the beeb's case) or because the bosses are awarding themselves payrises and the board has decided to throw huge amounts of money at something other than what their customers are paying them for.

Of course, the beeb will claim it's creating what it's customers *want* but does anyone here want more "interactivity" from the BBC or more high-quality, high-budget TV productions?

For me, that's an extremely easy choice. If I want interactivity I'll go to the only place it belongs - video games.

So it is not that they dont have enough money to do what they do nopw, rather that they are trying to do more and thus cutting back on the current stuff right?

>>
For me, that's an extremely easy choice. If I want interactivity I'll go to the only place it belongs - video games.
<<

Or h2g2

It's an extremely easy choice for me too. Have they said what they mean by interactivity anyway, or is it still at the buzzword but no-one really knows what they mean stage?

Welll there's a lot of money to be saved not running phone-in competitions.

<<"Welll there's a lot of money to be saved not running phone-in competitions.">>

If they're charging for every text message and phone call then I would suspect otherwise.

Not when you get fined millions for the competition not being straight up !

And how much do they pay for hippos swimming in circles ?

The Telegraph broke down where the licence fee goes each month -

49p on websites including this one.
7.54 on the national TV stations.
1.17 on the national radio stations
75p on the 40 odd local BBC radio stations.
1.01 on collecting the fees.

Doesn't say anything about Hippos

Hmmm does not seem like an entirely unreasonable division of the licence fee to me....

A more interesting and telling analysis would have been one that exposed the ammount spent on middle management. A bloated layer of BBC apparatchiks who have little experience outside of the BBC and who coin such meanigfull ditties as Fewer Bigger Better. What does that mean in light of the savage cuts to News. The winner will of course be Murdoch.

Here, here. More creatives, less suits.

Well, it's interesting to see where the proposed cuts are going to be:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7051414.stm#tables

Vision: Factual, children's and entertainment television = 640 - 660 redundancies

...


Professional Services: Marketing, legal, finance etc = Up to 75 redundancies

So, sadly, less creatives, more suits...

The government also has created part of this problem: the BBC has been having to pay for the 'digital changeover' and the new technology required from the licence fee. The government, I believe, told them they had to do this.

So, rather than spending money on pogramme they have had to spend it on technology like the i-whatever it is, streaming to mobile phones. And of course, the programmes on BBC3/BBC4. Having seen some recently now being in a house with digital alot of the stuff is pretty dire and just copies of commercial channel stuff. Like the now traditional 'sister' programme of reality shows: the Strictly Come Dancing thing on BBC2 and even worse the losers interview programme from 'The Restaurant'. Easy lazy filler TV.

Quote; Easy lazy filler TV.

True, but necessary.
One of my daughters produces TV programs in The Netherlands.
She's very passionate and skillful.

Her mother cannot always "understand her".
Item; stupid programs.

"Well", I said, "you don't make stupid programs because you're stupid yourself, but the peergroup of your program is"

Answer; "exactly".


Don't take the word "stupid" very literally/seriously.


Greetings from stupid Amsterdam

Scrap BBC3 and 4 to start with. seems they cater for nothing in particular apart from a lot repeats. Also is there really a need for channels, (either tv or radio), aimed at non-english sectors? Isn't the BBC the British Broadcasting Corpration after all? There are plenty "Ethnic" independant channels around without the BBC financing their own.
Seems to me they need to get back to basics, good drama programming, news, factual programs,things the beeb are good at. They need to stop following the "tabloid" mentality of ITV and the like.
Just my two cents worth.

Whilst I dont particularly care about BBC3 I would object most strongly to the idea of BBC4 closing.

I really feel it caters for a niche not done by *anyone* else in TV. And I doubt anyone other than the BBC could do a tv chanel like BBC4.

Although I haven´t understood all you are talking about( I´m learning English) I´d love to make a comments , even if they are a bit off-topic.

I´ve understood that BBC is going to reduce its budget because some programmes, channels... have not enough audience; etc.

I think that BBC, however needed it is the reform, deserves a permanent government/offical support because of many reasons:
Unlike it happens in Spain, where many institutions care, watch and foster the good use of the Spanish Language, English Language lacks of those institutions ( I think) and for me and many teachers/learners of English the BBC is considered a guide, a lighthouse. Not to mention the endless available resources.

I assume I don´t need to justify why English Language and Brithish culture deserve a organism like the Real Academia de la Lengua or the Instituto Cervantes, I know you have the British Council... ok, that´s not enough. It cannot compares to what BBC means.

BBC is considered a model of what public media should be: not engaged to the transitory political party, quality and assorted programmes...

Quality Programmes: I don´t agree with what Alfredo has mentioned " you don´t make stupid programmes....but the peergroup of your programme is stupid"
TV in Spain is getting full of stupidities, those programmes give money without much investment. People respond easily to gut stimuli. Audience determines what the programme lasts.
Must people be educated to appreciate a good quality programme?
Yes and no.
No, because there have been good programmes and the response was extraordinary. They were Adaptations of great literary works, documentaries... Many illiterate people loved those programmes. Only one channel of the public tv: La 2, offers that kind of tv, but not much.
The problem is that there are a lot of rubbish and little food for good feelings and healthy nutritious enjoyment.

I sincerely wish that BBC improves what it is considered necessary, but please, It must be there, here, everywhere.

Mar

Tabloid mentality, how to shoot yourself in the foot and alienate core audience. Match of the Day on BBC1 on Sunday evening. I rest my case.