BBC Switch Off campaign goes viral

[shortbread]

I though it was a quaint campaign on a topic that everyone knew about. Not anymore.....

BBC Switch Off campaign goes viral - Telegraph

CLAIMS that the BBC lacks impartiality are nothing new.

Allegations of biased journalism within the publicly funded broadcaster have been historically made on both the left and right of the political spectrum.

But on Thursday a new social media campaign fuelled by a body of Scottish nationalists to boycott the BBC went viral, prompting a fresh discussion over whether the state broadcaster is biased.

The #BBCSwitchOff campaign is being supported by those who believe that the broadcaster is biased.

A fresh wave of protests began at 6pm on Thursday when it was suggested people switch off the BBC. It was the number one trended hashtag on Twitter on Thursday across the UK with BBCBias also in the top ten. It was a similar story in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...he-publicly-funded-broadcaster-really-biased/

 

[idrizzy]

It's hard to find a news source which isn't biased. It's more damning that it's a obligatory through paying the TV license (£!50 per year) which makes it even more shocking. If there was a way to cancel this and have no BBC then sign me up. Paying for the BBC which clearly supports a certain agenda isn't what I want, and isn't what BBC journalism should be about.

But I guess every viewer has a barcode on their forehead and every vote has a price tag.

 

[barah_admi]

The BBCs anti Corbyn, anti Muslim schtick got old about 4 years ago. I only use the channel to watch the FA cup and...well yeah thats about it.

 

[s28]

I don't wish to boast but I was one of the thousands of participants behind this #BBCSwitchOff campaign

The power of technology is being marshalled incredibly well by activists/clicktivists to take on/subvert/disintermediate traditional media outlets.

We as people are no longer passive observers of politics but can be active participants

 

[shortbread]

It's hard to find a news source which isn't biased. It's more damning that it's a obligatory through paying the TV license (£!50 per year) which makes it even more shocking. If there was a way to cancel this and have no BBC then sign me up. Paying for the BBC which clearly supports a certain agenda isn't what I want, and isn't what BBC journalism should be about.

But I guess every viewer has a barcode on their forehead and every vote has a price tag.

I understand biased news media, but what's annoying is when it's funded by our own money!

Since I never watch the BBC and only watch programmes using other channels' catch-up services, I stopped paying the £150.50 a year TV license fee.

One only needs a TV licence if watching or recording live UK TV or use BBC iPlayer. But that doesn't apply to other catch-up services, so the ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 are legal to use without a licence as long as you're not using them to watch live TV. Also one doesnt need it for subscription services like Netflix, Amazon etc.

One can simply cut the direct debit and stop paying the license fee. Although not obliged you can fill in their online contact form explaining why you have done it, this helps to stop them from sending letters asking for license fees.

Here are the details:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

 

[shortbread]

I don't wish to boast but I was one of the thousands of participants behind this #BBCSwitchOff campaign

The power of technology is being marshalled incredibly well by activists/clicktivists to take on/subvert/disintermediate traditional media outlets.

We as people are no longer passive observers of politics but can be active participants

Agree, the campaign has given the otherwise powerless public a forum to voice their opinion.

Albeit, realistically speaking this will have very little effect of a behemoth like the BBC. Also they are fighting back, recently they announced a multi-million pound tender to run an advertising campaign promoting the license fee. They have also outsourced their debt collection to Capita to chase payments.

Their functioning and decision making now closely represents a private corporate enterprise but one funded by public money! This is an organisation with nearly £5 Billion in annual revenue of which more than 75% is from license fees. In comparison Channel 4 which relies solely on advertising revenue generates £995 million. Despite all this BBC had the audacity to jail a 59 year old chronically ill woman for not paying her license fee!

There is also a petition trying to get 300k signatures:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/end-the-bbc-licence-fee#signature-form

 

[idrizzy]

I understand biased news media, but what's annoying is when it's funded by our own money!

Since I never watch the BBC and only watch programmes using other channels' catch-up services, I stopped paying the £150.50 a year TV license fee.

One only needs a TV licence if watching or recording live UK TV or use BBC iPlayer. But that doesn't apply to other catch-up services, so the ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 are legal to use without a licence as long as you're not using them to watch live TV. Also one doesnt need it for subscription services like Netflix, Amazon etc.

One can simply cut the direct debit and stop paying the license fee. Although not obliged you can fill in their online contact form explaining why you have done it, this helps to stop them from sending letters asking for license fees.

Here are the details:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

My friend used to work for the BBC, and he said that around 95% of the population pay the fee, and he was surprised the number was that high. He also said that if you do send in a letter to say that you won't need the BBC, etc, you can still use it as long as you're not actively using a social media tweeting about it (to which they can link your email address to your TV license, and then send someone over to your house to have a word with you). Even then though if they ask if they can come into your house you can say "no" and they can't do anything about it.

It was pretty interesting. But £150 a year, it's a steep price for some people who don't even watch TV half the time, let alone the BBC. Although I get it for £75 a year.

BBC still offer a good service outside of presenting news though, so I do admire them for that. But their population can easily be expanded if they really focused on their iPlayer platform by giving us archives that will stay on iPlayer forever - for example ALL series of Doctor Who.

 

[shortbread]

My friend used to work for the BBC, and he said that around 95% of the population pay the fee, and he was surprised the number was that high. He also said that if you do send in a letter to say that you won't need the BBC, etc, you can still use it as long as you're not actively using a social media tweeting about it (to which they can link your email address to your TV license, and then send someone over to your house to have a word with you). Even then though if they ask if they can come into your house you can say "no" and they can't do anything about it.

It was pretty interesting. But £150 a year, it's a steep price for some people who don't even watch TV half the time, let alone the BBC. Although I get it for £75 a year.

BBC still offer a good service outside of presenting news though, so I do admire them for that. But their population can easily be expanded if they really focused on their iPlayer platform by giving us archives that will stay on iPlayer forever - for example ALL series of Doctor Who.

The last decent series I saw on BBC was 'Luther', nothing since. Used to like Life on Mars and Top Gear, one is over and the other has got worse.

BBC is way behind in the quality of it's Television productions. The Nature documentaries are spectacular, but apart from that the TV game has moved on and BBC's productions are nowhere near comparison.

 

[idrizzy]

The last decent series I saw on BBC was 'Luther', nothing since. Used to like Life on Mars and Top Gear, one is over and the other has got worse.

BBC is way behind in the quality of it's Television productions. The Nature documentaries are spectacular, but apart from that the TV game has moved on and BBC's productions are nowhere near comparison.

I agree. And not to mention even subscription platforms like Netflix have some of BBC best TV series, like Luther, Planet Earth, etc. Which is why BBC has to add more variety to iPlayer and if they don't it's clear to me anyway that they'll end up having less people pay for the license fee (since it seems like the demographic is that those of the 50+ age bracket pay regardless, whereas the younger generation will be more sceptical and may look at alternative ways for entertainment).

 

[Robert]

The BBC is vulnerable to pressure from whoever is in Government. Under Blair it was leaning to Labour.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

My friend used to work for the BBC, and he said that around 95% of the population pay the fee, and he was surprised the number was that high. He also said that if you do send in a letter to say that you won't need the BBC, etc, you can still use it as long as you're not actively using a social media tweeting about it (to which they can link your email address to your TV license, and then send someone over to your house to have a word with you). Even then though if they ask if they can come into your house you can say "no" and they can't do anything about it.

It was pretty interesting. But £150 a year, it's a steep price for some people who don't even watch TV half the time, let alone the BBC. Although I get it for £75 a year.

BBC still offer a good service outside of presenting news though, so I do admire them for that. But their population can easily be expanded if they really focused on their iPlayer platform by giving us archives that will stay on iPlayer forever - for example ALL series of Doctor Who.

I don't even watch BBC apart from Match of the Day football highlights, and maybe a couple of documentaries now and then, but I still pay my fee. What can I say....I really like Match of the Day.