Tv licence fee, time to get rid?

cm1179 · 29 Sep 2013 at 15:15

it's worth it for top gear, question time, family guy, radio 2, radio 4 and radio 5.

Randomface74 · 29 Sep 2013 at 15:21

You don't need a TV License for radio.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-administering-the-tv-licensing-system-part-1-AB19/

cm1179 · 29 Sep 2013 at 15:38

true but my licence fee funds it. i have no problem with this. i'd prefer radio 1 was taken off air though.

hyperst · 29 Sep 2013 at 15:57

What i don't like is not having the choice, it is forced upon us, which to me is wrong, if I have a TV or not is not the point, it's the way they think they can just tell you you have to have one.

THMRK · 29 Sep 2013 at 16:24

The licence fee also allows for regulation of television and maintenance of our infrastructure. I prefer having it, if only for the BBC's commitment to factual and cultural programming, and the regulatory bodies which see that our television at least has a balanced amount of quality programming, than the ignorant corporate free for all that the American network system provides.

Threepwood · 29 Sep 2013 at 17:36

It will eventually be dropped, just like it was for radio.

The BBC will have to change anyway, the younger generation is growing up and they spend much much much more time on a PC that they can all watch what ever they want to watch anyway.

Less and less people are legitimately not paying because they simply do not watch live broadcast TV, myself included.

(I do not really want to get started on some of the TV licensing tactics)

Midlife Crisis · 29 Sep 2013 at 18:52

knock knock, door opens it the tv licensing brigade. Sir you have no tv licence, the man replies I have not got a tv, but Sir you have a tv aerial on your roof, after a second the man replies yes I have an aerial on the roof, I also have milk in the fridge it does not mean I have a cow in the back garden

swiftmetal · 29 Sep 2013 at 18:57

I don't like having to pay for something I don't use if they would block them with the technology that we know is there so I did not have to pay for it I would be well up for that.

And I am sure many more would be like minded too.

Masterdog · 29 Sep 2013 at 19:05

Best broadcaster in the world. Stuff like Top Gear shows the value - they couldn't make it work in America because they couldn't criticise their advertisers' cars. It gets international respect, and you'd miss it if it were gone. It and the NHS are the two things I don't want politicans to even think about turning private.

swiftmetal · 29 Sep 2013 at 19:14

NHS sure but don't put it in the same boat as a broadcaster that requires payment even if you don't use the service.

arknor · 29 Sep 2013 at 20:06

Masterdog said:
Best broadcaster in the world. Stuff like Top Gear shows the value - they couldn't make it work in America because they couldn't criticise their advertisers' cars. It gets international respect, and you'd miss it if it were gone. It and the NHS are the two things I don't want politicans to even think about turning private.

I don't watch that rubbish so don't see how I would miss it.
best broadcaster in the world? if you don't count all the big American channels? possibly

ianh · 29 Sep 2013 at 20:10

On the BBC I only watch Top Gear and Match of the Day (both on-line not live), can I get a rebate?

Infidelus · 29 Sep 2013 at 20:14

ianh said:
On the BBC I only watch Top Gear and Match of the Day (both on-line not live), can I get a rebate?

You can always try

swiftmetal · 29 Sep 2013 at 20:15

At some point there will be a test case and then we shall see.

Haggisman · 29 Sep 2013 at 20:35

To all the people saying it's worth it for programme x,y & z, yeah, it may be worth it for you, but what about the people having to pay it who don't watch those programmes, and instead only watch things on e.g sky 1/Atlantic, that they have already paid for? It's not "worth it" for them, or are you happy with the fact they're subsiding your tv shows when they get nothing out of it?

bsoltan · 29 Sep 2013 at 21:00

Am I the only one that would happily pay more money to get better TV shows and less adverts?

THMRK said:
The licence fee also allows for regulation of television and maintenance of our infrastructure.

Do you have a source for that? The TV License website and Wikipedia just seem to indicate it pays for BBC content.

=XDC=FluphyBunny · 29 Sep 2013 at 21:00

As others have already mentioned the biggest problem with the tv license is you have to legally pay it to watch live TV, even if the live tv you are watching isn't on the BBC. This in its self should see the license fee cancelled.

THMRK · 30 Sep 2013 at 01:09

bsoltan said:
Am I the only one that would happily pay more money to get better TV shows and less adverts?

Do you have a source for that? The TV License website and Wikipedia just seem to indicate it pays for BBC content.

The licence fee is part of the Communications Act 2003. Details are here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/contents

iamtheoneneo · 30 Sep 2013 at 09:40

Orangest said:
I for one think the TV License offers brilliant value for money, the news coverage is worth £150 a year on its own when compared with the dross you see on a Sky News, CNN, Fox etc. etc.

You cant be serious...BBC News is only bested in the 'awful news coverage' by FOX.

Werewolf · 30 Sep 2013 at 22:08

ElliorR said:
I think the option not to be able to receive BBC channels should be available and then no TV licence. Surely with modern technology that's not beyond the wit of man?

For the programs the BBC make that I watch I'd happily give their channels up if it meant I no longer had to pay the licence fee.

The thing is that:
1: The TV licence isn't a BBC licence - don't for a second assume it would go away if the BBC ended up going subscription.
For one thing parts of it are already being hived off/planned to be hived off for other things, including government foreign policy*, and broadband, the government even raided a fund that was collected as part of the TVL but specifically for one purpose, and when it turned out there was an excess the BBC wanted it refunded to TVL payers (as it hadn't been needed for the purpose under which it was collected), but the government decided that despite it having been added for a named purpose, they would use it for another.

2: Making the BBC subscription/opt out totally blows the whole idea of a non commercial PSB out of the water. Why would a commercial/subscription model BBC bother with expensive documentaries and drama when it is far more profitable to go the ITV/C5 routes.

3: It would totally kill off any form of halfway decent (IE non music jukebox) radio for much of the country - most of the commercial broadcasters for radio wouldn't touch the sort of speech programming that the BBC stations have as part of their mainstay (IE unbiased money advice, health advice, gardening, let alone radio drama etc).

bsoltan: The BBC don't have as much to do with the infrastructure now, but IIRC guarantee the likes of the smaller transmitters/relays (whilst the commercial broadcasters can decide keeping a mux functional on a relay/small transmitter is not worth the cost, the BBC have to keep paying for one for their channels). They also still do a lot of fairly basic R&D and are one of the preferred testing partners for new tech because they're willing (and not only able, but IIRC required by their charter) to work on improving broadcasting - I vaguely remember at one point they were willing to share the Iplayer tech but were stopped in the name of "competition" (it's happened with various projects that would have been, or were before being shut down a great advantage for the viewer).

swiftmetal:
There's no need for test cases. IIRC pretty much every argument against the TVL because you only watch non BBC broadcasters has been tried and failed - the law specifically states Live TV not the BBC for a reason.

*BBC:World Service used to be paid largely for by a grant from the Government because it was seen as a good thing for diplomatic, economic and generally keeping Brits abroad (in the services, working for the government abroad etc) in the know. The government recently decided it should be funded by the UK TVL.