About the TV license potentially being extended to streaming services?

[Haruka]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/28/netflix-users-could-forced-pay-licence-fee/

I already pay enough for the services themselves. I don't watch live TV and especially not the BBC. I am fed up with this potentially becoming a lack of choice; it feels like extortion and yet another tax.

I know that in other countries any device capable of receiving live TV and/ or radio needs a licence (including car radios, laptops, iPads and smartphones), but in this day and age it's taking the piss potentially having to pay for a service I don't even use, just to get access to things that I do.

AIBU to take a very dim view of these proposals?

I'm surprised I haven't seen any other threads on this yet, but maybe I'm blinded by fury 😆

This, a million times over.

But one of the criticisms she levies against the BBC is that it doesn’t have shows that she wants to watch. I’m pointing out that PSBs by design are there to champion home-grown stories.

And someone who doesn’t see the value in those stories because they are not made for her culture or sensibilities actually shouldn’t have a say in shutting them down.

This is the nub of the issue - PSBs are the only way regional and local stories are championed. Market forces mean American forces these days, because N. America is the largest English language territory for sales.

I don’t want only American TV.

I want to watch documentaries, comedies and dramas made for my taste.

She is already free to decide what to spend her money on - she doesn’t have to buy a licence unless she uses the services it enables.

she should be able discuss that this (which some british people find ridiculous, I am one of them) potential policy change, whatever her opinion maybe without wanky comments about oh it’s not your place to discuss it as a foreigner and obviously discussion of th licence is that’s going to leak into conversations about the tv licence as a whole. It’s interesting to have a wide variety of opinions, not everyone loves the bbc as much as others do.

She’s not setting fire to bbc hq or personally shutting down, she’s talking in a forum, totally her place about things that impact her and just the general talk about policies regardless of where she’s originally from.

She is already free to decide what to spend her money on - she doesn’t have to buy a licence unless she uses the services it enables.

But that's the point of the OPs whole discussion. She's happy currently to choose but If this happened she would have no choice and it's absolutely fair that anyone who lives here is able to discuss this if it will potentially impact them.

Cancl the tv license then.
You only need it to watch live programmes and bbc i player

Once again the poster has Sky, you need a TV licence to watch Sky

Well, I disagree.

No need to call my comments wanky; I’m speaking from a place of expertise so they are informed - perhaps that has thrown you.

I don’t subscribe to the notion that all opinions are equally valid. Someone denigrating a subjective thing that is not made for their sensibilities or on topics important to their heritage, should not carry weight.

@PokerFriedDips
"The insanity is people thinking that the fact that they "don't watch bbc stuff" should be a reason not to pay it. Most years of your 80-ish year life you don't use hospitals, the police force, fire or ambulance service, schools, prisons or the judiciary either but we all benefit from these being funded and functional."

You think it's insane that I don't want to pay for an entertainmenmt channel which I have no intention of using? Really?
You think the ability to watch eastenders is on a par with funding hospitals etc.?
I think you need a little rethink

once again, you don't necessarily need a license to watch Sky.
Please make sure you kow what you're talking about befoe advising others

No, you do.

It is not just entertainment, it has great cultural and social importance.

You not understanding that or valuing it doesn’t make it any less true.

You are already (wrongly imo) allowed to opt out of contributing to our PSB so exercise that right.

It is a condition of operating in the UK that live tv channels are subject to the licence fee. Feel free to lobby Murdoch to renegotiate his deal with the British Government.

He won’t, of course, because he doesn’t give a flying fuck about us, but at least you’ll be going at the right person.

I think you will find you do if you have SkyQ, Glass or Stream but not Now TV

The only thing that threw me was your wanky comments about op not being able to talk about this, which also was no need to say.

Maybe post where you don't need a licence for Sky then.

She brought being a foreigner into it when she called a PP a nob for pointing out her incorrect spelling.

There’s nothing wanky about pointing out that stoking negativity about another country’s cultural heritage is piss poor.

@Feelslikewinter not everyone feels like you do re the BBC

I agree with the op too

@Mightymoog no I don't, and I don't watch eastenders either and such a trivial example perfectly illustrates my point. Eastenders isn't for me - though I know it has done a lot of good work raising public awareness of many important social issues over the years and I know the population in general has benefitted from it, just as the population in general has benefitted from a huge number of other bbc productions made under the auspices of a remit to be universally beneficial rather than promoting the profits of vested interests. You having no intention of using bbc services directly has no relevance to the fact that you benefit from living in a civilisation that is supported by universal services.

Firstly, this idea is never going to happen (sadly) and secondly, Netflix has decided to start showing live programming because it makes them a shit ton of money.

They should abide by the same laws all other broadcasters in the UK do.

From the Telegraph article:

”…DCMS said the Netflix proposal was not under “active consideration”...”

So basically this is a thread which is an excuse to bash the BBC.

I love all the anger towards the BBC.

1. There is some really quality programming and reporting. If you're looking for crap you'll find crap, as they need to compete with the dross on all the other streaming services.
2. Social media 'experts' have declared a war on actual, proper, factual journalism. They'd rather believe User1234566 on Instagram rattling out a conspiracy theory than trained journalists.
3. I subscribe to Netflix, Disney + and Prime and apart from an incredible documentary on Navalny, I'm struggling to think of any amazing documentaries that haven't been picked up from a 'terrestrial' TV station. Most of the originals are sensationalised true crime dramas that aren't actually that good. Crap for the masses.
4. Gloating that you don't pay a TV license - good for you! Bet you use their websites and other services. Someone in the comments crying that they will probably make children in hospital pay to use Bitesize! I'm sure Netflix isn't giving away subscriptions to the NHS for free.
5. Hope they roll this out and invest in more quality programming and documentaries. If you want some to watch - Idris' documentary on knife crime was brilliant, the documentary Two Sisters was also incredible and vitally important. there is a plethora of good programmes to watch if you actually look for them.

I think you'll find you need to read up on the rules.
You don't necessarily need a license for sky no matter whether it's skq. glass or whatever

So post these then.

If I go to my sky box and choose a film to watch from Sky Cinema then I don't need a TV license HTH

I know you from other threads and you have a lot of misguided beliefs.

There’s a lot more to the BBC than Eastenders and Strictly, as has been discussed upthread.

If you really can’t see its value, feel free not to contribute to its important work and line Murdoch and faceless venture capitalists’ pockets instead.

What I don’t understand is the hatred and will to destroy something that lots of people really do care about and that is entirely
optional to pay for.

So you pay for Sky and only use the apps and not the live stuff or recording facility, that sounds very expensive

@Feelslikewinter

!What I don’t understand is the hatred and will to destroy something that lots of people really do care about and that is entirely
optional to pay for"

I'm not sure if you've forgotten the original topic of this thread but it's about the TV licence becoming a tax on all services, including streaming so people who don't want to watch the BBC or live Tv will be forced to pay.

Well, that’s not under active consideration, so I’m calling this thread out for what it is - a BBC bashing one.