Page 9 | To say that the TV Licence should be abolished?

Appalonia · 2024-12-04T19:12:59+00:00

When I look at what I watch on TV these days on the BBC, it's really only Strictly, repeats of TOTP and Glastonbury . There's nothing else that interests me. I listen to Trevor Nelson on R2, but that's it. I watch Netflix, Amazon much more and some shows on ITV, C4 or Sky Arts. And a lot of interviews on YouTube and podcasts. I also object to how the BBC posits itself as the voice of truth and neutrality, but it really isn't these days, on so many issues. Why are we forced to pay for a service that has had its day and is no longer fit for service?

Dreamskies · 05/12/2024 17:22

ShaggyPutItOnWhatAPongItGaveHimTheShakesNShivers · 05/12/2024 15:45

Apologies for misconstruing - I thought it was a general statement rather than specifically addressed to OP.

That said, it's far from a trivial matter to a lot of housebound elderly people. My DGM didn't actually have a TV at all for the last several years of her life - her mental illness reached a stage where she believed that the people in the TV were watching her and talking to her personally, so unsurprisingly, she was frightened of it and wanted rid of the thing.

She'd previously had a free TV licence owing to my DGD being over 75 and then she turned 75 herself - probably 20 or so years altogether. Once the law changed, so that many over-75s now had to start paying - after she'd already got rid of her telly and was housebound - she started receiving an endless stream of nasty letters telling her that she was breaking the law, she would be prosecuted, somebody would be visiting her in person etc., no matter how often we informed them that she didn't have a TV.

'Luckily' for her, her mental illness was at a stage where she couldn't deal with her own post anymore, so we did it for her; but what a way to treat folk in their 90s. If she'd been seeing and opening those letters herself - housebound, no TV, no phone (similar issues of feeling 'spied on'), no internet... it would have severely impacted her, being hounded and threatened by a supplier of a product which she had no interest in using for not paying them for not using it.

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No worries. It was aimed at the fact OP doesn’t want to have to pay for BBC when not watching BBC. Seems a relatively simple solution!

Ultimately they can’t do anything if you’ve no TV in the house, or a TV with no coaxial connection.

I had a rental flat for work and didn’t have a TV. I declared as such and never heard a peep from them.

PatheticDistraction · 05/12/2024 18:12

Snorlaxo · 05/12/2024 04:29

Yanbu Op. BBC Channels should be a subscription service that sells its best dramas to other streaming channels for revenue. Sick of paying for channels that I don’t use.

This is exactly what it does - and the profit is then fed back into public service

Itsforthebest · 05/12/2024 18:13

I'm sure the license fee will be scrapped eventually but I think we need to be very careful what we wish for with the BBC.

The World Service is worth its weight in gold as a broadcaster and soft power in many foreign countries. When the World Service removes itself a foreign country due to funding cuts, another state broadcaster is waiting in the wings, namely China and Russia who have invested billions into their state broadcasting. For those who are saying the BBC has biased news output, I'd be interested to hear what you make of China and Russia's.

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 18:19

Itsforthebest · 05/12/2024 18:13

I'm sure the license fee will be scrapped eventually but I think we need to be very careful what we wish for with the BBC.

The World Service is worth its weight in gold as a broadcaster and soft power in many foreign countries. When the World Service removes itself a foreign country due to funding cuts, another state broadcaster is waiting in the wings, namely China and Russia who have invested billions into their state broadcasting. For those who are saying the BBC has biased news output, I'd be interested to hear what you make of China and Russia's.

I've no idea TBH, I've never watched it.
I take it you've watched a fair amount?
What sort of programs do they have?
And well done for obviously understanding Russian and Chinese!

Pouri · 05/12/2024 18:23

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 18:19

I've no idea TBH, I've never watched it.
I take it you've watched a fair amount?
What sort of programs do they have?
And well done for obviously understanding Russian and Chinese!

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russia today and cctv etc have English channels/programs

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 18:36

Pouri · 05/12/2024 18:23

russia today and cctv etc have English channels/programs

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That surprises me, people give the impression it's wall to wall propaganda ( a lot like the BBC during covid)

Davros · 05/12/2024 19:39

Please nite:
Licence = noun
License = verb
🔨 (gavel) !

Davros · 05/12/2024 19:39

Yeah, and I can't spell note 😹

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 19:49

Davros · 05/12/2024 19:39

Yeah, and I can't spell note 😹

That made me chuckle

Changingplace · 05/12/2024 21:54

x2boys · 05/12/2024 14:49

Yes and they don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts they will be making a healthy profit .

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Yes, which gets ploughed back into making programmes, there’s no share holders taking a profit.

Changingplace · 05/12/2024 22:00

Itsforthebest · 05/12/2024 18:13

I'm sure the license fee will be scrapped eventually but I think we need to be very careful what we wish for with the BBC.

The World Service is worth its weight in gold as a broadcaster and soft power in many foreign countries. When the World Service removes itself a foreign country due to funding cuts, another state broadcaster is waiting in the wings, namely China and Russia who have invested billions into their state broadcasting. For those who are saying the BBC has biased news output, I'd be interested to hear what you make of China and Russia's.

Agreed, and over 70% of counties have no free press. You’re right that Russia & China would love an organisation like the BBC to dwindle both in the UK and abroad.

The BBC isn’t perfect by any means but it’s accused fairly equally of being both too left wing, too right wing and everything in between so I think that’s as close to impartial as you’ll get (considering no other news outlets even claim to be impartial).

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 22:46

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 07:53

Good news is that's not true.
Think about all the devices that are capable of receiving tv. Your tv, tablets, 'phones etc. etc.
You don't need a license just because you have equipment capable of getting tv.
You need a license if you access live tv. or iplayer.
Ditch it.

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Wrong. Read.

Changingplace · 05/12/2024 22:57

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 22:46

Wrong. Read.

Edited

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That link just confirms that the poster you’re quoting is correct, that you need a licence if you watch the BBC, catch up on iplayer or watch any live TV.

ArtfulBee · 05/12/2024 23:05

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 22:46

Wrong. Read.

Edited

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You are wrong and should try reading the link you posted.

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:05

x2boys · 05/12/2024 08:13

That's not true ,you are allowed to have a TV ,as many watch streaming channels, and game etc
You only need a licence if you watch live TV

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In other words, you have to contribute to BBC funding in order to watch ITV and all other channels that fund themselves through advertising.

Might be good enough for you, but I say that's an unacceptable imposition.

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:14

Changingplace · 05/12/2024 22:57

That link just confirms that the poster you’re quoting is correct, that you need a licence if you watch the BBC, catch up on iplayer or watch any live TV.

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No. It confirms that I was right in the original comment that poster was referring to.

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not......."

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:21

ArtfulBee · 05/12/2024 23:05

You are wrong and should try reading the link you posted.

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You are wrong and should learn to make sure you know what you're on about before going on about it.

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not....."

...as in paying the BBC to watch adverts on other live channels that pay their own way through running them.

ArtfulBee · 05/12/2024 23:29

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:21

You are wrong and should learn to make sure you know what you're on about before going on about it.

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not....."

...as in paying the BBC to watch adverts on other live channels that pay their own way through running them.

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I know full well what I'm on about, thanks.

You posted:

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not."

Which is not true. Someone pointed out to you that it is not true, you said they were wrong and posted a link. The link itself says:

"Many wrongly believe you need to be covered by a TV licence if you have the ability to watch 'live' television, even if you don't watch it. You only need a licence if you actually watch live television, or use BBC iPlayer.

So, if you've got an aerial, a satellite dish, a television set or anything like that, but you don't actually watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer, you don't need a licence."

You're now trying to re-write what you previously claimed.

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 23:30

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:14

No. It confirms that I was right in the original comment that poster was referring to.

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not......."

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think you replied to the wrong person😀

Purplebunnie · 05/12/2024 23:32

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 12:30

don't the BBC advertise their own services?

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They do, but only at the start/end of a programme

I gave up watching a documentary on Channel 5 this week, so many ad breaks and they were long ad breaks as well. The programme went on so long I lost interest

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:36

Notmoog · 05/12/2024 23:30

think you replied to the wrong person😀

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What you on about?

Halfemptyhalfling · 05/12/2024 23:39

Netflix is owned by the usa so all the profits go to the usa and who knows what will happen over the next 4 years... Amazon & Disney ditto

Radio 4 is worth the licence fee on its own

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:45

ArtfulBee · 05/12/2024 23:29

I know full well what I'm on about, thanks.

You posted:

"It's disgusting that you have to pay the BBC just for owning a device capable of receiving its broadcasts, whether you watch them or not."

Which is not true. Someone pointed out to you that it is not true, you said they were wrong and posted a link. The link itself says:

"Many wrongly believe you need to be covered by a TV licence if you have the ability to watch 'live' television, even if you don't watch it. You only need a licence if you actually watch live television, or use BBC iPlayer.

So, if you've got an aerial, a satellite dish, a television set or anything like that, but you don't actually watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer, you don't need a licence."

You're now trying to re-write what you previously claimed.

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I'm not interested in playing semantic tiddlywinks with you when it's so clear that your disingenuousness merely confirms which side of the argument you're on, nothing more.

Doesn't take much intelligence to work out I was objecting to paying the BBC to watch adverts on other live channels that are already paying their own way through running them.

SoupDragon · 05/12/2024 23:46

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:45

I'm not interested in playing semantic tiddlywinks with you when it's so clear that your disingenuousness merely confirms which side of the argument you're on, nothing more.

Doesn't take much intelligence to work out I was objecting to paying the BBC to watch adverts on other live channels that are already paying their own way through running them.

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Yeah, that isn't what you said at all.

ArtfulBee · 05/12/2024 23:51

Alphaalga · 05/12/2024 23:45

I'm not interested in playing semantic tiddlywinks with you when it's so clear that your disingenuousness merely confirms which side of the argument you're on, nothing more.

Doesn't take much intelligence to work out I was objecting to paying the BBC to watch adverts on other live channels that are already paying their own way through running them.

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Just admit that you got it wrong. You made the common mistake of thinking you need to pay for a TV license if you have a device capable of receiving live broadcasts. It's okay to admit you got something wrong but now you're embarrassing yourself.