I don’t agree with the BBC!
My reaction to the vast cuts at the BBC and why I think most of them are just plain wrong, badly considered and why Mark Thompson should step down:
Reduction of entertainment and comedy on BBC Four – What it is with BBC Three, why is it so lucky at escaping cuts? Here is the deal. Kill BBC Three, take that content and put it on BBC1 and BBC2 to stop the repeats and hand me downs from other channels like Discovery so BBC1 and BBC2 have new original content, which IS being made, just not shown on the channels to bolster up an unwanted and un-needed BBC three. Don’t change BBC 4 too much, it’s working and is a great TV alternative to Radio 4.
Extending CBBC finishing time until 9pm. – Great, much needed and called for by parents, couldn’t agree more.
Half of the BBC websites will close, including Strictly Dance Fever and Street Doctor. – Not a fan of their pretty much useless extra content websites, setup in the internet rush to get SOMETHING online and really not needed, please just make these when they are of REAL use and REALLY needed, not just whenever a show starts.
Fewer bespoke programme websites. – As I say, great.
Defining publicly which areas of activity BBC Online will not undertake. – About time they knew who they were and what they were for!
Closure of 6 Music. – Yep, plenty of commercial competition, no need for it to exist.
Closure of Asian Network. – Outrageous, possibly the worst part of this whole package of cuts. This market is not fully covered by the commercial broadcasters and is much needed by the Asian community in the UK. There should be questions asked in parliament about this one!
Radio 2 must become more distinctive with at least 50% of speech during the daytime. – Well, that should kill the UK’s most popular station. REALLY, if it gets 50% more speech, what is Radio 4 for then? This kills Radio 2 and removes the reason for existing of Radio 4. Awful decision.
Investment in local radio breakfast, mid-morning and drive-time shows – but shared content at other times. – I have real questions about the usefulness and quality of local radio via the BBC, not sure a lot of it is really needed, plenty of local independants. I would make less stations and make them cover larger areas, it’s a difficult one but are they needed really?
1Xtra and Radio 7 to be aligned more closely with their parent stations (Radio 5 live and Radio 4). Radio 7 to be rebranded as Radio 4 Extra. – Radio 7 becomes Radio 4 with filler from old radio 4 shows. It’s dead.
The BBC’s commercial arm will move away from publishing magazines in the UK. – So what, they will publish magazines in the rest of the world but us, the people that pay for that original content generation that spawned these magazines will get nothing? Why the penalty to the UK? That REEKS of being political.
Will derive at least two-thirds of its revenue from outside the UK by 2015. – Great, lets have some money coming in, the more the merrier!
Spending on imported programmes and films will be cut by 20% – Strange as they seem to have increased it recently.
