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Bill: VBS - Private Media All The Way
Details
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: December 2216
Description[?]:
| Since the SMC (Selucian Media Corporation) is doing an excelent job in both radio and tv chanels, for education, entertainment and news broadcasting Since the SMC lost millions of SEN from publicity because some viewers are still watching and listening to the boring state TV and radio Since the SMC is currently on the edge of bankruptcy, after 5 years without a single SEN of profit, and 2 years of profit in the last 20 years Selucians can and will lose interesting channels, because of these unfair governement policies I say we cannot tolerate this I say we will not tolerate this I say let's stop throwing tax payer money on ru�ning taxpayer-loved companies I say let's stop subsiding those communist state-supported media immediately |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Radio stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises independent non-profit-making cooperatives for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Current: The government subsidises a national radio station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Proposed: All radio stations are private.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Television stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises independent non-profit-making cooperatives for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Current: The government subsidises a national TV station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Proposed: All television media are private.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 22:49:26, April 19, 2006 CET | From | VBS Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | Because this is to be changed as soon as possible, because if we wait longer the elections will take place and this bill will be blocked for another 2 years, I put this to a vote right now |
| Date | 05:35:29, April 20, 2006 CET | From | Burning Wall Assembly | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | If Selucia loved the garbage put forth by the SMC it wouldn't be going bankrupt. I flicked over to chanel SMC77 last night and they were running some reality tv marathon. I say we keep things as they are until a BETTER alternative presents itself. |
| Date | 08:04:52, April 20, 2006 CET | From | New Passive Militarist Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | Some Selucians love the content provided by SMC. Others prefer the sort of independent not-for-profit broadcasting that is available on the SBC. The NPMP vote against this bill does not seek to crush the high-quality programming of SMC in any way, but the voices of our citizens need an outlet of expression with or without the profit motive, and in this case, giving all of the media to the corporations would only ensure freedom of expression to the moneyed interests. Our beloved empire thrives upon freedom of expression and upon the means in which to make it public. And, as such, SBC must never be removed from the airwaves. |
| Date | 11:58:07, April 20, 2006 CET | From | Shalom Lechem v'Eretz Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | The IBO (Imperial Broadcasting Organisation) network runs a number of television and radio stations providing a much broader spectrum of entertainment/information programmes than the commercial stations. The SMC's unwillingness to adapt to the needs of its audience is the cause of its failure. Where the IBO has always had a meagre funding under the Ministry of Education & Culture (note that the E&C budget was not increased when the IBO was founded in 2189). The massive economic power of the SMC should have been more than ample to continue roping in the greater proportion of viewers by affording higher production values and marketing. The fact that it hasn't shows managerial ineptitude rather than unfair competition. If it could be said that there was a direct rivalry between SMC and IBO, the SMC had all the aces in competing. The IBO doesn't advertise, SMC does. The IBO doesn't pay out big money for high-profile studio programming. SMC does. It is quite easy for a large corporation to quash the competition of a public network. If the SMC cannot do that, why should we pander to it? Let another company step up to the plate. This is a free market country after all. |
| Date | 12:01:11, April 20, 2006 CET | From | Shalom Lechem v'Eretz Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | Besides, the SBC is the only TV station under the IBO that shows even remotely the same sort of content that the SMC's 37 free-to-air and pay channels do. Why do the other IBO stations need to come under fire over the SMC's failure? |
| Date | 14:34:24, April 20, 2006 CET | From | VBS Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | The SMC doesn't fail at all, BUT -I guess you switch chanel during a commercial. Since there are stations without commercials, it is possible to switch channel and watch a boring subsided show in stead of even more boring publicity. This makes publicity time less valuable, and makes the SMC lose tons of SEN -The statistics proof the SMC's main channel "SIM TV" is the most popular TV station in Selucia, having a market share of about 30% during their programs, but only 10% during their commercials. I shouldn't say the Selucians don't like it. Conclusion: It's just because there is no advertising in the IBO that they're popular. This is possible because the state throws away money at the IBO. The IBO has a constant budget, the SMC has a lower budget every year, because of cheaper publicity time. This is just UNFAIR |
| Date | 14:27:27, April 21, 2006 CET | From | Shalom Lechem v'Eretz Party | To | Debating the VBS - Private Media All The Way |
| Message | You misunderstood my point on advertising. I meant there is no money spent on advertising for people to watch the IBO. The SMC puts money into billboards for its high-value programmes, and creating promotional material on other stations. Your other point makes no sense either. If people switch channels during commercial breaks, why would they automatically switch to an IBO channel? SMC's channels don't all show commercial breaks at exactly the same time. If people find boring documentaries less painful to watch than high-budget shows on commercial networks because there are too many advertisements, then marketing companies are being too ham-fisted. They can always invest more into market research to make their commercials more entertaining. The SMC have many options to make their programming more palatable. There is just no way that the general public will want to spend more time watching low-budget public television than high-budget commercial television unless said commercial television is providing very little entertainment value at all, either through poor market research or ham-fisted advertising strategies. Any way you look at it, the SMC's failure to maintain consistent profit margins agains public broadcasting is entirely to do with the way the SMC is managed, and has nothing to do with the government or the IBO. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 123 | ||||||
| no |
Total Seats: 482 | ||||||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Players consent to the reasonable and predictable consequences of the role-play they consent to. For example, players who role-play their characters as committing criminal offences should expect those characters to experience the predictable judicial consequences of that. |
| Random quote: “Their cheap talk of the 'greater good' is a thinly concealed excuse for subordinating the people to the institutionalized violence that is the state.” - Margaret Woodhall, former Dranian politician |