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.

I was thinking of stopping my BBC Licence payments, I can't justify the cost now I'm on UC - £14 pcm is too much for me to pay and there's hardly anything worth watching to justify the cost.

It's cheaper to stream TV through the free channels and Netflix. I listen to R4 and that isn't covered by the Licence - I might be comfortable paying 99p for R4.

We have never paid for the TV license.

We have ignored the letters for years.

Except it’s not closing.

The government declined to do it. The Express and Mail reports were wrong.

Exactly, they’ve actually got a new deal until 2027, the licence fee is fixed at the current rate for two years and then rising with inflation, but the government want it to look like they’ve ‘won’.

If folks don’t use it and don’t want to pay it fine, but the idea the government is shutting down the BBC just isn’t true.

Same as the over 75s licences, the government introduced them, then took away the funding, it was their decision, but the truth doesn’t get as many retweets.

@TheHateIsNotGood

I was thinking of stopping my BBC Licence payments, I can't justify the cost now I'm on UC - £14 pcm is too much for me to pay and there's hardly anything worth watching to justify the cost.

It's cheaper to stream TV through the free channels and Netflix. I listen to R4 and that isn't covered by the Licence - I might be comfortable paying 99p for R4.

How do you think R4 (and all the other stations inc World Service) is paid for then?

Bit of a joke that the Govt cut UC, reduced pay rises, increased NI and have done zero to control energy prices but then tell us all the licence fee can't increase because "hardworking families can't afford an extra £10 per year.... " says the Culture Secretary.

Reduce the size and an output of the BBC and it will cease to be able to have the content it does now & at £3.50 per week is considerably less than what you pay for decent internet or other broadcasters.

I am not pro-Trump by any means. Don't just throw in unfounded personal attacks on a person you don't know as a way to make an argument, it's bad form. You asked what innovative, high quality commercial TV shows are available, though? Don't be silly, new ones are created all the time, in the US and all over the world. From The Wire, Breaking Bad, the Sopranos, to My Brilliant Friend, Alias Grace, Silicon Valley, Giri/Haji, Fauda, Shtisl, etc.

@j712adrian

Dear Windy State.

“ Explain why people who don't watch bbc TV should still pay £160 to watch services NOT funded out of that money?”

It’s called supporting your national institutions of culture and learning which make your country great.

It’s patriotic.

Any chance you understand that?

Patriotism is a load of nonsense.

What a completely shit argument that is.

I’d add Mare of Eastown, Chernobyl, The Queen’s Gambit as well. Excellent series.

[quote AllThePogs]@DdraigGoch Yes, I understand commissioning. But no it won't be commissioned by others because most of it does not make money. If it did, why is ITV not doing it?[/quote]
If Netflix has decided that some of it is good enough to buy, then it stands to reason that they may consider commissioning it.

Ha! Then explain who listens to Radio 1, Radio 1xtra, Radio 6 and watches BBC Three?

@j712adrian looking at the viewing/listening figures for those stations, the answer is "not many people". Radio 1 is outstripped by R2, R4 and commercial stations. Even among the target age group, BBC3 only managed a tiny cut of the viewership figures. When it went online, the few half-decent programmes went over to BBC2 or were taken on by commercial channels.

The BBC cancelled a couple of series , one was Ripper Street which was picked up by Amazon and improved with a bigger budget. If there’s demand for British drama, which there is, other companies will make it.

Not sure what Putin has to do with BBC radio! Most of the BBC news is stuff they regurgitate from elsewhere. They barely ever break a new story. They cut loads of journalists so they could carry on paying vast salaries to the likes of Lineker. They should spend the money more wisely.

@Theluggage15

"the likes of Lineker"

Ah, the Farage Playbook. Could you not spell "woke" this morning?

Pity you folks don't believe in free speech.

@DdraigGogh

"it stands to reason": Alf Garnett, 1968

Anyway, seems the BBC is not being closed down after all.

Suggest you write to the Mail or Express about their false reporting if you're having a shaky morning over it.

Except it’s not closing.

The government declined to do it. The Express and Mail reports were wrong.

What exactly did the Mail report because I can't find anything when searching that suggests that they have said anything like what you seem to think they said.

The number of people paying for a licence is declining year-on-year. It's an outdated funding avenue, it must reform or the BBC will just wither away.

I think BBC3 is coming back to televisions isn't it? Not much on it appeals to me, so I don't tend to watch it.

I think they're trying to move some of the Radio 1 listeners over to Radio 2, so R2 becomes a rolling "music of the last 30 years" type thing. The problem is, most people I know like the 'speciality' programmes on R2 which don't really fit with that! I'm still fed up they got rid of Clare Teal.

I liked R2's "Sounds of the 21st Century" recently, I thought that was a really clever idea for a programme.

[quote j712adrian]@DdraigGogh

"it stands to reason": Alf Garnett, 1968[/quote]
Do you mean that it's a relic from those far off days when the BBC actually made sitcoms worth watching?

@j712adrian

Anyway, seems the BBC is not being closed down after all.

Suggest you write to the Mail or Express about their false reporting if you're having a shaky morning over it.

Yes you might have mentioned that oce or twice.

Been looking over my budget for the new year, and I think I'll be cancelling mine. Its just not worth it for the amount of BBC content I watch.

I think the quality of BBC programme is better than you get elsewhere, especially for children.

I like the idea of having media companies which aren’t able to have CEO in the pocket of politicians.

@Iggly

I think the quality of BBC programme is better than you get elsewhere, especially for children.

I like the idea of having media companies which aren’t able to have CEO in the pocket of politicians.

Did anyone watch the BBC's new farming programme? Was it anything like as good (both in terms of entertainment and education) as Clarkson's Farm?

There is no need for a state broadcaster in todays world

You're right there isn't, but govrnments certainly enjoy having a mouthpiece they can control via the licence fee

Frankly I'll be very surprised if this happens, but time will tell

Don't forget radio, podcasts, IPlayer, CBeebies, news, weather, website, Bitesize home education, World Service. It's not just BBC dramas that the cost covers.

The TV licence seems like such an anachronism these days. On demand streaming is the future of TV. Young people think it quaint that we used to have to wait a whole week to see the next episode of a series. A 'national broadcaster' may have made sense in the pre-internet days when most households had one TV set with only 4 or 5 channels. Now, when you can watch pretty much whatever you want, when you want, it's hard to see what its role is.

@IcedPurple

The TV licence seems like such an anachronism these days. On demand streaming is the future of TV. Young people think it quaint that we used to have to wait a whole week to see the next episode of a series. A 'national broadcaster' may have made sense in the pre-internet days when most households had one TV set with only 4 or 5 channels. Now, when you can watch pretty much whatever you want, when you want, it's hard to see what its role is.

Yes it is an outdated funding model.

It is ultimately a taxpayer funded service. The government could choose to fund it via general taxation instead of a separate license fee.

@DdraigGoch was that question at me? I don’t like Jeremy clarkson so wouldn’t watch it full stop.