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Joined 8 months ago
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Cake day: February 4th, 2024

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  • True, they don’t show commercial adverts in the UK, but they do to other countries. People outside the UK can access the BBC website but they’ll see adverts on there, and apparently BBC America (shown in the US) has commercial adverts

    And Channel 4 of course does show commercial adverts in the UK, but I think they still make some decent content, and I don’t think they’re on the verge of self-destruction

    Maybe the real problem is when an entity is chasing profits, because Channel 4 isn’t a normal for-profit business, since they’re owned by the government, and I think they have to abide by some rules


  • I don’t think that’s necessarily true - maybe it depends on (a) the owners of the platform and/or (b) whether there are sources of funding besides advertising

    E.g. here in the UK, the BBC and Channel 4 are both broadcasters owned by the government, and both are funded at least in part by adverts. But I think both of them are relatively healthy and aren’t on the brink of destroying themselves.

    I think most of the BBC’s funding comes from the licence fee (British people pay for a TV licence) but they make some money from ads shown to international audiences. Channel 4 is solely funded by adverts I think, but it’s owned by the government and I think they have to abide by certain rules and targets.












  • I’m not trying to justify unlimited greed, nor do I mean that we should permit unlimited greed. I’m saying the opposite of that - I think we should have laws to curtail unlimited greed.

    But I do still think greed and selfishness are human nature, because when I look at humans, I consistently see selfishness and greed. Maybe this means I’m a pessimist but I think it’s just realistic. If humans weren’t inherently greedy and selfish then there would be no need for laws that punish theft.

    As for whether greed and selfishness have been dominant in human societies… it looks like the rich and powerful in society, throughout history, never gave up their power and wealth unless they were made to do so.