[karajorma]

Originally posted by mikhael
Man, this is something I've always wanted for the US. When you consider that there are 224,807,040 in american households (approximately 3 televisions per 4 humans), a $100 TV Tax would net $22 billion for PBS. hell, cut that to $10 per TV and that proves a fund of $2 billion. They currently operate on $324 million per annum. Imagine how much better programming we could get.

Well it's only per household not per set but the point is pretty well made. Oh and people over 65 get it for free.

The BBC does [l]waste[/l] spend some of it's money on popularist stuff but it also funds a lot of very worthwhile stuff like the BBC World Service and 24 hour streaming news from their website.

By the way I noticed when I was in America last year that PBS shows some british comedies including the excellent Father Ted. If it's still on all the americans should sit down and watch it. I can't reccomend that show enough.

[Janos]

Quite the same as in Finland. You have a TV = you must pay the tv-bill/tax/whatever you call it. It's expensive, though, ~180e, so it's kind of a national sports not to pay it and then be afraid of TV-bill inspectors, who check out apartments who haven't payed their bill. I paid mine two weeks ago.

It's good. National TV's broadcast almost only non-commercial programs, and the money is also used for some kickass documents and TV-series. The non-commercial TV >>> commercial.

[Su-tehp]

Originally posted by karajorma
By the way I noticed when I was in America last year that PBS shows some british comedies including the excellent Father Ted. If it's still on all the americans should sit down and watch it. I can't reccomend that show enough.

Never could really get into the Briish sitcoms. I had to have someone try to explain Fawlty Towers to me once. I still don't get it.

That being said, my friend is a big fan of Red Dwarf and I enjoyed the episodes he has on tape. A bloody good comedy, that.

[Rictor]

Wow. Thats awesome.

This is so wrong, that its just gone way over my "'get pissed" limit, and now I'm just sort of taking the whole thing as a joke. I know its not, but this level of irony cannot not be laughed at (uh, double negatives..?)

And they say God has no sense of humour.

[Stryke 9]

He doesn't. But Satan's a riot.

[Rictor]

No sense of humour?

I beg to differ

[Stryke 9]

What'd I say about the Devil again? No loving God would allow those schlubs in the first place.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Su-tehp
Never could really get into the Briish sitcoms. I had to have someone try to explain Fawlty Towers to me once. I still don't get it.

That being said, my friend is a big fan of Red Dwarf and I enjoyed the episodes he has on tape. A bloody good comedy, that.

If you don't get it then you don't get it. Still I'd say that Father Ted is closer to the Red Dwarf end of the scale than the Faulty Towers one.