TV License. Who pays it?

[Tulipsroses]

Judging by the variety and quality of the streaming services I always ask my self where are the people that actually pay for TV license? I have never paid non of my friends pay. It is obvious that BBC have lost this game and is sticking to the licence fees as a lifebuoy.

I haven’t watched tv for years apart from last year I caught up on a couple seasons of Dr. Who. Then watched the recent three episodes. I’m going to watch this season. I’m not going to pay the license.

Do you also go to your local shop and walk out with a few bits without paying for them - on the basis that you don't want a full trolley-load, so just a few items must therefore be free?

No. I just don’t agree with the TV licence

How would you have funded all the past episodes of Doctor Who, then?

By the way, this season is a Co production with Disney, so this might mean you can get it through Disney+

Why don’t you agree with it?

The bbc plays ads

In the UK? I don’t believe it does, other than for its own programmes.

Yeah, that’s what Google says. Well I’m still not paying it. £145 doesn’t match the value of watching Doctor Who for a few weeks, and I can’t really afford it. I’ve several debts coming out at £20 per month and 4 accounts I can hardly bear to think about sorting out yet

I might pay it when/ if I ever actually have a TV and watch it regularly

“Yeah, that’s what Google says”

@FatFatMary eh, what now? You mean, you thought the bbc had ads, and you have just now googled to establish that it hasn’t?

@SheilaFentiman yeah. I thought I saw ads but the internets saying it doesn’t

I moved house and didn't get round to renewing the TV licence when it expired. Then they kept sending me increasingly nasty letters which really annoyed me so I ignored them for about 3 years. Until the day a TV licensing man turned up at my door. 😱I sent him away, but did buy a licence after that!

I regard the BBC as good value.

The News is more reliable than elsewhere.
Its regional coverage is good.
Its documentaries are better quality than most
Some of the dramas are good.
It covers content that others don't - less populist stuff
It also provides a good range of radio, and the BBC World Service gives us soft power around the world.

For 50p a day I'd say that's a bargain.

BBC is good value compared to Netflix, Disney etc. which just have a lot of fairly old, cheaply made stuff on them and the odd good series so works out quite expensive

I don't think that's true really, there is absolutely loads of content on Netflix and Disney, including many many films and some excellent dramas.

OK the BBC does produce some top quality stuff, but there is also a lot of more mundane dramas and filler stuff such as Homes Under the Hammer and endless quiz shows. Game shows like The Traitors, Strictly, Bake off etc, I am not really bothered by.

I am happy paying the licence as we do use the BBC regularly, but I don't really like the licence fee model as it is a regressive tax (!) more of a burden on those worse off and I also think fewer young people are getting licences these days, they don't consume tv in the UK same way. The BBC needs to realise this, and understand they need to limit what they can do, as they can't rely on licence payers to stump up forever more.

And also the BBC licence is hardly 'good value' at about £13 per month from the perceptive of someone who doesn't use it, or hardly uses it. That's more than either Disney +, the cheaper Netflix packages, or Amazon Prime (which includes next day delivery on physical purchases).

Most countries don't have a TV licence you realise? It would be a shame to lose the BBC, but I don't idolise it, like some on here. The funding model needs to be rethought, perhaps government funding for educational stuff and news that everyone could access, and subscriptions for the top class drama, the back catalogue etc. I might well subscribe, possibly on and off if it's really expensive.

TBH I don't find much on Amazon Prime I want to watch.

It’s not a BBC licence. It’s a TV licence. You also need it for ITVX, Channel 4, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Sky Go, etc.

A bit of History :

"The TV licence in the UK exists as a way to fund the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is the country's public service broadcaster. The BBC is known for providing a wide range of television, radio, and online content, including news, entertainment, educational programs, and cultural productions.

The TV licence is a legal requirement for anyone in the UK who watches or records live television broadcasts, or uses the BBC iPlayer service. The funds collected from TV licence fees are the primary source of income for the BBC, enabling it to operate independently and maintain its commitment to producing high-quality and diverse content without being overly influenced by commercial interests."

Conclusion its only due to the bbc that we need one, to behonest theres that much competition from other channels and networks that quality levels could still be maintained even without the BBC

I know all that -about the history. I really disagree with your conclusion, though.

Well actually I did mean TV licence not BBC, typing too quick. It's for funding the BBC though. Yes you need it for watching any channel live.

You don't need it if you only watch streaming services like Now and Prime though, so long as you don't watch anything live on there.

I stopped paying BBC Licence fee as I didn't want to fund them. I also stopped watching all their services.

However, recently I bought an Amazon Firestick and when I checked the rules of what I can / can't watch, the Licence fee legislation has been recently amended to include all sorts of things it didn't used to. So, now I'm paying for a Licence again as I cannot / will not break the law and I don't want to get landed with their stooopid fine when they can 'prove' something via the firestick or god knows what.

I believe we should all de-fund the BBC and it's an outrage to live in a country where one is forced to pay the state broadcaster at menace of prison.

the reason i made the conclusion is sometimes some shows the bbc did a partnership with other networks the show hustle was a primary one and to me if they need or can use partnerships etc then it stands to reason other networks can make just as good shows.

plus another example of some great series not bbc made

Supernatural with sam and dean
person of interest
the big bang theory
charmed
relic hunter
etc

@LittleMissSunshiner can you say what changes have been made? I am only aware that the rules about bbc iplayer changed in around 2016, you now have to have a licence to use it at all, but you can still use ITVx, Channel 4 and Channel 5 players etc with no licence (so long as not live).

It was stuff to do with watching live online any other domestic channel's output because some of the BBC Licence fee goes out of the BBC and into assisting other broadcasters exist or somesuch. And that is a recent change that many won't be aware of.

I used to watch 'live TV' online sometimes but never any of the BBC online or via my firestick (they blocked my account off when I cancelled my licence).

But you used to be able to watch some limited things on 'iplayer' or old BBC stuff that was archived and now you definitely have to pay for that too.

As my internet comes fibre to cabinet (direct in my home with no break) and I live in a highly monitored area, I decided it wasn't worth it.

I've been getting at least one or two letters a week for years. They're mad and sadistic. The cost of the letters must be way over and beyond the licence fee itself.