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 HelloFrostyMorning]@LawnFever I have googled it and a few sources say it's true, but it's not featured on many sites.

What's the truth? If i's fake news, where did it come from?[/quote]
Even the daily mail isn't saying it's going to be abolished.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10406491/Nadine-Dorries-hits-BBC-2bn-funding-cut-freezes-annual-licence-fee-charge-2024.html

The Tories plan to replace it in 2028 but that's very much dependant on who's in power at the time.

This is not the same as actually abolishing it.

Read what's written down, not what you want to see.

How are they going to fund it instead? I can't imagine there are many other ways so easy to avoid. I've never paid the licence fee in my life

If it’s as wonderful as some posters claim then I’m sure it will have people flocking to pay a subscription for it.
Does anyone remember those sinister licence fee adverts they used to do of vans driving around with aerials on their roofs with a voiceover along the lines ‘we know where you live. We will find you. You can run but you can’t hide’.
I guess they made that ad on the advice of some East German propaganda department.

[quote HelloFrostyMorning]@LawnFever I have googled it and a few sources say it's true, but it's not featured on many sites.

What's the truth? If i's fake news, where did it come from?[/quote]
If you can link to three articles saying the fee is going to be abolished then I will pay your fee for the rest of the year

The Tories plan to replace it in 2028 but that's very much dependant on who's in power at the time.

This is not the same as actually abolishing it.

Read what's written down, not what you want to see.

---

@Lockheart so true!

ABOUT FUCKING TIME!!!

Excellent news and if anyone really thinks there’s going to be an old fashioned licence fee come 2028 whoever’s in power, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. If you want to watch their shite, pay for it yourself.

Whether the fee is going or not or may remain in some form, the main point is that the sacred cow is now having a public jab in the arse.

Once it's seen that it can be jabbed in the arse and most people are glad to hear its outraged mooing then it is at least one step nearer extinction.

Good.Pay for a subscription to it if you want. I bet it will take a lot more notice of complaints once it has to please its new paymaster-the subscribers.

So, it might not be happening but even if this was just a suck it and see exercise I hope the fact that it looks as if most people won't be up in arms gives encouragement to those who might be considering abolishing its licence.

Yes, can't wait....they have been fleecing the public for far too long. It should not be replaced with anything either.

Struggling to think of the last thing I watched on BBC. It's bizarre that you need a licence to watch other channels. Why not have a subscription service or put ads on it?

@knark

I'm in favour of this. The BBC now makes highly politicised programming - almost everything they produce seems to propagate an agenda. Invariably inspired by the latest talking points and obsessions of the transatlantic, America-obsessed Twitter class which makes up the majority of their employees.

An example:

I recently wanted to rewatch Andrew Marr's excellent "A History of Modern Britain" series. It had been removed from iplayer. What was there was around ten different documentaries on various US events and political topics, such as George Floyd and Donald Trump (condemnatory, needless to say), and then so many on BLM and racism in the US that there could have been a standalone app for it.

If that's what they want to make fine - but they can seek funding from those who are willing to pay for it.

Oh and seriously the no advert thing -they advertise their own crap endlessly during programmes I want to watch

no they don't. They advertise after a programme has ended and before the next one starts. That is not the same as during a programme, which is very annoying.

This is a good thing in my opinion

I'm not right wing (politically in the centre) but I do think that BBC are too left wing, and that their coverage is very biased. I stopped watching BBC news because of this - you don't get a balanced picture, everything is presented from one angle (the perspective of the BBC).

They are also very London centric and have poor representation of the rest of the country.

It's wrong that people should be forced to pay for this.

@Silvershroud

But presumably if the public had voted against Brexit, then you wouldn't regard that as populist nor based on "prejudice"?

"Populism" is only the charge when you don't get what you want.

If only there was some way to stop all the stupid people (the ones who don't agree with you) from voting.

Sorry but I agree with OP. A democracy needs a state owned broadcaster. If we get rid of the only broadcaster that publishes exactly how each programme output has been attempted to be made fair and unbiased, we will become another america with fox news type populist bile that is only set up to commercialise and sensationalise. And they will pander to, and stoke up the far right because that is what's profitable.

Agreed it's not perfect but we need the BBC.

@sillyme563

Sorry but I agree with OP. A democracy needs a state owned broadcaster. If we get rid of the only broadcaster that publishes exactly how each programme output has been attempted to be made fair and unbiased, we will become another america with fox news type populist bile that is only set up to commercialise and sensationalise. And they will pander to, and stoke up the far right because that is what's profitable.

Agreed it's not perfect but we need the BBC.

Do they do that now? I actually wouldn't mind an actually unbiased news channel perhaps with a few interesting documentaries etc, but that's not what the BBC is, is it?

The BBC has become irrelevant for me, an 80s millennial.

Wonder how much more irrelevant it is for the newer generations.

If only there was some way to stop all the stupid people (the ones who don't agree with you) from voting

After the EU referendum there were some threads on here where posters genuinely believed voters should be tested before they were allowed to vote. Quite a few posters supported this idea.
Not sure how the tests would be worded or marked.

And they will pander to, and stoke up the far right because that is what's profitable

Sillyme why is the far right profitable?

@Doyoumind

The fact that a large proportion of the BBC's critics claim it's biased and on the side of the Tories and a large proportion of the BBC's critics claim it's not impartial because it's too left wing merely confirms that people's views of the BBC are heavily influenced by factors external to the BBC and its output.

Exactly! I do find it too right leaning but that’s my own perception.

I used to be quite pro bbc and licence fee. The whole stonewall debacle has really pissed me off though. So I won't miss them if it goes.

Maybe some pay cuts are in order for the outrageously paid presenters

I don’t. Pay anyway as it’s a load of old crap not watched live tv for years now.

Can’t say I feel I’ve missed out on anything.

I haven't paid the licence fee for a couple of years. Their biased reporting, crap programming, vastly overpaid staff made it impossible for me to continue to pay into it. My father, who is in his 90's, had to start paying for his licence whilst Gary Lineker, et al get paid seven figure salaries.

Since stopping payment I've had a barrage of threatening letters. I had a visit from one of their 'inspectors' who agreed that I don't need a licence because I don't view live tv. He said that the letters will stop... they haven't.

If people want to view their programmes that's fine - they can pay a subscription.

Much about the BBC doesn't appear to be truly independent and impartial nowadays

It's about bloody time. Corrupt, biased, sanctimonious and downright shady.