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.

If you can actually give examples of any of that rather than just stating it happens, I’d be gobsmacked.
You might want to read this (including the studies it quotes). If you are worried about the bias of the magazine, no need - ‘Prospect was launched in 1995 by David Goodhart, an ex-FT journalist who became the magazine’s first editor, Derek Coombs, a former Conservative MP who would become its founding chairman, and Charles Seaford, Prospect’s first publisher’. Centre right leanings from the start.
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/60479/attention-bbc-haters-the-public-arent-behind-you

Others have already mentioned many of the things that the BBC does apart from TV.

I would just add that they also co-produce many shows with commercial providers, including Netflix and other American organisations.

Also, many BBC shows - especially drama and nature programmes - are sold all over the world and help the UK's standing as a renowned provider of cultural output.

Lot of ignorance on this thread which is a shame.

The point of the BBC is that is it not government-run, that's why it's funded by the license fee and not taxes. State-run media is in China or Russia and that is a whole different ballgame.

The BBC has an independent news organisation unlike anywhere else, with independent native-language journalists in offices all over the world, reporting facts, without bias eg not just accepting them world of foreign government spokespeople. The editorial process is rigorous which is why they are not always first to publish in this click bait world - they need to have double-verification from a source); we should all be incredibly proud of it.

It does ground-breaking natural history programming, makes world-class drama, covers sports and events to the highest level, does educational and children's programming with genuine quality, unlike the shit on YouTube. The radio and podcasts are superb and the it takes creative risks with new writers and comedians which is what feeds the pipeline into places like Netflix down the line.

Sure, don't pay for it if you don't care about any of that but it's incredibly good value.

The term " cultural marxism" is a far right antisemitic conspiracy trope. Dog whistle racism.
I don't know if you know this, but if not please be more careful with this kind of insidious coded language. It is incredibly offensive.
If you do know what it means then shame on you.

I’d rather pay more for what I want than pay anything for what I don’t want.

Missing the point though.

I wouldn't want the BBC to disappear BUT as someone who does not watch live BBC TV, why should I have to pay the licence fee to watch the odd bit of channel 4 programming?

That's the issue. I have no issue with the licence fee otherwise, and I agree that it's a very good thing that the BBC is (in principle, if not always in fact) independent.

But it's still a bullshit funding model to have to pay a licence fee when I only really watch commerical channels which are funded by advertising and don't actually recieve any of the money I have to pay for a licence.

For which they get a handsome fee they don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts do they ?

If Elon Musk set up a TV station Called "Tesla TV" and then demanded £150 off of every single person in the country, who would pay it?

If he said that if you didn't pay it, he'd take you to court, who would pay it?

If he said that you paying the £150 helps maintain the network he broadcasts in and provides a studio for other TV networks to rent out, would you pay it?

probably not.
In fact, you'd likely think it outrageous.

And of you would, well, let's let Elon know he's got a ready made market.

Sure, don't pay for it if you don't care about any of that but it's incredibly good value.

And if you enjoy what it offers and can afford it then that’s great!

I can’t afford it or did I find anything really that appealed - Mrs Browns Boys anyone! and why it’s been so easy to no longer have it, but I begrudge that I can’t watch live tv.

Netflix and Amazon don’t provide any kind of news, live sport, radio/podcasts, website, and each has one channel, not four, plus the news channel and iplayer no wonder they’re cheaper they actually should be much much cheaper comparatively.

Except good doesn’t equal commercially successful. The paid-for commercial model relies on big audiences and that means endless celebrity hagiographies, idiotic shows like Love Island and very little proper news or documentary content. ITV’s post office drama lost about £1million - largely because it’s too British a story to sell overseas. You can forget about good British dramas - the only thing that will be made are stories that can be sold worldwide.

Look at Prime, Amazon, Netflix - the output is all so American skewed, with a few British acquisitions and multi-country formats.

If that’s enough for you, fine, but don’t complain when we have nothing left of our own cultural capital because the likes of Netflix and Amazon don’t make enough money from UK stories.

Stopped paying for it years ago and can't believe people still pay it. Absolute scam

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

But (if we push this further) Burger King bakes their bread in McDonalds kitchen, and has an arrangement that they make and sell the mayonnaise to them.

McDonalds also sends thousands of meals abroad to people without food, without being paid because the money they're paid in the UK funds the programme.

I like quite a bit of BBC programming, and thinks it's a very cheap way to support world-class orchestras and choirs. I personally don't want all the musicians to have to go and become computer programmers or data scientists or whatever.

If you don’t pay it and watch live TV how would they even know?

I have a freeview sky box and watch things I’ve recorded or streamed, but never live. Technically though I could watch it (but don’t) Could they prove it either way? Can you record live Tv and watch it back without a license?

I hate paying it but do because I’m scared of getting wrong 😄

Don’t forget that the streamers are all chasing the young - they don’t give a toss about middle aged or elderly viewers. If the BBC fails, the rest of our terrestrial channels will find it even harder to keep going. Some production companies will fail, others will be subsumed into the mega corporations that insist on larger margins and won’t make stories they can’t sell on internationally. Forget documentaries or dramas about the UK because US channels won’t take them. Forget decent news broadcasts - they will need to show some news as part of their broadcast licence agreement but it’ll be the bare basics.

I’m not sure I ever watch live tv anymore, but I’ll keep paying my licence fee because without the BBC, the uk won’t have its own tv landscape - just what the US decides we should watch.

We don't either but you need a license if you use iPlayer. They should do away with the licence fee and make live TV free then charge a subscription fee for iPlayer like the rest of the steaming services, that way it's optional if you want iPlayer and nobody goes to jail.

I hate sport so definitely won’t be watching that 😄 We stream everything or record to
watch later. Seems crazy I can record it and watch it an hour later legally but not live? Why is that?

I am terrible at being accused though, just go to pot. So I’ve been bullied into paying for a licence I don’t need for years just incase they come round!

You need a licence to record tv.

Nah ,thats nonsense ,they can come to your house but they have no powers, you don't have to open the door to them or even engage with them, they can peek through the window but so what ,?
People' use TVs this day and age for steaming etc they have to have proof you are actually watching TV owning a TV isn't proof.

Imo BBC radio can stay, and they can do it without the license fee, and rely on funding like all the other big free cultural things we get without a license fee (eg. Museums, galleries, British Library, etc).

It also annoys me that much of our license fees are spent on astronomical salaries for presenters

The onus is on them to prove you are watching it not on you to prove you ar e not so if you don't watch it why on earth are you paying the licence fee?