There was a time when I didn't watch any broadcast TV. (Off-Topic)

by kapowaz, Wednesday, December 11, 2013, 09:02 (4003 days ago) @ scarab

I hate

• the TV on as background noise
  
• searching for something good on
  
• complaining that there's nothing good on

I'd much rather

• have it off
  
• play Halo
  
• use computer or read book

My family would turn on the TV and stop talking. I saw TV as antisocial. But I've seen the opposite where it is put on very loud then everybody talks over it. And everybody seems to be monologuing - if there were five people in the room then you'd have four * separate verbal tracks and me thinking WTF?!? It can be quite stressful.

* 5 tracks if you include the telly.

I can't dispute any of these things - I barely watch broadcast TV any more, *but* I still value the BBC for:

* Education projects (stuff like GCSE revision guides, education films etc.)
* Co-funding many excellent cinema films from smaller firms that wouldn't ever get big studio funding
* Giving Murdoch at least *some* competition in the news market, and not rolling over. If you want a vision of what the UK would look like without the BBC just turn on Fox News

My point is simply that the value we all get from the BBC merely existing extends well beyond the direct benefits (subjective) of watching TV programs.