Is it time to defund the BBC ?

[Nomorefees]

Just that - is it time to defund the BBC (Biased Broadcasting Corporation) and make it subscription only?

Discuss

Hurrah for Ceebeebies! Saving the sanity of parents forever.

Hurrah for CBBC! Advert free British cultural content.

Hurrah for BBC online support for under 28s including their rapid COVID response when we were all stuck at home.

Hurrah for the return of BBC3 to terrestrial when they found out nearly a third of 18-25 year olds don't have broadband.

I love the BBC. I would like it to improve in many areas but I don't want to lose it.

NB the user name suggests a rabble rouser.

‘Discuss’

Urgh

Why? What benefit do you envisage ?

No (to both statements)

Suggest you find out what bias is and how it works, then frame a sensible question

No, in the same way it's not time to get rid of the NHS. Both need to be managed properly and have limited government interference (and the NHS needs funding properly).

I'm not really a fan of being forced to pay for a service I don't use so I switched all my TV viewing to On-Demand, removed the BBC app from my smart TV and (legally!) cancelled my TV licence. If others want to pay for it, that's totally their choice. I wouldn't argue for defunding it but I would definitely make people aware they do have a choice.

No

Definitely should be a subscription service. I see no reason why we are forced to pay for something we don't necessarily use. It's not like there isn't a wealth of choice these days

No.

So the choice is already there.

No idea why people complain so much, also like there's another agenda to it

No.

It would be a huge loss to kids tv, documentaries, radio 1 to 6 and all the online services. I suggest we just remove bbc news as this nature of digital means most of the information has been seen and discussed long before the bbc are able to verify and prepare to broadcast, plus this is the area facing all the criticism on bias...from both sides by the way so its can't really win.

Yes, should be an optional subscription.

Can we "defund" the Tories instead?

No.

I’d happily see it as a subscription service. There’s nothing I want from it but others do use it. It took me until my late 30s to realise I was wasting £150 odd every year for a service I didn’t use. It felt almost like the tv licence was mandatory. Granted, I could have taken time to research but it was so ingrained as just a part of ‘adult’ costs.

Yes, I find something quite sinister and overbearing being forced to pay for a national broadcaster, whether you access its content or not, on threat of criminal prosecution.

Same here I am quite happy with the current model, if you don’t want to watch anything on live TV or IPlayer than you have the choice, much better to have this than an overall tax increase to fund it.

Agree it’s time for it to be a subscription service. All the people who think it’s marvellous and excellent value for money will be happy to pay, and those who don’t want it won’t be forced to subsidise them any more.

Except nobody’s forcing you to pay anything. Don’t watch and don’t pay. Easy.

@Blossomtoes its not as simple as that - if you want to watch other live Tv (or really have a tv set at all) you have to have a licence.

No, I think the current model works well.

Yes.
It should be a premium channel like Sky Atlantic or a Freeview channel with ads.
I am happy to pay for good programmes individually or via a third party like Netflix.

No.

I need a tv license to watch channels that I want which is very unfair.