BBC license fee proposals...

/\ndy · 12 May 2016 at 22:10

Defiant306 said:
I agree that they should be de-funded and set free into the greater market, they lost my license when there news section became a biased joke.

I now don't use the TV to connect to any live services and I don't even use iPlayer as they dont produce anything I feel is worth watching now.

Good man.

Have you had any problems? People from 'tv licensing' knocking on your door?

dowie · 12 May 2016 at 22:12

/\ndy said:
Yes, however the problem rests with proving that you are not using iPlayer, which to me can neither be proved or disproved.

I don't think that makes a huge change to the current situation where they can't really prove you watch TV unless they either get a confession from you or catch you in the act by looking through your window while seeing you watch something that is clearly broadcast content rather than a DVD etc..

Amp34 · 12 May 2016 at 22:12

dowie said:
Not sure about this - all BBC catch-up services? Fair enough.

However all catch up services, like 4OD etc..? That is getting dodgy - requiring a license to watch stuff streamed over the internet. I mean I guess youtube doesn't count and presumably neither do amazon prime or netflix? But because the company providing the streaming is a TV company like Channel 4 then it will require a license? Or what about video clips or live streams on the BBC news website? Are streams from the general website fine but streams from 'iplayer' not fine?

Yeah, that is pretty much the only thing that could end up seeming ridiculous. It must be just for BBC services surely, otherwise it wouldn't make sense and would almost certainly encompass YouTube and pretty much any streaming service. ITV and C4 would be in uproar as well as it would essentially legislate for their online products.

Question is how are they going to make sure people pay the licence fee for using iPlayer? Any info yet on whether licence payers will receive a code to input or will it just be an honesty system like the current licence fee.

V F · 12 May 2016 at 22:14

/\ndy said:
Absolute criminals, how is this legal? Why is the government helping enforce this?? How will this even be monitored? How can they either prove or disprove that I am/not watching catch up services? Or even watching live BBC TV for that matter? The whole thing is a complete farce.

**** off!

The problem is 99% of people will blindly just pay this fee without question, and those that don't have 'enforcers' come knocking on the door using scare tactics to make them pay.

The whole BBC as a whole needs to die, corrupt ********.

Discuss.

How is this legal you say? They're the law makers. The end.

When I heard this on the radio this afternoon, the first thought that popped into my mind is a lot of people on OcUK will go into meltdown. As well as some other forums.

dowie · 12 May 2016 at 22:14

asim18 said:
So you want BBC to be ad funded?

son't see why it shouldn't be or at least the vast majority of it - why does east enders need to be funded by a license fee when it isn't much different to any other crappy soap produced by commercial rivals... ditto to most BBC one, radio 1 etc.. content

keep the funding for say the world service and whatever public service broadcasting can't be covered by the profits generated by the rest

Channel 4 seems to manage to fulfill PSB requirements without requiring external funding

Kenai · 12 May 2016 at 22:18

Personally I think it would be a shame to lose public service broadcasting and it's not as if we're unique as a nation in having a tv licence. As it goes I don't think ours is even comparatively expensive and we get some of the best content in the world as a result, which is more than can be said of most other European licence fees.

They could certainly do with reforming the manner of collection and perhaps cut down on the amount of filler type dross but overall I think it's a fundamentally useful and comparatively good value service.

Jumper118 · 12 May 2016 at 22:20

now that tg has gone there is nothing left anyway.

VincentHanna · 12 May 2016 at 22:21

Hopefully you'll need your BBC license number to access the iPlayer and I assume it'll allow it to work on multiple devices like Netflix.

The BBC is great. 6 music, Kermode and Mayo, Glasto coverage,things like 'The Night manager' or Sherlock, plus the amazing Attenborough documentarys they've produced over the years.

I have no problem paying 40p a day to use it.

V F · 12 May 2016 at 22:23

Kenai said:
Personally I think it would be a shame to lose public service broadcasting and it's not as if we're unique as a nation in having a tv licence. As it goes I don't think ours is even comparatively expensive and we get some of the best content in the world as a result, which is more than can be said of most other European licence fees.

They could certainly do with reforming the manner of collection and perhaps cut down on the amount of filler type dross but overall I think it's a fundamentally useful and comparatively good value service.

God help us.

Danthus · 12 May 2016 at 22:24

The more worrying issue here is the Government now appointing members to the new unitary board.

V F · 12 May 2016 at 22:25

OldCoals said:
The more worrying issue here is the Government now appointing members to the new unitary board.

Well, it has always been a Government machine.

bayo000 · 12 May 2016 at 22:26

Good! About time everyone pays for iPlayer. I thought it was unfair on us people paying TV licence for other people to watch the programs they never paid for.

Nevakonaza · 12 May 2016 at 22:27

I find it amusing they think TV as it is right now is worth £145.50 a year

All you get is Advertisements,Repeats..and general crap shows no thanks.

Im quite surprised they dint enforce that if you have a TV you need to pay a licencee regardless of whether you only use your TV for Console and DVD use..like mine.

A friend who i use to work with doesn't have a TV,They kept on pestering him to pay his TV licence and didn't believe he didn't own a TV.
What is it a crime not to own a TV?

jsmoke · 12 May 2016 at 22:28

dowie said:
son't see why it shouldn't be or at least the vast majority of it - why does east enders need to be funded by a license fee when it isn't much different to any other crappy soap produced by commercial rivals... ditto to most BBC one, radio 1 etc.. content

keep the funding for say the world service and whatever public service broadcasting can't be covered by the profits generated by the rest

Channel 4 seems to manage to fulfill PSB requirements without requiring external funding

It's political, an arm of the establishment, it's meant to represent Britishness, clean cut, midly conservative family viewing.

It operated under a Royal charter so that should tell you something. I think it's meant to politically represent an unbiased political view. Got to separate from the commoners.

Kenai · 12 May 2016 at 22:28

V F said:
God help us.

Apply a little perspective, consider the typical standard of TV worldwide and then tell me with a straight face that things like Planet Earth are not right up there as some of the best.

dowie · 12 May 2016 at 22:28

Kenai said:
Personally I think it would be a shame to lose public service broadcasting and it's not as if we're unique as a nation in having a tv licence. As it goes I don't think ours is even comparatively expensive and we get some of the best content in the world as a result, which is more than can be said of most other European licence fees.

Most of what they spend their money on isn't much different to the stuff produced by commercial rivals, I've got no problem with funding stuff that is distinctly different and unfeasible to be funded commercially but the majority of the BBC's content could be commercially funded and I fail to see any good reason why it isn't. I don't see why they can't make the majority of it commercial and divert the profits + any subsidy towards a single non-commercial PSB channel (say BBC4) and radio station + world service. Or simply just show some PSB related content amongst their usual commercial stuff as per our other state owned PSB broadcaster Channel 4.

Currently they take up 10% of all cases at magistrates courts over this archaic TV license.

asim18 · 12 May 2016 at 22:29

Quite frankly I don't even care. I'm happy paying for the TV licence as long as I get to watch things like Snooker and Wimbledon without ads. Yes it's a shame that at the same time I'm also funding things like East Enders as well as the eventual demise of western civilisation but I'm not going to let that get in the way of my enjoyment of BBC programming even though it's only a small portion.

Rroff · 12 May 2016 at 22:29

bayo000 said:
Good! About time everyone pays for iPlayer. I thought it was unfair on us people paying TV licence for other people to watch the programs they never paid for.

The licensing model is ridiculously outdated though and these steps seem to do more to take it backwards than increase its relevance to modern life going forward.

Yaayuh! · 12 May 2016 at 22:30

I would happily prefer adverts on BBC and waive the license. I rarely watch or listen to the BBC and put up with adverts on other channels. They really are taking the biscuit, it's outdated and I shouldn't have to pay for something I don't need or want.

VincentHanna · 12 May 2016 at 22:30

Nevakonaza said:
I find it amusing they think TV as it is right now is worth £145.50 a year

All you get is Advertisements,Repeats..and general crap shows no thanks

??

BBC doesn't have adverts other than to promote it's own shows.

It's called a TV license, but it also pays for the BBC radio services.

Though you don't need a license to listen to those.