AIBU to suggest a mass boycott of TV licence payments?

[BoycottBBC]

"He received between £435,000 and £439,999 in the year 2022/2023, which rose to £475,000 - £479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024, the BBC's latest annual report shows.
Edwards remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy."

See attached article.

He has been charged with three accounts of making indecent images of children. Six category A images. 12 category B images. 19 category C images on his WhatsApp.

Do you think the BBC will try and clawback any of that huge amount or wages?

Do you think we can clawback any of our financial support of this organisation? Because I sure as fuck don't want to pay my licence fee towards this. It's sickening. (And I realise it's "optional" but for those who do need access to iplayer or live TV for education purposes or similar, it's effectively enforced)

I totally agree with this.

I'm divided on this. Twenty years ago I would have defended the licence fee. Today, I can't , but unfortunately I also can't see anything changing soon.

I'd be happy with a BBC that provided BBC News, CBBC, BBC World Service, BBC Education, BBC local services and (perhaps) Radio 5 for national events.

The BBC needs to give two-tier access serious consideration. Free for the above, and a subscription fee for everything else.

I am not happy with my license fee paying for stuff that commercial channels could do, e.g. Strictly, EastEnders, Dr Who, etc. None of this should be BBC.

The other rub for me is services like Brit Box, which you have to pay for (I don't, incidentally), but runs shows that I've already paid for! Grrr.

Also remember that a lot of shows on the BBC and elsewhere are actually made by independent companies under contract.

Britbox/ITVX does offer more than just what has been on the BBC though.

Same, wondering why I gave them the money for so long, eagerly awaiting my first threatening letter and officer visit!
I don't watch or listen to the BBC or any of their affiliated channels/radio stations, and wouldn't be fussed if they closed down. I don't feel obliged to fund them.

They would have been Iegal trouble unless they found reason to sack him or suspend him without pay. I'm surprised they didn't have some kind of 'bringing the BBC into disrepute' clause in contracts, especially with journalists.

The real issue here is why they did nothing when the parents of the young man whose drug habit he was financing asked them for help. Were they not worried that their go-to royal funeral and wedding guy was paying teenagers for sexual favours? A big element of the way the BBC dealt with this is fear of being labelled homophobic and unconcerned about employee mental health. Huw managed to place himself in a category that must never be criticised or face consequences.

There are always plenty of people who scream "trial by media!" and "wotever happened to innocent until proven guilty, eh?" whenever some comedian or businessman is accused of rape or sexual assault by multiple women with mountains of corroborating evidence.

And strangely enough they always seem to be the same sort of people who demand that employers are held responsible for their employees' crimes before they could possibly have known about them .. but only when it's a chance to bash the BBC.

Funny that. I wonder what the link is? I could say reactionary idiocy but that would be unkind.

Just an observation.

I can't help thinking that the timing of this story was helped by some friends of his.

Years ago I would have defended the BBC to the hilt, no more. The BBC has long since ceased to the be the high quality, impartial broadcaster it was. They don't do investigative journalism or hold the powers that be to account any more. I can fully understand why people do not want to pay the Licence Fee and think it is entirely wrong that they should be compelled to do so with the threat of criminal proceedings if they don't.

The sad little letters are bothering nobody else but you, what an odd thing to think you’re making some kind of statement 🤣

If they’d really wanted to cause the most damage they’d have announced this last week on the same day as the Annual Report, so I don’t think it was that coordinated.

Edwards remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy.

Whilst I’m in no way defending him, this is standard UK employment law, unless it’s gross misconduct nobody can just get fired on the spot, so he had the same employment rights as anyone else.

I trust you do not listen to your local radio station or enjoy the Proms, both paid for by the licence fee. Someone upthread pointed out we need to know what it is to have a public broadcaster. I value the BBC for the things it does that I like. I get annoyed that it seems to support TWAW, that it was so pro-EU that all its presenters faces dropped a foot when the 2016 referendum came in. I expect objectivity - and to be fair the BBC aired a Panorama on puberty blockers etc and produced two programmes in 2016 that showed how entry into what became the EU was gerrymandered by Jenkins and Heath, and how undemocratically it worked. So I pay the licence fee.

No. I don't listen to the radio, watch TV or even know what the Proms are.

They don't bother me don't worry, I think they're cute 😊

Also remember that a lot of shows on the BBC and elsewhere are actually made by independent companies under contract.

And equally a lot of content on streaming services like Netflix are made by the BBC and sold on.

YABVU
There are pedophiles, rapists, men who sexually assault and physically assault women and children, in all walks of life- the BBC, the House of Commons, the House of Lords, working as doctors, dentists, social workers, as CEOs of companies and charities, footballers, athletes, coaches, fathers, uncles, brothers, husbands, men who appear to be 'pillars of the community'.
I have no idea why you are so angry with the BBC. Unless you are a Tory or Reform voter who would love to get rid of a state funded broadcaster so they can install more GB News type stations pedalling lies, hatred and tripe.
We should treasure the BBC- it's standards of production are one of the few things the rest of the world still envies about this country.

I don’t want to have to rely only on TV that is commercially driven. The BBC isn’t perfect and has much to improve but it supports lots of more niche programming that wouldn’t be taken up by commercial channels. I also think it offers far more representation of diversity. I hate aspects about it but would be really concerned if we lost it. It’s a much better source of independent news than many other sources. The investigative journalism is often excellent.

Then you don't need a TV licence.
You've missed a treat with the Proms, though - the largest classical music festival in the world, funded by the BBC.

This, exactly.

Can't forgive the BBC for the cuts to.local radio. They cared not one bit. Even MPs asked them to reconsider and they would not
No shits given by them towards the over 50s who listen to.local radio and pay the licence fee.
No consultations either, just went ahead and vandalised it.

I don't really like classical music so I'll live

Given the volatile global situation we just don’t know how much we might rely on the BBC in the coming years. Commercial stations aren’t likely to provide such services.

https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/research/bbc-at-war

Fuck the BBC - they needed shutting down over Savile. Nothing but establishment and state propaganda.

you make really bad points here, shockingly bad.

I don't subscribe to the bbc as I don't watch live TV or iplayer. If I did, this might be my push to cancel though.

I was thinking the same thing the other day. When I watch other channels they seem so vacuous and the adverts are never-ending. I think the Beeb do a pretty good job all told, and we'd really miss them if they folded. Well, I would!