SECTOR REFORMS

'Balanced Bias' Across A Multiplicity of Niche Broadcasters — Allowing The Free Expression of A Broader Range of Opinion

It is central to the very idea of democracy that all views be allowed to be espoused and that they stand or fall in the marketplace of ideas. For smaller broadcasters, program codes will therefore be relaxed to allow the full and frank expression of opinion on every conceivable subject and will not require opposing views to be aired either in the same or subsequent programming by the same broadcaster — a democratic balance of opinion being maintained across broadcasters not within individual programmes or channels. This approach can perhaps be described as a belief in 'balanced bias'. Democracy and free speech consist in having the right to publicly speak your mind, not conform to the deeply unnatural requirement to spend 50% of your time promulgating opinions with which you profoundly disagree.

However, to avoid a descent into wild, provocative nonsense, codes will still require assertions in purportedly factual programmes to be both factually-based and expressed in a non-provocative manner.

Also, should a niche channel's audience grow to such an extent that it begins to exert significant political or cultural influence, then its programming will also need to conform to the impartial mainstream broadcasters' code.

Pay-Per-View Programming Made Possible For All Channels

— Easily-avoidable adverts will impact the income of broadcasters, so we will work with Freeview and Sky TV to establish a fee and pricing structure for broadcasting services that enables even small individual channels to supplement their revenue with a pay-per-view revenue stream.

The TV Licence Fee Abolished

— The license fee is a nuisance tax that takes no account of the ability to pay, so will be abolished. The BBC's activities will instead simply be funded from general taxation.

Channel 4 Sold

— In the BBC, the state has a significant presence in the broadcast media sector. Channel 4, the not-for-profit, state-owned broadcaster, is therefore unnecessary and will be sold.

New Mainstream Broadcast Channels Established Highlighting The Most Popular Trending Content On Social Media

— As an additional safeguard against the mainstream broadcasters (again) slowly distancing themselves from genuinely popular opinion, new social media broadcast channels will be established with the remit of finding and highlighting the most popular, trending, quality social media content around. If its important to the influencers, the followers and the activists on social media, then it will be on these channels.

Due to the content on the channels enjoying the increased, instant availability of a mainstream broadcast into every home, the content will be edited (if necessary) so as to conform with the new broadcasters' code. Other than this very basic, moderate-censorship-based editing, the content will be broadcast unedited and without (snide, disparaging, fake perspective-setting) comment.

A BETTER BROADCASTERS' CODE

We will therefore implement the following far-reaching reforms to programme codes that will apply to all the mainstream broadcasters BBC, SKY, ITV, Channel 4, and 5 (with the other smaller channels on Sky or Freeview exempted):

NEWS, POLITICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES — Programme Codes Tightened To Require Full, Politically-Impartial Reporting

The new code will require the following :

Mainstream broadcasters to :

• cover all significant political goings on — for e.g. the fact that government has been moved from Westminster to Brussels, from a democratic to an undemocratic system of government !
• not mislead the public by silent omission on key political topics — that don't accord with the media's own political opinions
• or fail to cover significant news stories just because they are don't accord with their own prejudices — for e.g. the wholesale failure by the mainstream media to adequately report the large-scale global persecution of Christians.

When addressing any issue in the government of the day's manifesto, broadcasters must be scrupulously fair, and impartial such that:

• both politicians and journalists are only permitted to publicly quote statistics verified by the Office for National Statistics (to avoid the promulgation of utterly misleading twisted statistics on 'hot topic' issues — for e.g. on crime, immigration etc)
• journalists must attempt to obtain quotes of similar length from the 2nd to 5th-placed parties
• in keeping with the fact that they are the ones both democratically elected and actually engaged in the business of making policy that will affect everyone's lives, the government of the day should be allowed (in total) equal airtime to all the opposition parties combined
• all quotes by government and all opposition parties must be broadcast verbatim with no misleading, truth-suppressing 'edits'.

The days of a one-voice, no-choice media will be over.

DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMMES

Programme Codes Tightened To Ensure A Rigorous Fact-Based Approach

In recent years, purportedly fact-based programming has repeatedly been presenting unsubstantiated theories or even mere academic conjectures as established scientific fact — this is particularly true in the areas of the origins of humanity, the natural and earth sciences and cosmology due to an unquestioning allegiance to the doctrine of evolution and the hypothesis of man-made global warming. This is to grievously mislead and misinform the general public and must not be allowed to continue. Full academic rigour must be maintained in all purportedly fact-based programming.

GENERAL PROGRAMMING

Code Tightened So That The Major Channels (NOT Individual Programmes Or Niche Channels) Provide General Support and Affirmation Of The 'Life Skills' Agenda

To broadcast is to preach. The Fair Britannia Party believes that the cultural decay of recent decades has been in-part the product of massive daily doses of 'open-'em-up-to-break-'em-down' programming preaching a destructive, conscience-opposing, boundaries-blurring, gender-denying, 'anything goes' immoral cultural code.

In the end, such moral anarchy does nobody any favours, after spoiling for a time, it inevitably leads individuals into emotional and social cul-de-sacs and saddles them with a series of unnecessary, miserable consequences that can last for years or even a lifetime.

At the level of society, as emboldened egos (long-taught to believe that conscience, honest moral self-examination and the traditional Judaeo-Christian virtues are evil and weak) try ever-harder to 'have their way, come what may' tensions inevitably increase and society is made to walk the road from unnecessary personal conflicts to long-term cultural decline to old-fashioned, third-world lawlessness.

To broadcast is to preach. Broadcasters love to preach. Let them preach something sensible, something good. Let Britain's broadcasters preach that :

• As human persons we consist of spirit, conscience, gender, mind, will, emotions and body
• That life goes best if we live in a balanced way, acknowledging all these fundamental facets of the human condition and seek to live in step with them.
• And that life goes best when we treat it as a journey of feeling, finding and expressing our truest, better selves.

We will therefore introduce a new programme code for broadcasters. A code that will STILL give ample scope for safety-valve, 'outlet programming' — with the fullest possible range of artistry and creativity and the no-holds-barred exploration of ALL of life's many realms, facets and issues allowed to continue — but the code will be designed to ensure that the most influential channels (NOT individual programmes) generally convey a more constructive message to society, rather than lead people into the destructive cul-de-sac (for self, others and all of society) of practising a dark consciousness for dark consciousness' sake.

Similarly, we will also ensure the recent descent into the use of films and programming as vehicles for gratuitous, anti-Christian sentiment is both halted and reversed — Christianity and Judaeo-Christian principles are not only NOT the enemy of the peaceful and prosperous society that all right-minded folk wish to live in, they have FOR CENTURIES shown themselves to be the best, in fact quite possibly the only, guarantors of it.

CHILDREN'S & YOUTH PROGRAMMING

Programmes Required To Model More Respectful Behaviours

One of the sad aspects of modern life has been the disrespectful and abusive behaviour regularly exhibited by a high proportion of the younger generation.. Whilst much of this can be blamed on poor parenting, poor discipline in schools and large-scale family breakdown, if 30-second commercials can make or break large corporations (and they can) and powerful blockbuster movies shape entire world-views (and they can), then a daily dose of several hours of 'abuse 'n' disrespect' programming aimed at a young vulnerable demographic must clearly be a significant contributory factor to young people's poor behaviour.

No-one — neither parent, adult nor child — gain from being at loggerheads with each other all the time, and it is a serious abdication of responsibility on behalf of government to sit idly-by whilst media corporations through their daily outpourings exacerbate, encourage and foment inter-generational conflict.

Programme codes for children's and youth programming will therefore be amended to require a more responsible, constructive approach from programme-makers. Much, even most, of the content could remain the same, but the tone and the modelling of adult-child relationships needs to be significantly improved.

ADVERTS AND PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENTS : Zero-Tolerance For Intrusions

Intrusive Adverts and Programme-Announcements Banned

In recent years the level and style of advertising on TV and radio has become intolerable. Countless excellent programmes are all but ruined by abusive, deeply-personally adverts seeking to cognitively scar their message into the poor viewer's consciousness by just shamelessly jumping-in unannounced at artistically significant moments. Adverts don't have to be this way.

All broadcasters wishing to run adverts will therefore be restricted to doing so only between programmes — i.e. after one programme has completely finished and before the next one begins — allowing viewers to completely skip the adverts if they so desire. This will also abolish the stop-start quality that now blights most programmes, allowing viewers to properly appreciate and benefit from the artistry of the programme-makers once again.

Programme-announcers used to respectfully wait until a programme had finished before politely informing the viewer of the next programme. Today, they jump-in just as a programme is reaching its finale — interfering with the viewer's ability to complete the sweet process of contemplating and savouring that programme's core message. Programme announcements and any on-screen next-programme trailers will therefore be barred from appearing until after a programme and the last sound and frame of the end credits have completed.

All Advertising Made Subject To A 'Taste and Decency' Standard

Today, immoral boundaries-blurring 'bait and switch techniques' are routinely used in advertising. When coupled with an almost subliminally fast presentation, the ability of viewers to mentally filter the moral content of what they watch is now being overridden. This moral, sensibility and consciousness-rape of the viewer means that to just passively sit through some adverts amounts to a form of genuine moral self-betrayal. This is not what advertising, television, marketing, business, politics or life in general is supposed to be — or need be — about. What an appalling abuse. What a betrayal.

The rights and freedoms of commercial enterprise do NOT include the right to insult, offend and seek to corrupt citizens umpteen times every day when relaxing in their own home or waiting at a bus stop.

We will therefore abolish the ineffective Advertising Standards Commission and require all adverts, whether broadcast or in print, to be made subject to a Taste and Decency standard applied by the Media Complaints Commission and enforced by the Media Court.

To avoid viewers having to avoid all adverts just to avoid a few egregious ones (and thereby become underinformed about their consumer options in the marketplace) the Taste and Decency standard applied will be a conservative one, so that all adverts will be acceptable to the overwhelming majority (and not just to the 'young and trendy' crowd).

We will also review the broadcast advertising sector to ensure that a handful of firms cannot lock-out competitors by domination of the broadcast marketing marketplace — applying similar restrictions to those proposed for other market sectors, restricting the proportion of total market share available to each company. Truly competitive markets and consumer choice are served best when the public gets to hear about all available products, rather than just those of the firms with the deepest pockets.

Channel and Event Logos Banned During Programmes

Channel logos are an unnecessary intrusion — as when changing channels the channel name appears briefly anyway. Channel logos will therefore be prohibited — if broadcasters wish to make their channel memorable, then let them make quality programmes.

The practise of blasting event graphics in the face of viewers AFTER EVERY SINGLE ACTION REPLAY of sporting events such as Wimbledon, football matches and golf tournaments is as offensive as it is unnecessary — making the event all-but unwatchable for many viewers. This extreme, anti-social practise is surely only even comprehensible at all when viewed as part of an agenda to override viewer volition at every opportunity! How we need a better broadcasting culture, and more responsible and respectful personnel in charge of such a key aspect of public life! We will incorporate a complete ban on this shameless abuse of the viewer into the reformed broadcasters' code.

Content Warnings To Include A Warning Of Homosexual Content and Pre-Marital Sex

Many people are genuinely very offended by any depiction of homosexual conduct or where content is used as a vehicle for homosexual propaganda. A content warning to this effect will therefore be added to the existing list of warnings.

Both Judaeo-Christian values and the 'traditional' civic culture of the 50s include the belief that pre-marital sexual intercourse is immoral — warring against our own soul and damaging truly meaningful relationship. Therefore, as a service to those with these beliefs, a content warning will also be included to this effect.

Censorship — A Ban On Blasphemous Expletives, The Explicit Depiction Of Hard Drug Use Or Animal Or Human Sacrifice, and on The Shameless Promotion Of A Destructive Evil-Mindedness

BLASPHEMOUS EXPLETIVES: In spite of the Christian leanings of The Fair Britannia Party, we are NOT a party of big-state censorship or control — as evidenced by our most robust commitment to the legislative and cultural outcomes of the democratic process and an essentially laissez-faire approach in the areas of media, justice, education and culture. Higher standards? Yes. Hand-wringing, hyper-sensitive killjoys? No.

However, the tendency for many programmes and movies to include several characters casually blasphemously taking the Lord's Name in vain umpteen times is where we draw the line. Most movies of this ilk, do so in a totally gratuitous manner — to the point that often the very first word out of the main character's mouth is a blatant anti-Christian blasphemy. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that those including such extreme content at the very outset of the movie — when fundamental character and plot perspectives are being set — do so in a deliberate attempt to actively 'initiate' viewers and listeners into ANTI-Christian sentiment.

Any number of other expletives would easily suffice and could be substituted with zero impact on the character, the scene, the plot or the general tone of the movie. This is therefore what we will require. We will extend the same standard and ban to the 'blasphemous' use of the explicit name of the 'deities' of the other major religions.

EXPLICIT DEPICTIONS OF HARD DRUG USE : Hard drug use is unambiguously a destructive, life-impairing and life-shortening activity that (although legally permissible for adults to engage in — should the British people so-decide in the cultural referendum), should NOT be encouraged in ANY way amongst the general population. Explicit scenes of hard drug use will therefore be banned. However, non-explicit scenes will continue to be acceptable, as this is necessary for all of the many issues surrounding hard drug use to be fully and frankly explored.

EXPLICIT DEPICTIONS OF ANIMAL OR HUMAN SACRIFICE : Although rare (at the moment), ANY depiction of ritualistic animal or human sacrifice has no place in a modern (or even medieval) civilised society.

DEPICTIONS SHAMELESSLY PROMOTING A DESTRUCTIVE EVIL-MINDEDNESS : Whilst many of the older films naturally came with a straightforward, positive message, in recent decades the moral message of many films has become clouded, and in the last 10 years many big-budget movies seem to be little more than vehicles for a shameless pandering to an unhealthy dark consciousness, and some apparently intent on actually 'initiating' viewers into a full-blown destructive evil-mindedness — with protracted (or subliminal flashback) sequences repeatedly immersing the viewer in the process of approving and savouring serious criminal behaviours. What are the filmmakers thinking ?! Whatever it is, The Fair Britannia Party will require them to keep it to themselves!

Whilst emotionally-authentic exploration of life's difficult issues requires the inclusion of an element of dark consciousness in movies (which also provides opportunity for the beneficial venting of destructive impulses), encouraging and inciting full-on shameless moral freefall in movie-goers does nobody any favours — for individual or society.

This party does not believe in big state censorship, so most movies will continue to be allowed to be broadcast without changes. However, the most extreme examples will be made subject to a certain amount of editing in order to remove their most gratuitous, destructive segments.