BBC Gone Olympic Mad?

Greebo said:
Yeah things like the fact 20 years ago we only won one gold medal, the fact we are doing way better than even the London Olympics, the fact that we won a gold medal in gymnastics for the first time in 100 years etc
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But hasn't it come at a tremendous financial cost? At a time when young people simply can't get on the housing ladder because we are not building enough starter homes would that money not be better spent on building a better future for young people - just a thought?
 
SPG said:
Horizon is very good.
Dr Who is very good.
Radio 6 music is bloody awesome very good

I dont mind paying my license fee for them tbh.
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And it's still the pinnacle of the art of nature documentary making. No one else even comes close.

And no, planet earth was not the "last decent documentary" they made... ;)

I haven't seen much of the olympics this year because I've been outside, but I'd much rather the BBC had it than any other channel. I like my shows not butchered by advertising and product placement.
 
Billies Bangers said:
But hasn't it come at a tremendous financial cost? At a time when young people simply can't get on the housing ladder because we are not building enough starter homes would that money not be better spent on building a better future for young people - just a thought?
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You could use that argument about pretty much anything that isn't essential - arts, entertainment, academic research that has no material benefit, community schemes that enrich peoples lives rather than materially improve etc etc.

Which is why the lottery is used to fund a lot of such things. This way people are contributing voluntarily rather than using taxpayers money.

The housing situation in this country is a national disgrace and affects a wide cross section of society, not just the young. Not just a need for more starter homes, but more social housing, fairer rents, more housing stock in general. But it won't be solved with the the sorts of sums of money spent on UK Sport which, whilst sizeable, is a tiny drop in the ocean next to what is needed.
 
Billies Bangers said:
But hasn't it come at a tremendous financial cost? At a time when young people simply can't get on the housing ladder because we are not building enough starter homes would that money not be better spent on building a better future for young people - just a thought?
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If young people want to spend their money on lottery tickets tather than houses then so be it.:p

The housing situation in this country is a national disgrace and affects a wide cross section of society, not just the young. Not just a need for more starter homes, but more social housing, fairer rents, more housing stock in general. But it won't be solved with the the sorts of sums of money spent on UK Sport which, whilst sizeable, is a tiny drop in the ocean next to what is needed.
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Yet it's the same worldwide. The same arguments and problems are seen in multiple developed countries. Housing is expensive, whether it's Vancouver, Sydney, New York or London. In areas where jobs are plentiful and wages are higher housing is almost out of reach of young people the world over.

Where I live now the average house price is the same as southern England, because there are jobs and money. My sister can't afford a house in Australia because Sydney is expensive.

If you want a cheap house then ther are plenty of options. Housing is cheap in northern England/Wales/parts of Scotland, just as it is cheap in the small towns away from large cities in Canada, the US and Oz. Problem is there are few non farming/retail/lower paid jobs available in those areas, just as in the UK.

But as you say, a few tens of millions isn't going to change anything, anywhere.
 
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Billies Bangers said:
But hasn't it come at a tremendous financial cost? At a time when young people simply can't get on the housing ladder because we are not building enough starter homes would that money not be better spent on building a better future for young people - just a thought?
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Housing market is working as intended.
 
Billies Bangers said:
But hasn't it come at a tremendous financial cost? At a time when young people simply can't get on the housing ladder because we are not building enough starter homes would that money not be better spent on building a better future for young people - just a thought?
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No it hasn't and that's the whole point.

Lottery money distributed to sport programs is not available to the government to spend on whatever national needs it feels like.

The lottery covers the majority of funding to sports and was created to relieve the burden of trying to fund sport and other "good causes" from the government... about 20 years ago by people who got little credit at the time for it.
 
Cosimo said:
What annoys me the most is the channel switching between 1, 2 and 4 when they could use just one all the time. Nobody would die it 2 and 4 did all the coverage. Then when you switch over another face gives you more of the same updates.
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I think that's got a lot to do with their remit as a public service broadcaster.

Effectively they want to show as much as possible on BBC 1, but because they have to show a balance of programming and their news and current affairs quota, they need to switch it across channels to meet that. They delayed the news by an hour and half last night, which was pretty unusual.

You can obviously access everything online and on satellite/cable broadcasters who have all the BBC olympic channels. However, in terms of their terrestrial/Freeview channels, they have axed BBC Three, which they did use a lot in 2012 for Olympic coverage.
 
Nexus said:
I think that's got a lot to do with their remit as a public service broadcaster.

Effectively they want to show as much as possible on BBC 1, but because they have to show a balance of programming and their news and current affairs quota, they need to switch it across channels to meet that. They delayed the news by an hour and half last night, which was pretty unusual.

You can obviously access everything online and on satellite/cable broadcasters who have all the BBC olympic channels. However, in terms of their terrestrial/Freeview channels, they have axed BBC Three, which they did use a lot in 2012 for Olympic coverage.
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That 1.5 hour news delay was pretty unprecedented, although I doubt anyone could have forseen the way the race delays unfolded when they originally decided to move the news by 30 minutes.

Made me chuckle to think of all the moaning that was likely going on around the country about the Olympics being more important than the news, only for the first news item when it eventually did appear was .... the Olympics :)
 
This/Wimbledon/WC/Euros make the license worth its while. They do a great job of coverage and you can find everything. Sure it isn't for everyone but it is once every 4 years and we are doing great. Something to take some pride in as we punch above our weight. We are small country and compete at the highest level with others.
 
Love the Olympics, love the fact we are doing so well and are 2nd in the medal table. Also the fact that most of the athletes are on salaries no where near our premier league footballers who fail the paper bag stage at every major international tournament.
 
I'm absolutely loving the Olympic coverage. I wish it could go on for ever. All the different sports. All the different sports personalities. It's fantastic. I've just been watching the women's hockey and screaming at the TV! Before that it was the cycling. Before that the kayaking. Before that the diving. Amazing!

I'm going to be really gutted when it's over and all that's left is the ****** football! The Olympians put our footballers to shame in so many ways.
 
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