Reply to: Just Discovered 'Bottom'

[Wanderer]

Since when was the BBC budget proportional across the land?

Since never. The majority license fee payers in England have always subsidised the provision of television to viewers in minority areas like Scotland and that's one of the great reasons to be part of the United Kingdom.

What I'm saying is that if Scotland becomes independent then they can keep their licence fee and run their own TV station but I don't see why the BBC would be obliged to provide them with free programming and news coverage. They can't have their cake and eat it too...

Thanks for reminding me the absence of leading news stories when water levels become ankle deep across the south east or trains delayed because someone dropped a crisp packet on the east coast line.

The BBC has great regional news coverage, which region are you receiving the news for? If it's not the Scottish news, then how do you know that there wasn't fantastic coverage of the storms?

As for the disruption, it was well enough reported on the news that the storm caused a complete shut down of the Scottish railway system though it's not that unusual for storms to cause major disruption to travel in Scotland.

As for the damage to the South East, measured in economic terms it's a huge amount larger than Scotland so naturally it's going to get more coverage.

[xoggoth]

Already eaten my share of the Mr Kipling Cake so I guess my weekend excitement is over.

[scooterscot]

My favourite Scottish TV program but it was independent TV: Take the High Road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I smell... sniff sniff

[quackhandle]

Poor old Inverdarroch, he went mental in the face.

qh

[darmstadt]

My favourite Scottish TV program but it was independent TV: Take the High Road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[suityou01]

I though this was a coming out thread.

[scooterscot]

Well, a population of 5 million does not equal 5 million license fee payers but yes, the BBC would lose about 8% of it's license fee income so it would have to make cuts. Shutting down all the Scottish TV broadcasting would more than cover that through, and the BBC will be freed from having to spend a disproportionate amount of the licence fee on content that appeals to a small portion of the fee payers. Much of the content they do produce can be sold on to Scotland adding to the BBC's profits.

As an added bonus, they can also delete Scotland from the weather forecast so we don't have to hear the depressing news about how tulip the weather is up there all the time.

I can't see the downside, really.

Since when was the BBC budget proportional across the land? Even still is sky TV now moving their satellites so as to change their broadcasting footprint? I don't think so.

Thanks for reminding me the absence of leading news stories when water levels become ankle deep across the south east or trains delayed because someone dropped a crisp packet on the east coast line.

Looking forward, Scotland can introduce it's own license fee and pay for Scottish TV out of that and everything will be rosy. However, they will find that as a small country, they don't have enough money to fund their own TV station and they will end up running ads every 10 minutes, making poor quality Scottish soap operas and buying most of their content from other broadcasters (like the BBC). People will deny this of course, but look at other nations with a 5 million population and see what the quality of their TV programming is....

I do miss Taggart depicting some proper Glasgow violence. Viewer discretion advised.

[jmo21]

Rik Mayall does deliver classic British comedy as I remember it so well.

I especially liked his work with Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder goes forth.

Rik (ace heart RAF pilot) addresses the students: "Ask me why I don't wear any underwear"

Private: "Why don't you have any underwear?"

Rik: "Because a pair of pants haven't been invented that will take the
job on. wooooow!!"

He was brilliant as Flashheart in Blackadder 2 as well. Stephen Fry as Colonel Melchet was fantastic too.

[Wanderer]

What happens to BBC license fee when 5 million customers leave their books?

Well, a population of 5 million does not equal 5 million license fee payers but yes, the BBC would lose about 8% of it's license fee income so it would have to make cuts. Shutting down all the Scottish TV broadcasting would more than cover that through, and the BBC will be freed from having to spend a disproportionate amount of the licence fee on content that appeals to a small portion of the fee payers. Much of the content they do produce can be sold on to Scotland adding to the BBC's profits.

As an added bonus, they can also delete Scotland from the weather forecast so we don't have to hear the depressing news about how tulip the weather is up there all the time.

I can't see the downside, really.

Looking forward, Scotland can introduce it's own license fee and pay for Scottish TV out of that and everything will be rosy. However, they will find that as a small country, they don't have enough money to fund their own TV station and they will end up running ads every 10 minutes, making poor quality Scottish soap operas and buying most of their content from other broadcasters (like the BBC). People will deny this of course, but look at other nations with a 5 million population and see what the quality of their TV programming is...

Fair play to the Scots for considering independence, I think they should vote for it. No one in Scotland is ever going to vote Conservative after what Thatcher did to them so no Tory government is ever going to care a tulip about Scotland so it's probably for the best that we split up.

[vetran]

I like the Rik Mayal in the New Statesman.

The New Statesman - Series 1 - Episode 1 - YouTube

"Happiness is a Warm Gun"

should make you laugh. Especially the bit about Bank Robbers.

[NotAllThere]

I noticed Rab C Nesbitt was on TV last night. Which could be the funniest programme ever, but as nobody can understand a word, who knows?

I just put the subtitles on.

[scooterscot]

Lived in Scotland for ten years and have two Jock Kids, so I'm entitled to take the piss, and I can understand Rab now, the best ever was the end of the ep titled offski, when they all get proud scots and sing Flower of Scotland but everyone only knows the first line, pissed myself!!

Oh Flower of Scotland
De de de de
Prince Edwards Army
De de de de..

First time I saw that I was laughing I bed three hours after, kids really worried about me, for some reason it got me!

Ay ya baz

[stek]

I noticed Rab C Nesbitt was on TV last night. Which could be the funniest programme ever, but as nobody can understand a word, who knows?

Lived in Scotland for ten years and have two Jock Kids, so I'm entitled to take the piss, and I can understand Rab now, the best ever was the end of the ep titled offski, when they all get proud scots and sing Flower of Scotland but everyone only knows the first line, pissed myself!!

Oh Flower of Scotland
De de de de
Prince Edwards Army
De de de de..

First time I saw that I was laughing I bed three hours after, kids really worried about me, for some reason it got me!

[VectraMan]

See, if Scotland goes independent you lose all that, and have to watch this list of Scottish Comedy Gold...


List of Scottish Comedy Gold

Billy Connelly sometimes

End of List..

PS, sorry forgot World Cup 1978

I noticed Rab C Nesbitt was on TV last night. Which could be the funniest programme ever, but as nobody can understand a word, who knows?

[stek]

I doubt it. I'm living in Germany and still watch the BBC. Actually don't really watch telly these days, news & sherlock, and the news is becoming far from impartial these days missing much of whats happening in the world in favour of rising water levels & house prices in the south east.

What happens to BBC license fee when 5 million customers leave their books?

I think they make shiitloads selling brand BBC abroad now don't they? I reckon the licence fee is peanuts to BBC plc now....