To think the TV License should be scrapped

[Hedgehogbrown]

Hear me out. I love the BBC, grew up on it, and want it preserved forever. The Television License is such an outdated and inefficient way to pay for the BBC though. Most young people don't have a TV, they have computers and they don't see why they should get a TV License, regardless of the law. They don't have a TV License. Most Millennials I know don't pay their TV License. When you are poor it is another stressful expense.

How much does it cost them to try to enforce? It seems so old fashioned and wasteful. In Australia they have a state run channel but it is paid for through general taxation. If the government grew some balls and taxed all the Tech Bros who are trying to destroy the world, they can ring fence some of that taxation for the BBC. The BBC is actually good at making money, it exports it's stuff around the world. Their profits can go to the Treasury. No more paying for people to go round in vans trying to catch people out for not having a license like it's the 1970s.

I think it would be such a vote winner for people to not have to pay this.

The way we pay for it does need looking at but I don't know how. I'll happily pay it all day long. Just for radio, Glastonbury, 6 Nations, Wimbledon, no ads, intelligent documentaries if nothing else. Yes please.

I don't pay for any other TV subscriptions, we have Amazon prime for delivery but half the stuff on the TV service I've seen on terrestrial telly a couple of years ago!

I haven't watched the bbc for a long time. I don't like any sport, eastenders, reality programmes, games shows or their rubbishy news programmes. There's just nothing much I want to see on any of their channels that I can't wait for and watch elsewhere later and I don't listen to the radio .
If they had the sense to scramble the signal & go subscription only then I probably would take it once or twice a year for a month and catch up on anything worth watching, just like I do with Netflix, Paramount plus, prime & discovery plus. That I would be happy to pay for as it would be a small one off amount when I chose to to take it. I suspect others feel the same. Of course there will be people still happy to pay year on year as they do now, good for them they can still do that, let the rest of us choose.
I don't agree with the ridiculous wages they pay their presenters, they are not worth it, none of them.

Apologies, yes , after re reading the OP I see what you’re saying.

Although (some) tech bros are indeed trying to “destroy the world” I can’t see how they could ever be taxed even if you wanted to.

You can watch ITV programmes on online catch-up channels without needing a license.

How do you know it's rubbish if you haven't watched in 20 years 😂

That's actually a good idea op. And some people should remember that the BBC is so so much more than the TV shows.
Radio 4 alone is an absolute jewel in their crown. The only problem is, only the intellectual elite listen to radio 4 - although that is actually a positive as that will include all the policymakers who hold it's future in their hands.
Then of course there is the sprawling online offering of news, entertainment and educational material. During Covid were Netflix producing daily educational TV and online content for children of all ages? Nope.
You can't lump the BBC in with all the subscriptions TV services. It is ten times and more what they are.

When was that?

It's been well known for a couple of decades that they're just for show now, and maybe always were. In the digital age, what possible technology could detect if you're watching live TV / the iPlayer from a van outside your home? And why would anyone need a van to find out the names of people living at a certain address?

Me too. Its a bargain.

i honestly don’t mind paying the licence fee. Local radio is funded by it, local news. BBC Bitesize is also amazing for kids. I would have to pay a tutor for that and I get it free through the licence fee.

Ooo an original thread idea for once!
oh wait…

You don’t need a tv licence to listen to the radio

I’d rather pay for BBC than Netflix.

All they seem to carry are crime/mystery/murder or sci fi. I can’t ever find much worth watching.

Prime ir Disney+ are better.

Radio isn't included in the TV Licence, you can listen without one

I know. But bbc radio has no ads. The money has to come from somewhere and Im happy to pay the BBC.

If you don't watch it, how do you know there's nothing worth watching? The nature programmes are amazing ( eg. Hamza's Wild Isles). There was a wonderful one on recently about nature in a French village throughout the seasons. Also University Challenge and Have I Got News For You. Just some examples.

I realise that but if the funding shrinks for the BBC they will make cuts to their radio programmes for sure.

Exactly. Somebody has to pay!

No it shouldn't.

We have one of these threads regularly but nothing can change until end of 2027

Well I suppose that's answered my question. If any politician tries to scrap it and pay for it through general taxation, a loads of BBC haters like you lot will be all 'make it a subscription' blah blah. There are lots of things you get taxed for but don't use. How often do you use an ambulance or fire brigade? Australia and Canada have state channels that are paid for through taxation. They aren't saying ' of Maureen from Mumsnet thinks it's all shite, she shouldn't have to pay.

Lots of people enjoy and need the BBC. Also, you do need a license for BBC iPlayer by the way, those of you who think you don't need one. How many of you spend hours scrolling through Facebook. They pay fuck all tax. That's where I was suggesting the money comes from.

Didn't want this to become a BBC bashing thread.

I used to support the license fee but now I agree with you.

it’s time has passed

I am suggesting you would still pay, just through general taxation.

They do rather belong in an age where we had just the telly to watch with aerial stuck in the back, the licence started to become obsolete when we could use the telly to watch videos in the 80s, the licence was really for the 60s and 70s.

The op would like to make payment for the BBC compulsory instead.

It should go the other way, more choice.

So if they were capable of detecting, why do they send letters to unlicensed house holds asking whether you are watching TV and reminding you it's illegal to watch it without a licence ,surely they could just detect whether you were of not.?
I remember them coming to student halls back in the 90,s ( long before I was aware of my rights) and we had a heads up from security so we all hid our TV,s they couldn't detect a damn thing!