BBC Licence fee to be abolished in 2027

[knark]

Fucking Tories. Why do people vote for them? Why isn't there a viable opposition?

I would protest against this decision, but, oh, they've abolished that too.

It's just tv (And radio) it's simply not that important. It's EastEnders, bargain hunt and match of the day, not housing the homeless and curing cancer.

There's a certain arrogance/sun never sets on the British empire mentality in all this envy of the world, better than everything and everyone attitude.

It's just telly. We would be absolutely fine if the BBC either went subscription only or started showing adverts.

It’s not “just” TV and radio. It is information, education and entertainment- as per the BBC’s remit. It is crucially important.

Because of course you can't get all of that in a million other places.

It's important to you. That doesn't mean everyone else feels the same.

@IncompleteSenten

It's just tv (And radio) it's simply not that important. It's EastEnders, bargain hunt and match of the day, not housing the homeless and curing cancer.

There's a certain arrogance/sun never sets on the British empire mentality in all this envy of the world, better than everything and everyone attitude.

It's just telly. We would be absolutely fine if the BBC either went subscription only or started showing adverts.

Aaaargh this is exactly what I mean. It's NOT just TV (and radio). It's an an entire broadcasting infrastructure, cultural institution and education service.

@20x2boys but if you are watching zero tv/ cannot watch bbc/use iplayer then you do not have to pay so not really an issue is it.

@IncompleteSenten

Because of course you can't get all of that in a million other places.

It's important to you. That doesn't mean everyone else feels the same.

You can’t. That’s the whole point. It doesn’t matter if it’s important to me. Schools are important, whether or not children or others think they are important or not.

It's clearly not impartial, so why does the state have to fund it?

Cultural institution - 🤷‍♀️. Considering the shit the BBC has covered up I'm not sure it wants to go round claiming that sort of shit.

Broadcasting infrastructure - is that unique to the BBC because TV is all over the world and seems to be doing ok.

Education service - we aren't short of access to education.

The BBC is not a god. It's a mediocre, non essential service that people should have the choice to support or not.

I don't care if other people kneel before it and pray. I won't stop them paying for it. I don't appreciate being told I have to when I don't give a shit about it.

You love it, I'll give you my bank details and you can set up a standing order for my fee.

I have been disgusted how partisan they were on Trans ideology until recently. Sick of bloody drag Queens jumping out of the news app every time I opened it and 'heroic' transitioners. Post Nolan podcast investigation they have at last STFU and stopped shoving it down our throats but it's too little too late. I do like some radio 4 output and some of the children's TV but I much prefer channel 4 for news.

There are loads of posters on this thread who say they never watch/use the BBC, which made me wonder how many people actually do. The most recent Ofcom annual review of the BBC says that 90% of adults in the UK use BBC services every single week! So Mumsnet is not very representative, it seems...

(Source)

Well schools are important because we need children educated since we need a workforce. I'm happy to pay towards the lawyers, shop keepers, doctors, binmen, nurses, teachers, care assistants etc of tomorrow.

What does the BBC provide - specifically. Actual names of programmes etc - that cannot possibly be provided in any other way?

Maybe I'm missing something.

Maybe there's a programme I've never heard of that will bring about the collapse of society if the BBC doesn't get our licence money. I don't claim to know everything they do so if there's something vital to the welfare of society that can be provided in no other way I'll happily apologise

We haven't paid it for years. You just send a letter saying they do not have permission to enter your property and they write back and cancel it off for three years at a time

@IncompleteSenten

Cultural institution - 🤷‍♀️. Considering the shit the BBC has covered up I'm not sure it wants to go round claiming that sort of shit.

Broadcasting infrastructure - is that unique to the BBC because TV is all over the world and seems to be doing ok.

Education service - we aren't short of access to education.

The BBC is not a god. It's a mediocre, non essential service that people should have the choice to support or not.

I don't care if other people kneel before it and pray. I won't stop them paying for it. I don't appreciate being told I have to when I don't give a shit about it.

You love it, I'll give you my bank details and you can set up a standing order for my fee.

If you don’t use it .. you don’t pay for it .. so not sure why you are so angry.

In other countries, the government often covers the cost of the broadcast infrastructure, so you pay for it one way or the other.

Tragically many organisations have covered up abuse - including the NHS .. so I hope you are as passionate about withholding funding for them.

Educational service - they support your whole range of National Curriculum topics, with resources for teachers, schools and pupils - much cheaper than other providers.

They also fund education within school - and until Covid times, were going into schools to support young people learning programming (as we have a massive skills shortage coming)

They do lots of great stuff - just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

Good! Cant wait!. Hate paying it. We rarely watch BBC or live stream.

Broadcasting infrastructure - is that unique to the BBC because TV is all over the world and seems to be doing ok.

Yes, how do you think this is funded? Most countries have their own national broadcast services which are paid for by taxes. If the UK's TV licence fee is abolished, we will still need a national broadcaster, and so taxes will have to go up to pay for it. No more opting out. Meanwhile, if you don't pay the licence fee and I do, I am subsidising your access to emergency broadcasts in times of national crisis, nationwide broadband roll-out, Freeview etc. You're welcome.

@51multicolouredmittens very good point. If you do not use BBC or iplayer or any of the other services provided for a few pennies a day there is no need to pay the licence fee. You just have to prove you are not set up/using it. Quite simple really- it has been possible to do this for years.

It feels like there are people on this thread who believe that everyone should want to pay the license fee as some sort of public service whether or not they watch or listen to any of the content. I don't listen to/watch it and I don't really know anyone who does. The only time I ever see it is BBC news in hospital waiting rooms and honestly it's so pompous I can't believe people watch it when they have a choice of channels.

Hopefully this won’t happen, but if it did it would be devastating for the U.K., for so many reasons. I agree that as a country we’d likely end up getting the - populist, derivative, dumbed down - content we deserved.

It’s not just a case of the BBC proving its worth by sinking or swimming against rival commercial providers like Netflix or Amazon. The BBC by its nature is supposed to offer a range of viewing and listening options beyond the populist, commercial ones. It is meant to inform and educate, rather than simply entertain. If the licence fee went what would happen to Radio 3/4/6Music? To CBeebies (I’m so glad it exists so DD doesn’t have to watch all the flashy, advert saturated dross on Netflix and YouTube)? To nature, science and cultural/arts programming, or the Proms, or BBC Young Musician, or its many excellent orchestras?

None of these things has the ‘mass’ appeal of some of the stuff on subscription channels, but it’s incredibly culturally valuable. Do we just chuck it all out as too niche and commercially unviable, or restrict access to a few ‘arty intellectuals’ who have the financial means to pay for a specialist arts channel?

The BBC, especially the World Service, represents British soft power. It is recognised and respected around the world - not perfect; I don’t like some of the ‘woke’ stuff either - but certainly regarded in a more positive light than many other media organisations. Have the people calling for it to be scrapped/drastically reformed actually tried watching TV overseas, in both the Anglophone and non-Anglophone world? In many cases the output is nigh on unwatchable.

It's just tv (And radio) it's simply not that important But the BBC debate is about much more than just TV; it’s about social cohesion and cultural values and international influence. That’s why the Tories are so exercised about it in the first place.

I'm not angry. I'm irked. I think the posters demanding the BBC be supported by all are sounding angry towards those of us who don't think the BBC should be funded the way it is.
Look at the way posters reply to anyone who doesn't support the BBC.

Posts by people who think the licence fee should go and be replaced by a subscription services and/or adverts are being jumped on. Now that's angry.

I don't use it but I still have to pay because I watch other things and you have to pay because you could watch the BBC, not because you do. If I could watch TV and listen to the radio and not pay the fee because I don't use the BBC I would be fine with that. That's not an option and it should be.

@passionfruitpizza

It feels like there are people on this thread who believe that everyone should want to pay the license fee as some sort of public service whether or not they watch or listen to any of the content. I don't listen to/watch it and I don't really know anyone who does. The only time I ever see it is BBC news in hospital waiting rooms and honestly it's so pompous I can't believe people watch it when they have a choice of channels.

Yet, they don’t want to admit that’s a totally regressive form of taxation.

"social cohesion and cultural values and international influence"

Does the rest of the world not have those things?

I was on a bus 20 years ago and an older woman got on, with three children, under the age of 8. We got chatting and it turned out that she was their grandmother. She had custody of the children, because her daughter was in prison, for non payment of the TV licence fee - she had been arrested at home, on a Saturday, in front of the children. I was shocked by this story and am firmly against the licence fee, whatever the merits of the BBC

I understood it was to be reviewed, not definitely abolished. It's about time it went, it's really outdated, and why it must be paid to watch live tv even if not BBC I do not understand. Gave up having a licence some years back, don't miss it at all, and the odd drama I might be interested in will appear on Netflix or Amazon at some time. Radio 4 is also pretty crap these days (and no you do not need a licence to listen to BBC radio), as 95% of the content is abysmal (esp 'comedy').

There is no need for a state broadcaster in todays world.

Writes someone who’s never lived in a country without an independent, non-commercial broadcaster.

The BBC is not a “state broadcaster” - it’s independent and non-commercial.

These things are vital.

One could also talk about practicalities. The BBC do the bulk of training broadcast journalists, production and technical staff, as well as many film-makers and producers, in this country.

I'm fine with paying for a basic infrastructure used equally by all providers as part of the tax I pay, with people being able to choose which content they want to pay for via subscription.

That sounds fine to me.

Look. There's nothing they provide that could not be provided by others. I'm never going to agree that the BBC is the 5th emergency service that must be beloved by all. I'm just not. And that's ok. I don't have to.

If it becomes a subscription service that would be great.

Those who love it would I'm sure be happy to pay for it. People pay stupid money for sky and I'm sure they'd pay equally stupid money for BBC if they loved it that much.