License is not, quite, a ripoff. More used in a misguided fashion. Standard of programme-making is shocking. Coverage of “minor” sports events like snooker or tennis is utterly dreadful – constantly switching channels, in and out of red button, and ending coverage before a particular match has ended. Can’t record the stuff and have to go online to find out who won. “Entertainment” programming, like Mrs Brown’s Boys, as above, and all the other so-called comedies is utterly, utterly awful. We try to watch this stuff but fail to understand what is meant to be funny.
News coverage should be of the quality and balance of the old World Service radio news. Sadly it is not. Even the WS has gone wrong – following US pattern of 15secs of attention.