When will the BBC licence fee be abolished?

Why not let the licence fee payer decide this?

You know a system where the BBC board is accountable to the licence-fee payer through elections and the Board has the right to set the size of the fee, and what it needs to cover. Rather than the scum of the State who think they reserve the right to tell you how you should be entertained on a Friday night, as well as be digitally informed and educated 24 hours a day. Hey, government filth, if it's called 'News 24' then what you are showing is not going to be news most of the time. Comprenez.

It's been abolished in my household for the last 30 years

I haven't paid the licence fee for some time, I'll be damned if I'm shelling out to be labelled a racist and a bigot.  I just ignored all the threatening letters and the bullies appear to have given up.

Well said sir.

The quality of tv programmes and radio stations is different class to anyone else plus no adverts. Fantastic value for money. Apparently some people think themselves above the law.

Mar 19, 2017 -- 6:18PM, asparagus wrote:

The quality of tv programmes and radio stations is different class to anyone else plus no adverts. Fantastic value for money. Apparently some people think themselves above the law.

Worth every penny for BBC4 and Radio 4 extra alone. Some of the local stuff is quite good, the website is about as comprehensive as it gets.

asparagus, I completely agree with you. Simply having a personal view (pun intended) on how you'd like the BBC to operate is not enough reason to not pay your way.
I don't like the way my council runs things, nor the government on most of what they do, but I still have to pay tax, VAT, council tax etc etc.

I wouldn't mind so much but all you who berate the BBC watch and listen to its output. Despite there being alternatives.

Sent licence back ten years ago. I refuse to contribute to well, you either know or you don't know

My guess is you might not know, if you haven't watched or listened to anything from the BBC for the last 10 years.

But yes, I expect it to be abolished within ten years. The cost of the BBC will then be transferred into direct taxation so like it or not you'll be forced to pay for it

where is the missing tv shows? open the archive?

the little world of Don Camillo - 1980? where is it?

How big is this archive? they don't even know what they
have in it? WTF are they doing? convert it all to digital
before there is a film fire. diccks

The Government should hold a referendum on whether there should be a national broadcasting company.  If the vote is for abolishing it then the BBC should be funded by subscription,  only those people who watch BBC programmes should pay for them.

the BBC make a claim if you see ANY of their content you should pay the license fee?

I see a lot of content from CBS/ABC/american content - should I post out some money to the USA? GTF.

I watched a french film last week - I'll send a pound to a Frog.

Live TV on any channel too

Like most organizations, the BBC has been taken over by the educated middle classes for their own(largely monetary) ends, London-based in this case. They are nothing like the people who used to run the BBC post-war to the eighties. Because they aren't the same people - totally different life experiences. The lawyers/pc/diversity brigade have emasculated the organization. With the range of current broadcasters I like to think a group of (relatively) sane people can start a similar organization and appeal to the masses and establish a trustworthy reputation.

Like hell.

Make Me An Egghead.  Separate parallel competitions for men and women.  What other reason than to ensure that women get on the panel.

The irony is that the women currently on the panel are usually the last to get selected by the contestants.

Mar 27, 2017 -- 1:48AM, bodil wrote:

Like most organizations, the BBC has been taken over by the educated middle classes for their own(largely monetary) ends, London-based in this case. They are nothing like the people who used to run the BBC post-war to the eighties. Because they aren't the same people - totally different life experiences. The lawyers/pc/diversity brigade have emasculated the organization. With the range of current broadcasters I like to think a group of (relatively) sane people can start a similar organization and appeal to the masses and establish a trustworthy reputation. Like hell.

Excellent post, but I'd have added the word badly before educated, bodil.

Maybe it's the "Media Studies" teachers and universities that need the overhaul.
That and the constant Americanisation of broadcasting.

Don't watch much television, but would happily pay double to keep
all the other excellent elements of the BBC

Can't get my head round, why people who can pay, revel in refusing to pay.

There was a government revue of the BBC early last year.
The expectation was that there would be reforms and further cutting back of the service.
Yet instead of the expected changes the BBC came out of it very well. 

We then had the EU referendum with the BBC taking the government's side on the matter. 

Did the government do a deal with the BBC to go easy on them in return for then not putting their weight behind Brexit?

That wouldn't surprise me at all.

if you didn't pay a tv license to the BBC, you'd pay it to the government instead.

Mar 27, 2017 -- 11:27AM, scandanavian_haven wrote:

if you didn't pay a tv license to the BBC, you'd pay it to the government instead.

In what way would you be paying it to the Government?

The licence fee is a tax levied mostly on the poorest who spend a greater proportion of their time watching TV. If it was withdrawn it would be a big tax break to the poor and the Government is unlikely to level any other taxation on those that can least afford it.

Dr Crippen • March 27, 2017 10:51 AM BST
There was a government revue of the BBC early last year.

Thought that the govt had better things to do than put on light entertainment shows.

the government already uses some of the money for things like Broadband rollout, a lot of governments in a lot of countries require people to pay a tv license, it's not unique to Britain, if they took away the BBC license they'd probably still impose a new broadcasting levy on all households whether they have a tv or not - as suggested by mp's.

Thought that the govt had better things to do than put on light entertainment shows.

Anyone with any intelligence would have realised I'd used the wrong word.
You pair must be even thicker than I am.

By the way.
If you're paying so much attention to my posts would you be the ones trying to get me banned?

Lighten up!

Of course, it's only a bit of fun.

Anyway that's dave1357 and Jack Hacksaw for the notebook.

Ha Ha.  I haven't been reported or reported anyone in my life and won't make an exception for you.

massive sense of humour failure for the Doctor

You need to sharpen up scandinavian_haven.

What do you think my last post was all about?

...of course

Sky and Virgin costs much more than the BBC, the quality is poorer and they don't have the radio or regional stuff. They're also FULL of adverts.
Yet all you ever see is moans about the licence fee.

No one has to buy Sky or Virgin. It's the viewers choice whether they take them or leave it.

There's no choice with the BBC, if you tune in to any station you have to subscribe to the BBC.

That is the problem.

To all intents and purposes it is a tax.

It is a bit ironic that probably 99% of people every year use the BBC services which is a much higher percentage than people using schools, hospitals, pensions, emergency services etc..

Cut the BBC in half, let it focus on radio, local services, website and news and limited quality programming and include it in general tax.

Leave popular TV to the commercial stations.

Mar 27, 2017 -- 4:07PM, scandanavian_haven wrote:

the government already uses some of the money for things like Broadband rollout, a lot of governments in a lot of countries require people to pay a tv license, it's not unique to Britain, if they took away the BBC license they'd probably still impose a new broadcasting levy on all households whether they have a tv or not - as suggested by mp's.

As of this moment, I don't think funding goes anywhere apart from BBC coffers. You are correct that the UK is not the only country to have a licence, but quite a few countries have scrapped them realising that the licence is outdated. Only yesterday Ireland's state broadcaster came up with a plan to require everybody who has a laptop or a tablet to buy a licence, absolute madness.

Where we've seen countries remove the licence in Finland for example, we've had a far more progressive tax, so that the poor who are directly hit by the BBC benefit.

At the end of the day the licence is a throwback to the twentieth century, there is simply no justification for it in modern Britain.

The BBC is controlled by the government, and as such is ultimately an outlet for government propaganda.

So people are in the position of having to directly fund government propaganda, and facing jail if they refuse.

I think that is outrageous.
There must be a better way of doing it.

The objections to the BBC and the way it is funded are manifold.

Time to start again, with a blank piece of paper.

I don't agree with a tv tab x but you do realise the it's the tory's in power, the thought of them given up a broadcasting tax is laughable, they would still be taxing us for having windows if they could.

tv tax!

Mar 28, 2017 -- 12:20PM, scandanavian_haven wrote:

I don't agree with a tv tab x but you do realise the it's the tory's in power, the thought of them given up a broadcasting tax is laughable, they would still be taxing us for having windows if they could.

I think you've confused the parties. Labour is the party of tax and spend.

you actually think the tories would have no tv/broadcasting tax at all?

The television licence was introduced in June 1946 to coincide with the post-war resumption of the BBC service the same month. Television licences always included a licence to receive radio broadcasts.

The television licence was introduced in June 1946 to coincide with the post-war resumption of the BBC service the same month. Television licences always included a licence to receive radio broadcasts.

Sorry guts comp playing up, since the above there have been 4 Labour Governments and 5 Tory inc the recent coalition, I don't either of the parties have any interes in changing the status quo. There has been ample time and many election opportunities to look good abolishing it.

guts- guys. I think SH is correct about a 'back door tax to replace it. The most annoying thing for me is the time dedicated to endless trailers and other introductions like the swimming hippo's for example that 8- seconds cost 1.2 million!!!. If they turned that time over to commercial adverts, alone surely a reduction at the very least would be forthcoming.

On this subject, I think a non party affiliated protest group would be far better/effective than the petty squabbling  divisions above. Just a thought.

80 second*  ffs . need to put my fat fingers on a diet me thinks.

Mar 28, 2017 -- 3:00PM, scandanavian_haven wrote:

you actually think the tories would have no tv/broadcasting tax at all?

Why not? It works in other countries.

I suspect there will be a large consultation period if the licence is scrapped with intense lobbying from the BBC with taxpayers money. I'm sure whatever the situation replacing the TV tax it'll be more palatable and more progressive.

only one way to de claw the BBC. it's too powerful in propaganda to attack up front. the guy who was in charge last time got dragged through the mud once he cemented the new agreement.
cut the fee in half. then half again in five years time. kill em slowly.

it should be a subscription service like everything else.