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.

[quote Alexandra2001]@phishy Neither did i but its amazing if you like politics, medicine, education, science, statistics & a host of other things too many to mention... i esp like the probing interviews - Hard Talk is brilliant.[/quote]
I’ll give it a try. I don’t have a commute so don’t listen to the radio much.

When I’m cooking etc, I usually have something on Sky Go or YouTube app playing to keep me company.

My commute is 5 minutes i meant to say ☺️

I would like to retain a publicly funded journalism service. Although it’s not ideal independence wise (government influence) it’s much better option than all news media being owned by a v small number of unpleasant men.

If state subsidy for TV and radio production was got rid of completely that’d damage some valuable UK industries. There are different kinds of state subsidy though.

A lot of BBC stuff turns up on Netflix. Some of their podcasts are on Deezer. I subscribe to both Netflix and Deezer, so I don't need to access them directly from the BBC. I don't listen to radio. Most TV is rubbish. I do pay the license fee but the only reason I have one is to use BBC iPlayer. I have the All4 and ITV hub apps but rarely use them. The last thing I watched was Four Lives, which was good, actually, but I prefer to watch things at my convenience not according to a schedule. I don't want to pay for BritBox because of all the repeats and old telly on there.

I'm glad the BBC is losing the license fee. I remember when my Dad tried to buy a telly in town and got annoyed because all purchases of TVs were checked against having a licence. Thank good that has stopped. It should be a subscription service, and not linked with a criminal prosecution. It's an outdated funding model.

I stumble across more on the likes of netflix and online streaming than on TV like BBC. How odd to think not watching BBC negates being able to stumble across new stuff

Why do people think that abolishing the licence fee will give them the choice not to pay for it?

What'll happen is that it'll be an automatic levy on something nobody can escape if they want to access any TV/Radio/Internet/Telephone. So everybody pays, including those pensioners, blind people, over 75s, benefit claimants who have to have internet access in order to claim their UC/Old Age Pension/whatever and everybody who hasn't watched a second of BBC since Netflix went purely online and Amazon got into the entertainment business.

And, as a purely coincidental side effect, the redistribution will go via the billing company less a significant cut, so, say 25% of the trebled price to the shareholders of BT via Government, lose another cut, then dished back out with the understanding that should they ever forget themselves and report upon something whoever is in power at the time doesn't like, the following funding round will suddenly drop in value.

Nobody wants people to not pay it, they want to make all people pay a greater amount but not realise it.

A lot of BBC stuff turns up on Netflix. Some of their podcasts are on Deezer. I subscribe to both Netflix and Deezer, so I don't need to access them directly from the BBC.

I don't listen to radio. Most TV is rubbish. I do pay the license fee but the only reason I have one is to use BBC iPlayer.

I'm glad the BBC is losing the license fee.

@SpikeySmooth you do realise if the BBC no longer existed that the content they make that you enjoy when it’s sold to other platforms wouldn’t be made anymore?

The BBC sell content to Netflix etc to create additional revenue.

@Mumofsend
@triggonomeetry

Where are you stumbling on all this great, interesting, high quality content on Netflix that’s enabling you to broaden your horizons and develop new interests? Genuine question; we do have Netflix but barely watch anything on it and always end up watching BBC2/4 stuff on iPlayer, especially for factual programming.

Other than the very mainstream popular stuff, all we seem to come across on Netflix is undeniably glossy but essentially insubstantial US drama, and sensationalist documentaries that are broadly either True Crime related or veering into conspiracy theory territory. The algorithm just promotes either popular stuff or similar programmes to those you’ve previously watched, and I’ve lost count of the times we’ve started on a series and given up because it was too ridiculous/contrived/poorly acted.

We’ve yet to find anything decent in terms of visual/literary arts, classical music, nature or travel documentaries. Maybe they’re tucked away somewhere, but we haven’t found them.

And the kids’ stuff all seems to be primary coloured, loud, fast paced cartoons, which ideally I don’t really want DD watching (Paw Patrol aside - couldn’t say no to that one). CBeebies may be ‘twee’, but at least I know she’s genuinely learning something watching the likes of Maddie’s Do You Know or whatever.

I'm not sure how much fiction. entertainment or documentary that BBC broadcasts -- it actually produced. I'm pretty sure a lot, maybe most of it, is made independently and sold to BBC. My point being that the content may well get picked up by other broadcasters.

EastEnders, Strictly and Blue Planet will live on... somewhere.

The items that won't be replicated elsewhere are the in depth journalism & analysis. From our own Correspondent, Farming Today, Wake up to Money, The week in Westminster, Outlook, The Briefing Room ... that kind of thing -- it's toast.

Worth the license fee for CBeebies alone in my opinion. Who would produce the excellent and inclusive mr Tumble without a commitment to public service? Nothing else like it out there.

I do wonder if this announcement is a decoy from the important issues happening in public service. Heads are too quick to turn, heads should be rolling!

Abolish Boris not the BBC!

@sst1234

BBC is a symbol of Britain’s soft power. An invaluable asset in that’s sense. But in the last two decades or so, it has become increasingly partisan and left wing and quality of programming is shockingly bad. It turned itself into a dinosaur. A valuable lesson that public sector organizations fail to learn, time and time again.

Ah yes. And private companies are just a beacon of efficiency. Haha.

It's a Sin was on Channel 4.

@SpikeySmooth

A lot of BBC stuff turns up on Netflix. Some of their podcasts are on Deezer. I subscribe to both Netflix and Deezer, so I don't need to access them directly from the BBC. I don't listen to radio. Most TV is rubbish. I do pay the license fee but the only reason I have one is to use BBC iPlayer. I have the All4 and ITV hub apps but rarely use them. The last thing I watched was Four Lives, which was good, actually, but I prefer to watch things at my convenience not according to a schedule. I don't want to pay for BritBox because of all the repeats and old telly on there.

I'm glad the BBC is losing the license fee. I remember when my Dad tried to buy a telly in town and got annoyed because all purchases of TVs were checked against having a licence. Thank good that has stopped. It should be a subscription service, and not linked with a criminal prosecution. It's an outdated funding model.

it's not losing the licence fee.

They used to be worth the licence fee.
They haven't been for years.

I used to trust that I could let my child watch CBeebies unsupervised without being harmed or exposed to unhealthy ideology, but it is no longer safe to do so as they are pushing woke agendas to preschoolers.

There is little of merit left in the BBC & it is no longer a brand I trust at all.

I cancelled my licence & didn't even notice other than not having to pay for it any more because it's been years since there was anything worth watching.

Who even watches 'live' tv anymore?
It's not a benefit to be tied to the screen for a fixed period of time & it never was.

Their documentaries were never deep enough to be interesting so now instead I just go & find the actual knowledge elsewhere rather than feeling unsatisfied about the lack of substance in their programming.
Their news is unreliable as they don't even like to admit women are women.
They overpay a few awful individuals & have a culture that nurtures the Jimmy Savilles of the world.
Wonder who'll be next to be outed as awful?
There will be more & it will turn out to have been an open secret for decades.
That corruption is at the heart of the rotten corporation that is the BBC.

@pigsDOfly

I pay for all the television I watch on Sky and Netflix in a fairly hefty monthly subscription in the same way I pay for BBC television and radio with my licence fee.

Are people who want the tv licence fee abolished expecting to watch BBC television or listen to BBC radio for nothing, or do they never watch BBC tv or listen to BBC national radio their local BBC radio station?

If they don't use the service then they don't have to pay surely.

I don't consume any BBC output. Nor any other live TV (stupid rule that is: I don't pay for Netflix, so I don't watch Netflix; not paying for Netflix doesn't prohibit watching Disney+/Amazon Prime).

As I work shifts, "linear" television doesn't work for me. Streaming is great, there is a huge library on Disney+ which includes everything from Lucasfilm licences, National Geographic, 20th Century Fox, Marvel...

Netflix are throwing vast amounts of money at creating television content, money that dwarfs that available to the BBC.

Arguably they’re still not making a profit. They are worth investing though if you think that ultimately they will kill off enough competition to come out on top.

Which will be great for the UK of course. We can be sure that Netflix give a shit about the Uk, supporting our production companies and our talent. We definitely won’t just get a diet of US produced shows, filmed in a US style with US talent. Maybe the odd token UK production for “local flavour”.

Hooray. How happy we will be. I know the Tories love a bit of globalisation so losing anything remotely British about our TV is presumably a win, no?

Bitesize alone is fantastic.

DH and i have just bought a TV license in protest of the government's defunding of the BBC/axing the license fee. We don't own a tv and have never watched any BBC shows in our lives. But we feel that what the government is doing is unreasonable and we really cannot afford to lose the state broadcaster just because its favourable politically for the tories!

@knark

I am not claiming it's perfect, and it's not even what it once was, but I don't think that the solution is to scrap it.

we will now get the television we deserve.

I'm afraid so.

The BBC is not being "scrapped". It's out-of-date funding basis is (at long last) is. The BBC has done itself no favours over this by insisting (for heaven knows what reason) that non-payment must remain a criminal offence.

*The BBC produces consistently high quality tv and radio broadcasting, despite having their funding cut and cut again. They have journalistic freedom, free from commercial demands or editorial ownership of a single man.

I'm sick of capitalism and commercialism and consumerism. This government relies on soundbites and division and has no shame in legislating against those who would hold it to account*

Cool story. If you want to watch it then you pay for it on subscription. I am fed up not having to pay for their over inflated wages and piss take expenses.

"DH and i have just bought a TV license in protest of the government's defunding of the BBC/axing the license fee. We don't own a tv and have never watched any BBC shows in our lives. But we feel that what the government is doing is unreasonable and we really cannot afford to lose the state broadcaster just because its favourable politically for the tories!"

😂😂😂

@onlychildhamster

DH and i have just bought a TV license in protest of the government's defunding of the BBC/axing the license fee. We don't own a tv and have never watched any BBC shows in our lives. But we feel that what the government is doing is unreasonable and we really cannot afford to lose the state broadcaster just because its favourable politically for the tories!

Blimey, I’ve heard it all now.

Good, bbc is a dying relic

Onlychildhamster you do realise that now you’ve bought a licence you will be pestered and harangued every year from now on to get another one annually?
If you tell them why you bought one I don’t think they’ll believe you.

Where are these ‘woke agendas for preschoolers’, @Snugglepumpkin? Can you give some specific examples? I’ve watched a fair bit of CBeebies with DD4 and have so far only come across harmlessly diverse, inclusive content, often with an educational slant.