3 ms·

I think the sad thing about this story, is the likely deal that Rupert Murdoch will have made with the current UK conservative-led government. The UK Tories do

by lwhi 16y ago

I think the sad thing about this story, is the likely deal that Rupert Murdoch will have made with the current UK conservative-led government. The UK Tories don't like big-government, and they believe that free-enterprise should be encouraged at the expense of public services. The BBC is, quite rightly, a public service - and is unique in its ability to remain relatively impartial and free from commercial pressures. It's successful and provides news coverage that rivals much of the other paid-for news available in the UK. Last year, Mr Murdoch was making large noises about how the BBC's success makes it more difficult for him to profit from his UK news and media wings. In the run up to the election, his suite of media publications supported the Conservative campaign strongly. Now we have a conservative win - we have an announcement that the BBC is going to be cut back severely, possibly with a reduction to it's main source of income (the license fee). Maybe I'm being a bit cynical - but I'm pretty certain this isn't a coincidence. While the BBC is providing a good source of news, and programming - paywall experiments like this are far more likely to fail. However, if the BBC is crippled (as it potentially will be), I think the option of paying for news will seem more and more attractive.

rwmj 16y ago
Or we'll read news from US sites. Or (sadly) we'll just read less news and more HN.
- lwhi 16y ago
  I think we'll always read news - but the places we go to for news will continue to change. Maybe the danger is, that the sources we can choose from won't be subject to the kind of journalistic scrutiny we've all been able to grow used to.
cletus 16y ago
> The BBC is, quite rightly, a public service - and is unique in its ability to remain relatively impartial and free from commercial pressures. This is the idea but in practice doesn't pan out. The government has to approve changes in the UK TV license fees so you find the BBC makes attempts to mollify the sitting government to get its funding increased. > Now we have a conservative win Not exactly. The Conservatives have a minority in the House of Commons in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. I wouldn't exactly say the Lib Dems are partial to any such leanings you may attribute to the Conservatives regarding the media. > Maybe I'm being a bit cynical To be fair, I think you're being both cynical and a little biased. Just look at your language of "at the expense of public services". That's not exactly accurate. The Conservative philosophy is traditionally one of smaller government and lower taxes so many such services are paid for in a more "user pays" kind of system. > However, if the BBC is crippled (as it potentially will be) Anything may "potentially" happen. Nothing has happened here other than conservative publications have supported a conservative Prime Minister. Nothing new there. I would also say that Murdoch's profits in the UK largely come from BSkyB and tabloids such as the Sun rather than the Times.
- lwhi 16y ago
  "This is the idea but in practice doesn't pan out. The government has to approve changes in the UK TV license fees so you find the BBC makes attempts to mollify the sitting government to get its funding increased." I agree that the BBC has tried to ameliorate the current government by changing the visibility of some services in light of the coming changes - but I think that it's understandable, considering the way that commercial entities can (and do) lobby the government to make their will known. It is far easier to strike a deal with a commercial entity, and I think that Conservatives are very aware of this fact. I think it's a case of 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours'. "Not exactly. The Conservatives have a minority in the House of Commons in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. I wouldn't exactly say the Lib Dems are partial to any such leanings you may attribute to the Conservatives regarding the media." The Conservatives have the majority stake in the Con-Lib coalition. I think most would agree that the Liberal agenda is not at the forefront of this new government. "The Conservative philosophy is traditionally one of smaller government and lower taxes so many such services are paid for in a more "user pays" kind of system." I disagree - I don't think that 'user pays' is the most visible result. Historically, private enterprise puts profit before all other considerations. Some services are essential to the entire population - and access needs to be granted regardless of the wealth of each individual citizen. The fact we have the BBC is an amazingly good thing - and I think dismantling of the organisation by this government would be unforgivable. With the sweeping changes across the public sector, the restructuring of the NHS and the latest threat to the future of the BBC, I think the UK is going to end up being irreversibly changed. At the route of all of these changes is a pretty standard Tory philosophy; they're now able to do what they'd like to do, but under the guise of 'austerity'. I do have have a bias - but, as a UK citizen, I have a right to a point of view. Anything _may_ potentially happen .. but I'd argue there's a very specific agenda in place. Remember - up until recently, a lot of Murdoch's publications actually supported Labour ... the situation isn't as straightforward as you make out.

by lwhi 16y ago

rwmj 16y ago

Or we'll read news from US sites. Or (sadly) we'll just read less news and more HN.

lwhi 16y ago
I think we'll always read news - but the places we go to for news will continue to change. Maybe the danger is, that the sources we can choose from won't be subject to the kind of journalistic scrutiny we've all been able to grow used to.

cletus 16y ago

> The BBC is, quite rightly, a public service - and is unique in its ability to remain relatively impartial and free from commercial pressures. This is the idea but in practice doesn't pan out. The government has to approve changes in the UK TV license fees so you find the BBC makes attempts to mollify the sitting government to get its funding increased. > Now we have a conservative win Not exactly. The Conservatives have a minority in the House of Commons in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. I wouldn't exactly say the Lib Dems are partial to any such leanings you may attribute to the Conservatives regarding the media. > Maybe I'm being a bit cynical To be fair, I think you're being both cynical and a little biased. Just look at your language of "at the expense of public services". That's not exactly accurate. The Conservative philosophy is traditionally one of smaller government and lower taxes so many such services are paid for in a more "user pays" kind of system. > However, if the BBC is crippled (as it potentially will be) Anything may "potentially" happen. Nothing has happened here other than conservative publications have supported a conservative Prime Minister. Nothing new there. I would also say that Murdoch's profits in the UK largely come from BSkyB and tabloids such as the Sun rather than the Times.

lwhi 16y ago
"This is the idea but in practice doesn't pan out. The government has to approve changes in the UK TV license fees so you find the BBC makes attempts to mollify the sitting government to get its funding increased." I agree that the BBC has tried to ameliorate the current government by changing the visibility of some services in light of the coming changes - but I think that it's understandable, considering the way that commercial entities can (and do) lobby the government to make their will known. It is far easier to strike a deal with a commercial entity, and I think that Conservatives are very aware of this fact. I think it's a case of 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours'. "Not exactly. The Conservatives have a minority in the House of Commons in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. I wouldn't exactly say the Lib Dems are partial to any such leanings you may attribute to the Conservatives regarding the media." The Conservatives have the majority stake in the Con-Lib coalition. I think most would agree that the Liberal agenda is not at the forefront of this new government. "The Conservative philosophy is traditionally one of smaller government and lower taxes so many such services are paid for in a more "user pays" kind of system." I disagree - I don't think that 'user pays' is the most visible result. Historically, private enterprise puts profit before all other considerations. Some services are essential to the entire population - and access needs to be granted regardless of the wealth of each individual citizen. The fact we have the BBC is an amazingly good thing - and I think dismantling of the organisation by this government would be unforgivable. With the sweeping changes across the public sector, the restructuring of the NHS and the latest threat to the future of the BBC, I think the UK is going to end up being irreversibly changed. At the route of all of these changes is a pretty standard Tory philosophy; they're now able to do what they'd like to do, but under the guise of 'austerity'. I do have have a bias - but, as a UK citizen, I have a right to a point of view. Anything _may_ potentially happen .. but I'd argue there's a very specific agenda in place. Remember - up until recently, a lot of Murdoch's publications actually supported Labour ... the situation isn't as straightforward as you make out.