Now for a sensible answer to a Thorny Problem

AUGUST 3RD, 2010 12:48

Digger on the Ropes

I preface this Blog with the actual date I publish it to highlight the fact that The Other Other Dave finally prompted by the Blindingly Obvious and his acolytes has to be got around to my way of thinking and looks like adopting a policy I have relentlessly promoted for the best part of a decade unless he is overcome by a bout of the collywobbles.

  A mere 5% of viewers originally backed the Digger’s takeover of BSkyB which in essence meant a further erosion of the tele-viewing available for FREE TO AIR, so it became obvious that radical surgery and a new solution was called for.

  What baffles me most of all though, is the way people cough up £30+/month subscriptions on top of the TV licensing fee to watch puerile advertising slogans. It’s bad enough having to suffer it on Freeview, as the big switchover takes off. But to have it shoved down your throat after paying another £30 or so on top of the licence fee. 

  So I’ve conceived a cunning plan. We bring the TV licensing fee due for the coming TV viewing year for the BBC into line for all renewals from 1st Jan 2012. Then we turn the Beeb into a pay per view channel by allowing the licence payers to use the fee, as the entree into the world of digital satellite subscription channels. This way the viewer chooses which service they wish to view. BBC + Freeview or otherwise.

  

   It needs a strict ceiling of course on subscription channel charges, so we finish up with a level playing field and a wide variety of services to choose from.But all in all it puts the viewer in charge rather than rip-off merchants just in it for a free ride

  

  So It makes no sense to pay a licence fee and a further subscription on top to watch Commercial Satellite Subscription channels. So it this would be an appropriate answer, to those fearful of too much TV broadcasting being concentrated in the hands of one big spending channel owner. Especially with BT coming to the party with offers it is difficult to refuse. 

  The BBC recording and programming studios can then be floated off as commercial, film, news, entertainment and sporting venue production companies (IPOs - If you see Syd tell him) and transmissions mostly accomplished via satellite or cable.

That's  what you might call 'Job- Done' and just remember where you read it first?

 Watch this space, I’ll be back!

Daz.