BBC licence fee could be means tested everyone pays regardless of whether or not they own a telev

Lopéz · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:13

ubersonic said:
If true that's scary as Top Gear generates £144m so why is nobody watching any of our other shows lol.

£144 million profit? Where does that figure come from?

John40 · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:15

The BBC should be BBC 1 and 2, R1 R4 AND R5, and that would be ample, why on earth does the BBC need a web presence when so may others do exactly the same.

Adverts and no licence fee, simple.

I only ever watched Top Gear and never ever listened to any radio station, why should I fund the Asian service and other similar rubbish.

Efour · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:15

arknor said:
Only ever said by british people nice propaganda eh mate

Its one of the most respected sources of news in the world.

i worked there doing an IT audit donkeys years ago and when i was in the world service section for a few days. I was blown away by the amount of countries and languages they broadcast to.

Its so small minded and blind to say crap like "Top gears gone, not worth paying for now... etc etc etc" It just winds me up

Whatever it doesn't matter, nothing will change, if it does people will just moan and deal with it anyway.

Ask anyone in the English speaking world about GB and they will talk about BBC Radio/TV....

Yeah maybe they need to stop trying to cover all bases, trim some fat and focus on a more streamlined service.

Anyone thats serious about not paying already doesnt pay license fees,

CyZMyAssBaby · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:19

Burnsy2023 said:
Since when does the general public have a right to choose whether to pay

It is not a tax. Any proposal to seek the license fee as an additional tax measure is wrong. The general public should have the right to choose if they wish to purchase a license. So hence it would be better to have the BBC as pay per view.

aardvark · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:21

Haggisman said:
"although licence fee revenue is used to fund the BBC."

Which other media providers get licence fee revenue?

i believe some of the others get some money, don't know how much though.

CyZMyAssBaby · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:29

Efour said:
Its one of the most respected sources of news in the world.

i worked there doing an IT audit donkeys years ago and when i was in the world service section for a few days. I was blown away by the amount of countries and languages they spoke

RT also broadcasts around the world in all languages. The news content is
better in terms of BBC news and factual information. RT also broadcasts documentries that are both hard hitting and interesting. IMO outshines BBC news content and journalism

Werewolf · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:37

CyZMyAssBaby said:
RT also broadcasts around the world in all languages. The news content is
better in terms of BBC news and factual information. RT also broadcasts documentries that are both hard hitting and interesting. IMO outshines BBC news content and journalism

Can I ask where I can send the bill for a new keyboard to?

RT is nothing like the BBC.
The BBC is meant to be (and largely is) editorially indepenent from the government.

RT on the other hand..well lets just say it gets it's line on what/how to report from a building with some funny roofing (and even then has been caught out when the people in that building have changed their line a bit too quickly).

I don't think RT has ever been critical of Putin for example, whilst the BBC has been critical of pretty much every political leader (and most politicians) in the UK for the last 70 years at some point or other.

John40 · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:38

We constantly hear that the BBC and the NHS are the envy of the world. I've travelled extensively and neither is true.

Lopéz · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:43

CyZMyAssBaby said:
RT also broadcasts around the world in all languages. The news content is
better in terms of BBC news and factual information. RT also broadcasts documentries that are both hard hitting and interesting. IMO outshines BBC news content and journalism

Hahahahahahaha!

lovelyhead · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:47

Lopéz said:
Hahahahahahaha!

To be fair, as long as you are not watching RT for unbiased news on Russia you do get a different view on the news than is pushed by the BBC. It is best advised to take all sources of news with a pinch of salt and do your own research.

CyZMyAssBaby · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:50

Werewolf said:
Can I ask where I can send the bill for a new keyboard to?.

You can invoice me

The BBC is meant to be independent of goverment influence. Although this is not always the case. As to RT being critical of russian policy they actually have been. I take it you are an avid watcher of RT or are you just speculating? The fact that is russian owned but is not a russian state owned television service. I presume the Evening Standard is not critical either of Putin or Russian policies because its owners are Russian?

At least Putin does not charge russians a tv license fee

HungryHippos · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:54

lovelyhead said:
OK please tell these important things that justify the TV tax.

Also still waiting for this...

arknor · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:57

Eulogy said:
Also still waiting for this...

No adverts
Broadcasts to the world at our expense to keep the colonies updated with the latest propaganda telling them the uk is still a super power

lovelyhead · 16 Jul 2015 at 14:59

arknor said:
No adverts
Broadcasts to the world at our expense to keep the colonies updated with the latest propaganda telling them the uk is still a super power

True, true. Must not forget job creation scheme for middle class luvvies.

lovelyhead · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:00

Also it gives paid employment to the thugs at capita.

grimm · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:18

I think that the problem with the TV Licence is that it is too expensive in it's current form, and the fact that they want to make it compulsory for everyone makes matters worse. If it was something like £49 per year I think people would find it a lot more palatable.

I think that they should go down that route and it should be achievable if they cut all of the rubbish content out (currently running too many channels, radio stations etc. and employ too many overpaid staff).

markweatherill · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:19

I've been thinking that funnelling some of the VAT from sales of TVs, radios, Freeview boxes etc could work.

Got to feel sorry for the TV licence inspectors though, if the licence fee ever gets scrapped. It would look good on your CV if you were applying for a job as a traffic warden, I suppose.

AtticusFinch · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:24

Absolutely true

John40 said:
We constantly hear that the BBC and the NHS are the envy of the world. I've travelled extensively and neither is true.

The BBC used to have significant presence and journalistic integrity etc. Now its just the same as any other media organisation and full of rubbish non-news tripe and producing a significant amount of nonsense content.

I never understand why the BBC paid for by us all is spouting its news all over the world all day every day when there a plenty o9f other outlets and sources of information.

I absolutely maintain that in an age where information is so readily available, the notion of an independent "State" institutional broadcaster (albeit independent from direct political interference) has any real relevance the majority any more.

AtticusFinch · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:26

Pay-per-view

CyZMyAssBaby said:
Burnsy2023 said:

Since when does the general public have a right to choose whether to pay

It is not a tax. Any proposal to seek the license fee as an additional tax measure is wrong. The general public should have the right to choose if they wish to purchase a license. So hence it would be better to have the BBC as pay per view.

Click to expand...

The trouble with that approach is that not enough people will not pay for it - look at the availability of "free" pirated media content available today. The other issue is that competitors produce viable alternatives to the BBC, I genuinely believe that without the enforced TV licence regime (to which the vast majority submit) the Beeb would be gone in a year.

lovelyhead · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:30

AtticusFinch said:
CyZMyAssBaby said:

The trouble with that approach is that not enough people will not pay for it - look at the availability of "free" pirated media content available today. The other issue is that competitors produce viable alternatives to the BBC, I genuinely believe that without the enforced TV licence regime (to which the vast majority submit) the Beeb would be gone in a year.

Click to expand...

My mind nearly exploded reading that