David Brent

After seeing recent news items regarding planned internal cuts at the BBC i was horrified to see that the dreaded television license fee is still alive and well in the UK.
It's been going for many years and is used to help fund the BBC.
It seems like something from out of the dark ages.
Having to pay over 120 quid each year for the priviledge of watching your televisions over there is a scandal.I do not know how the public have stood for it for so long.I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned as an upcoming election issue.
I believe a recent poll shows that most people in the UK would much rather lose BBC programming than pay the yearly fee.Yet they have no choice.
In Australia we have ABC Television which is Government funded yet we pay no license fees.There would be a national revolt over here if one was forced upon us.
Are there any other countries where television license fees are law? Do pensioners or the underpriviledged get licence discounts?
As the UK has some of the highest taxes in the world i cannot see the justification in that government charging people to watch television.
Surely making the BBC a commercial station is preferable than slugging average taxpayers such a high fee each year.
It must be time for change and some 'Anarchy in the UK' over this matter.
Time to revolt against a revolting license fee.
Any thoughts?

Dave.

[ 09. December 2004, 19:36: Message edited by: DB7 ]

DAVID RAYNER

Well, people over the age of 75 no longer have to pay for a licence, but there are no concessions for people just because they're poor and can't afford it. You've got to pay up or else they'll send the heavy mob to your door. In fact, if you don't pay up, you'll get the book thrown at you. A £1,000 fine or imprisonment. Yes, you'll be in the clink with all the career criminals simply because you couldn't afford to buy a licence or pay the fine. It really is a scandal.

When we first had a television in 1952, the licence fee was only £2 per year...but of course, we only had one channel then. The TV licencing people have the address on computer of everybody in the land, so it's no use just getting rid of your television and not buying a licence. The heavy mob will soon be round to your house and won't believe you when you say you don't have a television...they'll think you're just trying to pull a fast one.

Someone I chat to by email who lives in the USA, thought I was joking when I told him we had to buy an annual licence to have a television. "Why?", he asked, "are UK televisions dangerous?" "Only if you throw one out of the window and it lands on someone's head", I replied.

P.S. The licence fee increases to over £126 next April.

deckard

There was(and probably still is)this concern that programme quality would suffer if there were to be more commercial influence at the Beeb. Although quite a few programmes are funded from various TV companies around the world this isn't regarded as commercial. I think the whole license situation is ridiculous for two main reasons..(1) a lot of the programmes aren't particularly good anyway and(2)if the license was abolished another, no doubt, more covert way would be found to make us pay for it anyway!
Regards, Decks.

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

Hackett

I would happily pay the licence fee just for BBC2 and Radio 4. 35p a day is cheaper than buying a newspaper and fantastic value. I don't think it's the amount of the licence that upsets people more the way it's collected. The BBC is unique there is nothing else like it in the world. If it was funded by advertizing it would lose it's unrivalled variety become just another channel in the ratings war.

deckard

I do see your point Hackett...however, I don't believe the Beeb is as unique as it used to be and if it is losing that anyway, perhaps another way of funding and/or collection should be investigated. Regards, Decks.

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

Steve Crook

So everyone pays for it through their taxes. How is that fairer than a license fee only imposed on those with a TV set?

Yes, the elderly get a discount, as do those who are registered blind.

Definitely not!
The BBC is already in danger of getting sucked into the ratings war - that's what led to the plethora of gardening & makeover shows.

Most of us are quite willing to pay for a bit of quality.

Where else in the world do you find quality like the Richard Attenborough natural history series or the costume dramas they do, daring comedy like Monty Python, Goodness Gracious Me, Coupling etc. And if they are dependent on either the advertisers or the government, how will they dare to make a stand against bad practices by either of those?

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

mysteriesofedgarwallace

I am more than willing to pay for quality; however the BBC is no-longer a quality organisation.

It is well and truly sucked into the ratings war. Sadly, reality TV is what people (other than me) seem to want.

I would rather scrap the licence fee and take my chances.

The disgusting thing with the licence fee is one doesn't have a choice

Steve Crook

Another thought about that ...
When you pay through your taxes, do you know how much is going to ABC?
At least with the BBC we know what they're getting from us. And we do have the choice - we can always choose not to own a TV :)
(a significant number of people don't own one)

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Steve Crook

Yes you do, you can choose not to own a TV. It's with a tax based system that you don't have any choice.

What are you comparing it to when you say it is no longer a quality organisation? To what it was in the past (when there wasn't much competition) or to other TV companies (here or abroad)?

BBC1 does seem to be slipping into the ratings war & lowest common demonimator programming, but we still have BBC2, Radio 4, as well as BBC 4 as high quality channels. If only they wouldn't listen to the newspapers and the politicians who claim to speak for the people but try listening to the people to see what they really want. Leave Big Brother & X Factor to ITV and channel 4.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

mysteriesofedgarwallace

I think you are missing my point slightly.
In order to own a TV, you must be in possession of a valid licence.
The TV licencing people automatically assume that any address without one is breaking the law.

Yes, I can choose not to own a TV, but then I couldn't watch any of my archive film collection

I can see no difference between the BBC and any commercial channel.

An interesting link I found on another forum:-

http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

David Brent

What about the added costs of collecting, running and policing the television licence fee charade?
Who gets the penalty payments infringed on non payers?

Dave.

[ 10. December 2004, 02:48: Message edited by: David Brent ]

David Brent

[/qb][/quote]QUOTE FROM STEVE CROOK
At least with the BBC we know what they're getting from us. And we do have the choice - we can always choose not to own a TV :)
(a significant number of people don't own one)

Steve [/QB][/quote]

Steve, you DO NOT have a choice.
What about people in the UK who would like to buy a television to watch commercial stations only?
What about people who never watch the BBC?
By law they still have to fork out for the priviledge of turning on their television.
Also, if British television viewers are funding the BBC with their licence fee's does that mean that each viewer also 'owns' a part of the BBC?
Can license payers have a say in what programs the BBC make/show?
It could also be argued that license payers should also share in any BBC profits.
What happens to monies gained from the huge export of BBC programs & products around the world? If the monies from sales are going back into UK government coffers then surely this should in some way go towards reducing if not abolishing license fee's.
Yet the UK license fees are increasing as British public conseption appears to be that BBC standards are falling.

Dave.

Steve Crook

If you can show that it can't receive any signals but is just hooked up to a VCR or DVD system then you don't need a license

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Steve Crook

How many people in the UK never watch a BBC channel? Do they both live in the same house? :)

Yes we do have a say in what they show, but each voice is only a small one. But if enough people make themselves heard they can influence what's shown.

The license fee isn't the only source of income for the BBC. They couldn't run on just that.

My conception is that the BBC standards are still way above any other channel. You can always find people who say that standards are falling. Try asking them for some examples and then counter it with the programmes I cited above.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

JamesM

The license fee works out at just over £10 a month. Can I assume that the people who complain about the quality of the BBC are not spending over that for subscription channels, are you now? I have seen some appalling packages for well over that sum.