Changes to the BBC Public Service Remit

Seems very odd. Would have thought things like "religious services, science shows or arts programming" are pretty much the point of Radio 4 (plus of course The Archers and unfunny 6:30 comedy)

It's not all bad news - maybe they can now scrap Farming Today; why they are allowed the luxury of a daily 15 mins baffles me. Also if they aren't obliged to do religious services they might now think of scraping the awful Thought for the Day.

Just because they're no longer obliged to do these things doesn't mean they'll automatically stop them all. Maybe some of the smaller and less popular things will drop off (maybe they've been waiting for this opportunity to kill a few things) but it's worth waiting to see what actually happens rather than imagining all the worst that could. There'll be time to kick up a fuss directly to the BBC later when we know what we're kicking up a fuss about.

I hope they don't get rid of Thought for the Day otherwise I'd never be forced to get up.

Once upon a time, when I was Young.

ITV had high Quality Drama like Brideshead and every week The South Bank Show.

Channel 4 showed complete Operas, had Documentaries and commissioned real feature films

Capitol Radio had classical programs and a great Sunday night featuring Jazz. They even sponsored and broadcast Wynton Marsalis's first London concert at TFH. And Sinatra at The Docklands Arena.

And the BBC had ....(fill in your own blanks)

The more channels we get, the more they seem the same and the less there is to watch.


The BBC has lost its identity, partly because it's become far too large.

How fabulously pedantic.

A long-term goal of whom?

Of Ofcom?

Of the BBC?

Of you?

Well not me, obvs, and not the BBC!

But you'd have to be pretty blind not to see the way the political winds have been blowing in the long-term - influenced hugely by Murdoch, and cheered on by the BBCs other commercial rivals.

I'm completely with you on all this. One of my most formative TV moments was the 1978 Horizon in which they dismantled an increasingly red-faced Erich von Dainiken regarding his ancient astronauts "theories". Up until the 1990s Horizon remained a compelling science documentary series. Then, in common with most factual (and certainly science) output, it became shallow, superficial and style-obsessed. Now all factual programmes follow a rigid formula aiming for as you say drama. There has to be a lengthy introduction telling you all the stuff you're going to see in the programme anyway, including the obligatory "We'll be taking you... on a journey" and yes the staring-into-the-distance nonsense plus non-stop music, and every whizzy graphic accompanied by whooshing noises. I chanced the volcano documentary on BBC4 last night and it had all of this, and of course the usual delivery that sounds like they're addressing primary school children.

Dear Kathryn do you think you could PM a copy of that "long-term plan"?  Whilst your at it, could you help me further? My mate Julian Assange has asked me if I can get him a copy of the secret plan to sell off the NHS. 


Apparently even he's never actually seen it. I'm assuming you have both?

A bit like a forum post saying "there's a long-term plan" and not substantiating it or even saying whose plan it is!

I'd genuinely be interested to read about this long-term plan so we can all discuss it.

Have you seen the video of him in Florida at the moment - he's soaking wet in the middle of a gale and it looks like he doesn't have any trousers on!

I think you'd like it!

In some areas the BBC has ten layers of management which is unprecedented for any organisation of that size, one would hope financial constraints might induce them to reform their management structure though one fears they will choose instead to cut their output.

I did! It's so wrong but oh so right.