Saturday, 28 August 2010

When The Licence Fee Isn't Enough Any More...

The BBC director-general's whinge about Sky is as predictable as another evening of BBC repeats or cheap reality shows, and about as appetising, but one extract made me take notice:
Thompson also attacked Sky's content, conceding that it had spent heavily on news and sport but saying it had failed to invest enough of its £4.8bn subscription revenues in British programming.
'failed to invest enough'..? To suit whom, Thompson? You?
He said Sky should be forced to pay ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 a fee for carrying their channels on its satellite platform through a "retransmission" charge.
So, as well as sticking your hands in our pockets, you want to stick them in other competing businesses' pockets too? You've got some cheek, I'll say that.

Needless to say, the comments are priceless, with much fretting about the eeeeevil empire of Murdoch. Best comes from someone calling itself ClassConscious, who (after decrying them as capitalist organisations that exist to make profits) believes that "Anyone with a doubt over the negative impacts of the mega news corporations should refer to Noam Chomsky."

Errr, OK, then...
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7 comments:

  1. Longrider28 August 2010 at 13:47

    He said Sky should be forced to pay ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 a fee

    To say that's rich would be an understatement. You've got to admire the gall, though.

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  2. The Grim Reaper28 August 2010 at 15:28

    Sky should pay the likes of ITV to broadcast their shite on their platform?

    Er... Mark Thompson is clearly losing the plot with reality. It would be like me renting a house and then expecting my landlord to pay me to live in his house.

    Idiot.

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  3. Chuckles28 August 2010 at 15:40

    OK, Noam Chomsky.

    Fine, I've referred to him, now what?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brian, follower of Deornoth28 August 2010 at 18:55

    O! O! Grim Reaper! Didn't you realise that the BBC are Wonderful and it is a Privilege to receive their broadcasts, and Sky are Honoured to be allowed to retransmit them?

    ReplyDelete
  5. RantinRab28 August 2010 at 22:36

    I'm so glad I stopped my license Direct Debit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. JuliaM29 August 2010 at 06:33

    "You've got to admire the gall, though."

    In a strange way, yes, you do...

    "...Mark Thompson is clearly losing the plot with reality."

    Well, I suppose when you head up a corporation entitled by law to charge for your product regardless of whether people actually use it or not, you get a bit arrogant....

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  7. David Gillies29 August 2010 at 08:44

    If I am ever forced to live in the UK again one of my sole remaining pleasures will be to not own a TV so I can deny the BBC my license fee.

    ReplyDelete