Britain’s culture secretary Nicky Morgan has suggested that the BBC could go the way of video rental company Blockbuster if it fails to embrace change and keep up with the likes of Netflix.
In a speech in Westminster on Wednesday, prime minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson on broadcasting announced plans to decriminalize licence fee evasion in the UK — a move that the BBC says could cost it £200M ($262M) in lost revenue.
But Morgan also took the opportunity to put the BBC on notice that the government wants to make major changes to its funding model when its current operating agreement, known as its charter, is renewed in 2027. Morgan has previously mooted the idea of a subscription model akin to rivals like Amazon and Apple.
“Quite simply, the world in which the BBC was created and the licence fee was established has changed beyond recognition,” Morgan said. “The BBC...
In a speech in Westminster on Wednesday, prime minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson on broadcasting announced plans to decriminalize licence fee evasion in the UK — a move that the BBC says could cost it £200M ($262M) in lost revenue.
But Morgan also took the opportunity to put the BBC on notice that the government wants to make major changes to its funding model when its current operating agreement, known as its charter, is renewed in 2027. Morgan has previously mooted the idea of a subscription model akin to rivals like Amazon and Apple.
“Quite simply, the world in which the BBC was created and the licence fee was established has changed beyond recognition,” Morgan said. “The BBC...
- 2/5/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Boris Johnson’s British government is forging ahead with plans that the BBC has said could blow a £200 million ($262M) hole in its content budget by weakening its ability to collect its £3.7 billion ($4.8B) licence fee revenue.
Just days after senior industry figures sounded alarm bells about the BBC facing an unprecedented threat from the government, culture secretary Nicky Morgan has launched a consultation on decriminalizing licence-fee evasion.
The consultation is the first step towards scrapping criminal sanctions, including jail sentences, for people who fail to pay the £154.50 annual licence fee to access the BBC’s services across TV, radio and online. The government is aiming to introduce the changes in April 2022.
It said more than 121,000 people were convicted for licence fee evasion in 2018, but the BBC pointed out that only five people in England and Wales were jailed for not paying court fines.
The government acknowledged that ending sanctions...
Just days after senior industry figures sounded alarm bells about the BBC facing an unprecedented threat from the government, culture secretary Nicky Morgan has launched a consultation on decriminalizing licence-fee evasion.
The consultation is the first step towards scrapping criminal sanctions, including jail sentences, for people who fail to pay the £154.50 annual licence fee to access the BBC’s services across TV, radio and online. The government is aiming to introduce the changes in April 2022.
It said more than 121,000 people were convicted for licence fee evasion in 2018, but the BBC pointed out that only five people in England and Wales were jailed for not paying court fines.
The government acknowledged that ending sanctions...
- 2/5/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
After weeks of UK government press briefings dripping poison on the BBC’s funding model, Boris Johnson appears ready to push ahead with plans that could weaken the corporation’s ability to collect its licence fee revenue. It means one of the prime minister’s first domestic policies since winning a thumping majority in last year’s general election is effectively a declaration of war on the BBC.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the government will next week launch a consultation on decriminalizing licence fee evasion, meaning people would not face a jail sentence if they refused to pay the £154.50 annual fee to access the BBC’s services across TV, radio and online. The government is concerned that the current system is unfair and disproportionate.
It would mean revisiting an issue the government looked into only five years ago, when an independent review by David Perry QC...
According to a report in the Financial Times, the government will next week launch a consultation on decriminalizing licence fee evasion, meaning people would not face a jail sentence if they refused to pay the £154.50 annual fee to access the BBC’s services across TV, radio and online. The government is concerned that the current system is unfair and disproportionate.
It would mean revisiting an issue the government looked into only five years ago, when an independent review by David Perry QC...
- 1/31/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC has said it will have at least £200M ($267M) less to spend on TV shows if the government makes good on threats to decriminalize non-payment of the licence fee.
Emboldened by securing a thumping majority in the British election last week, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has turned its attentions to the BBC and its funding mechanism.
Johnson asked last week if the licence fee “still makes sense,” and now his government has said that it is going to look into sweeping away criminal sanctions for people who watch television but do no pay the £154.50 fee.
“That is something the prime minister has said we will look at, and has instructed people to look at that,” Rishi Sunak, chief secretary to the Treasury, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.
It would mean revisiting an issue the government looked into only four years ago, when an...
Emboldened by securing a thumping majority in the British election last week, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has turned its attentions to the BBC and its funding mechanism.
Johnson asked last week if the licence fee “still makes sense,” and now his government has said that it is going to look into sweeping away criminal sanctions for people who watch television but do no pay the £154.50 fee.
“That is something the prime minister has said we will look at, and has instructed people to look at that,” Rishi Sunak, chief secretary to the Treasury, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.
It would mean revisiting an issue the government looked into only four years ago, when an...
- 12/16/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Heath Davis (L) on the set of ‘Locusts.’
Seventy Australian filmmakers have joined a co-operative aimed at supporting each other’s work and fostering awareness of Aussie films.
The initiative is the brainchild of writer-director Heath Davis, who made his debut with Broke, followed by Book Week and, due to open later this year, suspense drama Locusts.
The group started coalescing before Christmas and rapidly gained members among established directors as well as those with one or two features under their belt. The working title is Cinegar Bar (a play on a cigar bar that Davis used to frequent in Vancouver).
He had the idea after talking to veteran cinematographer John Seale, who told him that when he started out, all the DPs knew and supported each other and formed lasting friendships.
Davis contrasted that camaraderie with the current environment for writers-directors, where it is largely a case of ‘every...
Seventy Australian filmmakers have joined a co-operative aimed at supporting each other’s work and fostering awareness of Aussie films.
The initiative is the brainchild of writer-director Heath Davis, who made his debut with Broke, followed by Book Week and, due to open later this year, suspense drama Locusts.
The group started coalescing before Christmas and rapidly gained members among established directors as well as those with one or two features under their belt. The working title is Cinegar Bar (a play on a cigar bar that Davis used to frequent in Vancouver).
He had the idea after talking to veteran cinematographer John Seale, who told him that when he started out, all the DPs knew and supported each other and formed lasting friendships.
Davis contrasted that camaraderie with the current environment for writers-directors, where it is largely a case of ‘every...
- 1/6/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The Play “Expo” events in Blackpool and Manchester are, in some ways, an attempt to recapture and relive the community spirit of video gaming in an age where keyboard warriors and faceless online gaming rule the roost. It’s also a celebration of the history of gaming, from the early years of arcade games like Space Invaders and Pac Man, thorugh the early gaming years of the Zx Spectrum and Commodore 64, all the way to the last-gen of consoles…
And Play are not the only ones interested in the history of video gaming. There have been a number of film makers have eleased documentaries in recent years that look at gaming in a nostalgic light, many from a Us perspective, including World 1-1: The Pioneers – which had its European debut at this years Play Blackpool; and From Bedrooms to Billions, (a big seller for Play sponsors Funstock.co.uk...
And Play are not the only ones interested in the history of video gaming. There have been a number of film makers have eleased documentaries in recent years that look at gaming in a nostalgic light, many from a Us perspective, including World 1-1: The Pioneers – which had its European debut at this years Play Blackpool; and From Bedrooms to Billions, (a big seller for Play sponsors Funstock.co.uk...
- 5/9/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
David Perry, the founder of Earthworm Jim creator Shiny Entertainment, recently told Eurogamer that discussions about a revival of the 16-bit era classic happen all the time, and it’s only a matter of “when”.
Perry, who is now heading up Sony’s recently acquired cloud gaming company Gaikai, said:
“Our problem is that the team is all doing well in whatever they’re doing right now. It’s just a bunch of guys who all have their own thing. Everyone has their own company. So, to get them to stop what they’re doing and work on a game is very difficult, but it’s something they all want to do… It’s one of those things that, no one’s got the time right now. I’m sure it’s going to happen, I just can’t tell you exactly when.”
Earthworm Jim’s last all new console adventure,...
Perry, who is now heading up Sony’s recently acquired cloud gaming company Gaikai, said:
“Our problem is that the team is all doing well in whatever they’re doing right now. It’s just a bunch of guys who all have their own thing. Everyone has their own company. So, to get them to stop what they’re doing and work on a game is very difficult, but it’s something they all want to do… It’s one of those things that, no one’s got the time right now. I’m sure it’s going to happen, I just can’t tell you exactly when.”
Earthworm Jim’s last all new console adventure,...
- 7/20/2012
- by Justin Alderman
- We Got This Covered
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.