Polly proposes that Sky should save the BBC's finances

[Guest]

In which Polly Toynbee makes the case for Sky paying what it owes the BBC, thus making up some of what ithe BBC has lost from the hobbled licence fee.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/02/maimed-bbc-parasitic-sky

Spoiler alert: Polly declares that she really enjoyed the recent Great Expectations

[Anna]

Thank you for that, I had no idea "Mrs. T. made the BBC pay £10m a year to be transmitted on the Sky platform, although across the rest of Europe commercial broadcasters pay public broadcasters for the privilege of using their content" That is an absolute scandal! (I don't have Sky, refuse to do so, really only ever watch BBC, ITV irritates too much because of the ads)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In which Polly Toynbee makes the case for Sky paying what it owes the BBC, thus making up some of what ithe BBC has lost from the hobbled licence fee....

Spoiler alert: Polly declares that she really enjoyed the recent Great Expectations

That's two things I agree with her about.

[Mr Pee]

I don't have Sky, refuse to do so

You don't know what you're missing. There's loads of brilliant stuff on Sky, not least the Arts coverage!

[Anna]

You don't know what you're missing. There's loads of brilliant stuff on Sky, not least the Arts coverage!

Is there? I thought it was all sport, movies and American rubbish. So, is there a lot of good quality drama?

[Chris Newman]

You don't know what you're missing. There's loads of brilliant stuff on Sky, not least the Arts coverage!

But you do not get it, Phoebus, old bean. We don't want it and don't care. There is plenty more out there with relatively (in a corrupt world) cleaner suppliers.

[VodkaDilc]

I read this yesterday. Usually I agree with her opinions, but I thought that yesterday's rant was more than a little extreme. In particular I was astonished by the claim that "BBC channels are by far the most watched by Sky subscribers." I find that difficult to believe.

[VodkaDilc]

Is there? I thought it was all sport, movies and American rubbish. So, is there a lot of good quality drama?

A new production of Treasure Island this week; a new series written by Ruth Jones, starting this week; a very gentle, Alan Bennettish comedy set in Weston-super-Mare; and many classic repeats, like Brideshead Revisited. (Yes, I know it was made by ITV, but would they show it these days?)

[aeolium]

In particular I was astonished by the claim that "BBC channels are by far the most watched by Sky subscribers." I find that difficult to believe.

Yes, it looks like a ludicrous claim. Why would they bother to subscribe to Sky if that were the case?

But then I recall a website (now discontinued) which was solely devoted to the recording and correcting of factual and statistical errors in Pollyfilla's columns, so this kind of comment doesn't surprise me.

[Anna]

A new production of Treasure Island this week; a new series written by Ruth Jones, starting this week; a very gentle, Alan Bennettish comedy set in Weston-super-Mare; and many classic repeats, like Brideshead Revisited. (Yes, I know it was made by ITV, but would they show it these days?)

A quick look shows Sky entry level is £20pm. Rather a lot to pay to watch a repeat of Brideshead (if I wanted to) I could just buy the dvd. No, I'm happy with the BBC and ITV 2, 3, 4 have a lot of repeats.

[amateur51]

A quick look shows Sky entry level is £20pm. Rather a lot to pay to watch a repeat of Brideshead (if I wanted to) I could just buy the dvd. No, I'm happy with the BBC and ITV 2, 3, 4 have a lot of repeats.

I'm with you there, kiddo

[Anna]

I'm with you there, kiddo

Ammy, we have a saying here (You may know it?) which is: "I wouldn't give him the drippings off me nose" That is my attitude to Murdoch.

[scottycelt]

It's the football and other sport for me. In a perfect world the BBC would provide this, but it isn't and it doesn't, and there is a load of rubbish on BBC and ITV as well.

Sky News is as least as impartial as BBC News and it's much less PC which is a plus as far as I'm concerned. Why the heck do we always need a man and a woman reading the news? I don't care which sex is doing the reading, but for cripes sakes why can't we just have one?

Also on SKY you get news channels from different countries which I find fascinating ... apart from Fox Noos, of course, which I originally assumed had been included as part of the Comedy Bundle.

[Anna]

It's the football and other sport for me. In a perfect world the BBC would provide this, but it isn't

And as to sport, cricket, ECB sold out to Sky didn't they? Our national game (forget football as it has no interest to me) cannot be seen live, unless you subscribe, but, isn't it the case that cricket is coming back to the BBC? Was there not some Parliamentary debate that said cricket is vital?

[amateur51]

Ammy, we have a saying here (You may know it?) which is: "I wouldn't give him the drippings off me nose" That is my attitude to Murdoch.

I am similarly inclined