BBC Time to stop the license fee - Times have drastically changed

[StrawPony]

In the past I’ve supported the BBC but that was before the availability of numerous streaming services. It just doesn’t make sense anymore, I’m coming at this as someone that is fairly centre ground and not someone that is concerned about bias.

With the cost of living, I’m looking to reduce outgoings. I’ve just told the kids that I’m going to cancel Netflix end of this month as they’ve bumped up the price to £10.99 per month without me opting into that particular plan. The kids are asking me to cancel the BBC instead (2 teens and 1 in primary), they didn’t understand that the beeb is not an opt in/out streaming service so I’ve explained that one. But it’s true, they NEVER watch any stuff on the BBC. I watch the odd thing but if I could opt out, I would and pay for Now or Netflix. AIBU, the BBC was great in its time but now it needs to become subscription only. I don’t listen to BBC radio, I watch the odd drama or major national event (like coverage of the Queens death) but nowhere near enough that I would pay if it was opt in/out.

I agree - it’s given up being impartial now and is a Labour Party broadcasting 247

Auntie has had her day I'm afraid, as a respected public institution that it used to be.
Very biased, selective about what it broadcasts and relative of mine who worked there informed me that its a cesspit of bullying and sexual harassment. Just the fact that it covered up Jimmy Savile behaviour should be enough to shut the whole thing down.
Oh and getting rid of Saint Gary Lineker would be a bonus

I think it's ridiculous. I pay my subscription to Sky because I like to watch live TV and am happy to pay for the extra channels. Being forced to pay for BBC channels that I barely watch and would happily give up if there was an option to is stupid. I stopped my netflix subscription because I hardly used it but can't do that with the state broadcaster. It's 2024 I can't belive it's still a thing.

Just let the people who think it's great pay for it.

You obviously do as you watch live TV @Beryls, TV Licence is for that and iPlayer not just BBC.

Which is surprising since people earlier on the thread said they’re run by Tory’s, it’s almost like they’re giving both sides.

The BBC operates and maintains much of the infrastructure (including the studios needed to make programmes) these are used by many of the other media organisations. You are not just paying for BBC content with the licence fee. It effectively subsidises your sky / netflix / now packages. If the LF is scrapped, subscriptions will rise by the same or more.

I agree. However when it comes to taxes, somewhere along the line you do use services, you might not have children and need education services but you have elderly parents in a care home or use public services etc, you get ky point I hope, but if, door example, I don’t watch Netflix, why should I pay for Netflix? That’s how I view the BBC. I don’t watch, I don’t listen and I don’t like it. I don’t benefit from it at all and yet I pay for it.

Come 2027 and the licence fee renewal maybe it will be. Nothing can change until then.

This is actually hilarious, how do you think the BBC news website and R1 & R2 are paid for?

I know precisely how they are funded, but fact remains you don't need to pay for a licence for them, so I don't.

Am I missing something here? You can sign a declaration that you don't do any of the things that require a license.

It's on the licencing website.

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence

What wrong with just doing that?

I'm happy to pay the licence fee personally, I get great value for money from it... better value than Netflix from my perspective, but obviously it depends on what you watch/ listen to.

If you and your kids never watch live TV and don't use iplayer etc, then you have the option to opt out so not really sure what the issue is?

My dad done that, he genuinley doesn’t watch live TV. Since my mum died I don’t think he’s even had the tv on, he’s a gamer and spends his time doing that or being on Twitter etc. he’s had 3 visits from TV licences people in just over 2 years grilling him about it. I think a lot of people pay the Tv licence because they feel as though the BBC is an authority like the government!

Really? There’s loads of examples I can give.
Examples include cultural Marxism and endless political correctness, excessive air-time given to the Labour Party, anti-capitalist 'banker bashing', institutional vilification of corporate success and conservative tradition. And it never ever refers to Hamas as a terrorist organisation which is what it is.

Yeah, looks like the pp is happy for the rest of us to pay for those. 🙄

And I could point to huge right wing bias on the Question Time guest list where Isobel Oakshott, Melanie Phillips and Nigel Farage are some of the most invited guests, pro-capitalist entertainment shows like Dragons Den, The Apprentice and Homes Under The Hammer, Laura Kuennsberg, the daily newspaper reviews that inevitably put right wing biases on the news agenda, and the fact that the directorship and management of the BBC are confirmed Tories.

I defy you to reconcile what you call "institutional vilification" with the coverage of things like the Coronation, Trooping the Colour or the D-Day celebrations, which are entirely uncritical of the monarchy or militarism.

This thread is sad. The BBC may have many faults but it is unique in the scope of broadcasting it does. The World Service is valued and broadcast across the world and reaches countries where access to independent news is difficult or impossible. And no advertising.

Many of you would miss it if were to disappear or priced to within a shadow of its existence. I don't have a TV but I happily pay the fee/licence/whatever for Radios 3 and 4 alone. Worth every penny.

The BBC has really gone down hill in the last few years. Given it's more expensive than Netflix or Amazon, I don't think it represents value for money. Radio 4 is almost unlistenable, and most of the programs are just shite since covid. I still think their wildlife documentaries are brilliant, the photography is absolutely stunning. But otherwise we don't really watch it anymore.

The issue is that you need a licence to watch ANY live TV, but the money almost entirely goes to the BBC.

As someone else has said, it would be like having to pay money to McDonalds before you can go to Burger King - which would be patently absurd.

I do watch the very odd bit of live TV, but never on the BBC, so why should I pay for shite like Doctor Who and the apprentice when I have absolutely no interest in it?

If the BBC produced good content, it could stand on it's on merits. But it doesn't, so it can't.

The director general is an ex Tory candidate.

How would people miss it if they never watch it in the first place,?

I don't watch as much BBC tV as I used to. But there are still some fantastic shows that make the licence fee worthwhile for me. When you add to that: Radio 4 (my constant companion at home - the best thing about this country by far IMO), all the other radio stations (love Radio 3 too), the BBC orchestras, the Proms, Cbeebies, Bitesize, news, sport, coverage of important events... I think it's extraordinary value.

And that's fine
But for those people who don't watch any of the content or listen to the radio stations it's a complete rip off.

As long as they don't have adverts I already pay extra to not have adverts on the streaming things.

The Licence Fee pays not just for the State Broadcaster, but for the Architecture and the Infrastructure that supports all broadcasting. It ensures that the technology used allows all broadcaster to work together, and lead / manage a number of the groups that are planning and implementing new technologies across all broadcasters.
The money that is given to the BBC is (mostly) spent on Independent productions, supporting thousands of business and individuals. People who would be out of a job (and costing you a lot more) if the BBC went out of business.
No commercial providers want to get rid of the BBC, as they need 1) the work they do on Infrastructure 2) the work they do improving & implementation new technology and 3) a healthy creative sector, with skills that they can use on thier productions.