BBC Fined

Yes the BBC has been fined over cheating in phone-in shows. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7497168.stm). It amounts to £400,000 - aFining lot of money - but what is the point.

Fining commercial broacasters is OK - the money comes from their profit but the BBC isn't supposed to make profits as its money comes from the Licence Payers. Now although I am not a licence payer, and I don't watch TV and nor do my family, I do think this action is basically unfair. What has happened is because of errors of people employed by the BBC yet they pay nothing and the penalty falls on the Licence payer who is no involved and did nothing wrong. How can that be fair?

It seems to me the companies creating the programmes ought to be fined if they have cheated and leave the BBC to pick up on the programmes if messed up, yet even that means something is paid by the innocence. So how about this as am idea.

Bonuses are paid to senior execs every year and come to rather more than the total fine so how about taking the money for the fine from the execs bonuses and relieve the pooor innocent licence payer? After all, the execs are paid quite high salaries anyway to run the BBC so if they mess up why shouldn't they carry the cost too - it is only like profits in other companies?

I bet they don't though and I bet they get bigger bonuses too. Watch out when thye are annouced.