In the end ofcom won't go away they are the regulators its up to the channels to fight for what they believe in.
Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I do hope Ofcom will go away, the sooner rather than later, however as it stands at the moment it seems ofcom's grip not only on the Babe channels, but on the TV industry as a whole doesn't seem to be loosening anytime soon.
I do agree with the previous poster, that unless the Babe channels grow some Balls and instead of turning and running the other way from Ofcom, then the status quo will remain the same. Someone said to me, that in life if you want something bad enough you'll fight tooth and nail to get it, in otherwords if the babe channels want to broadcast harder content like they did before, then they'll all have to face up to the Bully i.e. ofcom, and bring the issues to them head on.
Now they'll be fellow posters reading this saying that if people stop calling in to the shows, then it'll cause the babe channels to act quicker? Again it's a valid point, however we all no that it's not always that simple.
There has been a lot of talk about foreign licenses, which might help matters a little bit, however the cost involved in doing this is something I don't no to much about. In my opinion I do believe the babe channels are sick of Ofcom sticking there noses in, and i do think that they want to put out stronger content but they are afraid if they do they'll be fined.
The $64000 dollar question is what do they do next? My answer to all of this is the babe channels need to FIGHT for what they want, and of they don't, then the situation could get very serious
(12-01-2012 03:25 )continental19 Wrote: [ -> ]Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I do hope Ofcom will go away, the sooner rather than later, however as it stands at the moment it seems ofcom's grip not only on the Babe channels, but on the TV industry as a whole doesn't seem to be loosening anytime soon.
I do agree with the previous poster, that unless the Babe channels grow some Balls and instead of turning and running the other way from Ofcom, then the status quo will remain the same. Someone said to me, that in life if you want something bad enough you'll fight tooth and nail to get it, in otherwords if the babe channels want to broadcast harder content like they did before, then they'll all have to face up to the Bully i.e. ofcom, and bring the issues to them head on.
Now they'll be fellow posters reading this saying that if people stop calling in to the shows, then it'll cause the babe channels to act quicker? Again it's a valid point, however we all no that it's not always that simple.
There has been a lot of talk about foreign licenses, which might help matters a little bit, however the cost involved in doing this is something I don't no to much about. In my opinion I do believe the babe channels are sick of Ofcom sticking there noses in, and i do think that they want to put out stronger content but they are afraid if they do they'll be fined.
The $64000 dollar question is what do they do next? My answer to all of this is the babe channels need to FIGHT for what they want, and of they don't, then the situation could get very serious
I'm afraid people really do need to move away from this idea that the channels themselves should be fighting the battle.
The channels were broadcasting harder content, look at the first 12 months of Elite for example and what happened? Ofcom came down hard on them and left us in the current sorry state we're in.
Some of Ofcom's actions have resulted in some businesses folding completely. Now, does anyone seriously think that has been allowed to happen without those particular channels having carried out in depth legal discussions? Or do people think the channels accepted the fines and sanctions without a whimper at all?
People would also be stupid to believe that Ofcom act on their own agenda. Ultimately, the overriding agenda comes down from government and unfortunately we appear to have moved towards a more puritanical outlook.
This isn't going to be changed by the channels because I'm pretty sure they feel there is no legal recourse available to them. And in the end they'll just run their businesses to fit within the existing guidelines. As long as they get a regular flow of callers then they're happy with that because they keep their business. The only people actually losing something are those viewers who want to see stronger material. Quite frankly, it's not up to the channels to fight the battle for those people.
In the end it will be down to the public themselves to change things. Whilst the petition on here is well intentioned it's pretty much doomed to failure because it can always be written off as a bunch of pervs looking for more porn on the telly.
Any campaign has always needed to be built on the basis that Ofcom's actions are an example of the nanny state gone mad. The only hope of making any progress would be for the average man or woman on the street, the majority of whom aren't remotely likely to ever watch these channels, to see this as a much wider reaching issue which eventually could negatively affect them in some shape or form.
Unless that happens, and it's unlikely, I'm afraid we'll continue to rant away on here without ever really getting anywhere.
A brilliant post, MARCCE, beautifully put.
I know I've been as guilty as the next man in the past for saying the babeshow channel producers need to 'grow some balls', but I accepted some time ago that they have absolutely no incentive for doing so.
Every last word of your post sums up the situation perfectly. In fact if these threads were to be closed this second, I couldn't imagine a better final post than this.
I think the key point in that mail is as long as they receive a regular flow of calls why change.
I believe eventually that flow will subside and things will change if not necessary a regulatory meeting of minds but a change of product offering. More channels will provide a sort of Babestation Extreme offering or rely more and more on web subscription services which will have an impact on the call flow.
It will be interesting to see if business remains robust in its current guise a year from now.
(12-01-2012 18:02 )MARCCE Wrote: [ -> ]I'm afraid people really do need to move away from this idea that the channels themselves should be fighting the battle.
Exactly.
I've been making the same argument for months, but people have not listened to me.
Perhaps you have found a way of putting it that people will actually pay attention to. Well done!
Many thanks Marcee I do think you have captured our situation very well indeed and in the various points made there is something there for everyone to ponder. It is very realistic if a little bleak.
To be
a touch more hopeful on the petition, I am sure it is intended in exactly the way you think the only solution can lay, portraying this as an example of a wider issue which could negatively affect them somehow (i.e. including regulation of the internet etc.), but even that is unlikely to sell in the current political climate which is much more driven by the economic climate. Micro adjusting Ofcom (as it would seem to non babechannel viewers) would seem as low a priority as looking at foxhunting again. The petition is perhaps doomed but still worth seeing what happens and how many we get.
But I agree with Sweetsugar, the runes are not clear whether the babechannels will fold or not. Call numbers seem downish (I'm going by waiting times in queues but it is a bit of a guess), but presumably revenue is compensated by the (annoying) connection charges on many channels.
It is ofcom's next move that is most unclear. If they wanted to get rid of free-to-air babechannels they would need to have moved even more radically in the guidelines. They made one large move about a year ago, and enforced them rigorously, then made another adjustment shortly after in forbidding the 2-4-1 interaction. That has weakened but it hasn't killed the channels. Unless they forbid topless I don't think they can. Even then, they can't kill dayshift style content surely.
PS - are we really ranting? Sometimes Scottish seems ready to charge into the armies at times
but I think mostly we just enjoy thinking about a problem. Glad to hear your thoughts too.
Yes I must admit that marcce's post was a very good thought out argument but was a bit too conclusive for my liking, this petition from a pessimistic point of view could be doomed as I'm sure many will view it with a narrow mind of something as simplistic as just a bunch of pervs wanting to see hardcore porn on the telly, but it's not, it's about our rights as adults to make these informed choices for ourselves, for the UK to be more in line with the rest of Europe, I don't see any conclusive evidence either that the Adult Channels aren't struggling for money, they must be with all these Ofcom restrictions put upon them. Also on the subject of us accepting that Bangbabes media went out fighting instead of a wimper that's again yet to be proved. If you ask me their problem was complacency, they thought because of their long term status that the very notion Ofcom would shut them down would never happen to them. On this forum alone I've yet to see or hear of any plans the babe channel rep's have put in place to challenge the censor's, and believe me here when I say it is Ofcom's will to have them all shut down if they don't pay up any time they see fit to fine, they are going about it in a cruel fashion, with the amount of red tape and rules put upon them it is inevitable that more will slip up and Ofcom with delight will pounce upon them. Ofcom are in many ways forcing them out of business, that is once they have bleeded the lot dry. It's all very well sitting back and saying nothing we can do about it, I won't, I'll keep protesting until the very day that somebody is prepared to listen. Support the petition and support the cause and never give up even if all the odd's are stacked against us.
The one ray of hope is that there has never been a strong movement demanding babeshows are banned. One Church group and assorted lone voices, unlike foxhunting.
(12-01-2012 19:57 )admiral decker Wrote: [ -> ] (12-01-2012 18:02 )MARCCE Wrote: [ -> ]I'm afraid people really do need to move away from this idea that the channels themselves should be fighting the battle.
Exactly.
I've been making the same argument for months, but people have not listened to me.
Perhaps you have found a way of putting it that people will actually pay attention to. Well done!
Well he didn't call anyone a wimp for starters
Just for the record, I've been growing gradually bored of the whole situation in recent months and have now just about had my fill. Not only do I have very little interest in the babeshows, but my enthusiasm for the fight has dwindled too. I can't really complain to be honest, as apart from sounding off in here and signing the petition, I've done virtually nothing to change things. I've now reached the point where I honestly don't care what happens to the babeshows - I've wasted too much of my life on them anyway.
If things change, then great, but I'm not about to go on and on about it in the hope that it will. Life's too short.