End of free TV licence 31/05/2020 for over 75s.

[Burlea]

Anyone who is over 75 and not in receipt of pension credit has to pay for a TV licence from 31/05/2020.
Mum received her letter today. She wouldn't mind paying for her licence if it was value for money. All that has been shown over the Christmas period
were repeats.
And all the presenters are paid a fortune.

Should be BBC by subscription for everyone rather than a licence. Not sure why the over-75s got this free in the first place, anyway.

Pensioners on a low income will still receive it for free. Why should the ones that have an income and lifestyle similar to most not pay?

I have not said mum shouldn't pay, what I'm saying is that the programmes on the BBC and the pay of the presenters is diabolical.

Do you want it to be a subscription only service, Burlea?
What do you think the presenters should be paid, what's the maximum for a good tv presenter that should should be allowed as pay.

Also, it's now a Tory mouthpiece. I didn't mind paying for independent journalism, written by experts in the field, or for good drama without ad breaks. Now it's a festival of bellendry, without even Doctor Who to make life bearable.

Ooh, BBC-bashing bingo!
So far we have

paid too much
politics me no like
bellendry

What squares remain?
too PC? too London-centric, too expensive?

I'd like to see it change to a subscription model for just BBC channels.

I have never understood why my wealthy parents should get a free tv licence just because they’re older. Why are taxpayers subsidising rich pensioners like them?
I was happy to give up my child benefit and don’t believe I should get a free tv licence when the time comes. It is nonsensical to offer free tv licences to people who don’t need them and perhaps the BBC could afford to spend more money on quality programming if they weren’t contributing to my parents and their friends.

For me the loss of license fee would be a disaster.
I barely watch TV.
The enormous TV budget/content enables the huge BBC radio content I do access.

I know no one gives a toss about people like me, so not surprised.
Demanding a subscription model will kill the BBC I use, though. Can't pretend I'm happy about it.

Rupert Murdoch would be so happy.

Think it should be a subscription service. Fucking rip off and biased AF.

She wouldn't mind paying for her licence if it was value for money.

That's how I felt a few years ago. I threw the TV away and no longer have to pay for a licence.

I’m a big fan of the BBC, and I would happily pay my license fee for R4 on its own, but even I can see that the current funding model is outdated and unsustainable.

The license fee should change to a subscription model. If Netflix can persuade millions of people to voluntarily cough up a tenner a month, it should be easy for the BBC to do likewise.

Well then she doesn’t have to pay it - she can stop watching TV.

I don’t see why this is remotely an issue?

I'm with @lljkk

"First they came for the BBC, and I did not speak out ..."

I suspect we will be sorry when it's gone and I'm proud of it. It's part of all of us. A properly funded national broadcaster. The Tories (and other parties) often hate it as it is independent and holds them to account.

My parents are elderly and poor. They listen to radio mostly - Radio 4, Radio 3, local radio. All of which is funded by the license fee as is a huge amount of other worthwhile, quality, non-profit making output. It is incredible value for money.

"First they came for the BBC, and I did not speak out ..."

No, actually, first they came for the disabled, the younger poor people, the working poor, the mentally ill, the sick, the NHS and no one has done a mother fucking thing about that so really not interested in subsidising a subgroup of people who can afford it better than most. It's a fucking TV, not food or heating or medication.

It's not a part of all of us. It's biased as hell. The Tories love it. Independent, my arse.

The Tories (and other parties) often hate it as it is independent and holds them to account.

Har. Did you see Laura K during the election?

As with much else, elderly Tories voted for this, they will reap it, sorry for the other minorities.

@FruitcakeOfHate Actually I suspect we ain't seen nothing yet ... The Tories were moderated by the Liberal Democrats and then stymied by Brexit. Not any more ... Now they can REALLY come for the disabled, the poor, the NHS, the unions, the immigrants, the BBC ...

At least if they made it a subscription service we would have a choice whether we paid to watch it or not, I have Sky & very rarely bother with BBC, I don't listen to BBC radio either, just independent stations. If not making it subscription then allow advertising like the other channels do.

@lljkk why should other people pay for the bbc you use? Are you going to pay for our books? Thought not.

Never understand why the elderly get it free anyway.

She wouldn't mind paying for her licence if it was value for money.
It's not compulsory. Dont pay it and just watch netflix and 4OD or get a sky subscription.

BBC is excellent value IMO. You should visit my home country and see what dross it's shown there. When ever I visit, I can't believe how bad the TV is. And this is a so called enlightened Scandinavian country, not some tinpot state.

BBC is one of those things, once it's gone you realise how good we had it.

I pay for the public library I haven't used in years. I don't mind. So I DO pay for other people's books (ha!)

Plus I pay for schooling, to educate other people's children -- and the books they learn to read. Another good thing.

Laura Kuenssberg has a lot to answer for.

Lots of the over 75s I know are very, very wealthy. I think students deserve a free licence more.