BBC licence fee - do you pay it?

[BG2015]

We were out with friends and there kids last night. Kids are late teens and early twenties.

Our friends were saying how they don't pay their licence fee anymore.

They rarely watch live TV and stream everything. The kids were saying they never watch live tv at all.

We occasionally, once every few weeks watch the news but it got me thinking that we don't actually watch much live TV either.

Very tempted to cancel my direct debit but I've got the typical fear of the van roaming the streets and knocking on our door!

Who else no longer pays it?

No I cancelled it over the Brexit coverage and consciously stopped watching anything live which was surprisingly easy. Like others we have Prime, Netflix ,Disney and watch recorded stuff on Sky. I have had letters, emails and 2 visits I just repeat that I don't watch live TV. I was quite worried but my dh was adamant.

Yes, but I wouldn’t if my TV wasn’t in the front room next to a window. I think they have a bloody cheek charging us for IPlayer, it’s dire. There’s never any new content and they’ve got a huge back catalogue to choose from but never show.

I pay it and my son even has one though he only occasionally watches mostly sport through his laptop. But we watched an iplayer show one night at his and that means he needs a license.
When my daughter goes to uni she probably won't need one as she only watches obscure Korean shows and Netflix. She never watches live TV nor BBC.

I willingly pay the fee.

I still watch a few BBC dramas, and the news, but I pay it mainly because the BBC is a hugely valuable British institution, worth saving.

It's very existence forces the other UK channels to maintain standards and quality of programming for documentaries & children's TV which they wouldn't if there was no BBC. BBC World Service gives people around the world a chance to learn English, and offers at least some educational programs to those who can't access school - Afghan girls for example.

And I have a fondness for BBC Radio.

No I do not pay it as I do not have a TV

You won't be able to record if you don't have access to the tv channels. If they're not on bbc then you can watch on 4 online and the like.

I haven't had a tv licence for about 15 years. We watch Netflix etc and online tv channels that are not live. You have to declare it online and obviously the tv isn't plugged in to the aerial but no one has ever knocked.

When I was at uni in halls, I got a letter every bloody week that was incredibly threatening saying I needed to get a licence. I didn't even have a tv and back then either iplayer didn't exist or you didn't pay for it. I can't remember. It really put me off and the cost of the paperwork they could probably half the fee!

They also word it quite misleadingly so as to scare people who aren't quite sure.

They're about to drop 800-odd episodes of Doctor Who, so we'll be hanging on for a while yet.

I wanted to get rid of it as I decided I could live without iPlayer as we have prime, Disney and Netflix. But I do watch Chanel 5 in the morning so still need to have a licence for that.

At least the iPlayer is watchable unlike some of the others like ITVx. Netflix is expensive for what it is, I pay £10.99 because the cheaper tiers are poor quality picture and adverts.

Yes - I don’t watch live tv but do watch a fair bit of iplayer and listen to bbc sounds podcasts too.

Oh, I know it’s not strictly required for the radio but I’ve just remembered that the single most important reason I am happy to pay is for live sport eg stuff like Olympics and world cups and Wimbledon. I’d happy pay just for that tbh

My Netflix started off at £4.99 but is currently £6.99. I'm also paying £8.99 for Amazon Prime which is basically rubbish and I usually find that if there's anything I want to watch on it they want me to pay extra (what's that all about), so just those two channels cost more than the BBC and neither of.them give me news, current affairs, sport etc. Also Detectorists.

They all add up and they're all increasing.

I pay for prime which from what you say is £8 but I swear was less.
Disney plus who just increased from £7 or £8 a month to £11 which I think is unjustifiable.
Netflix which went up the same and I was no longer able to share. Both of those I've reduced by having less screens and 1080p
Apple TV is about £7 but tied in to my music.
I want paramount because it looks really good but it's an additional £5.

Costs more than a tv licence.

Way more. I really want Apple TV because of Slow Horses...and then there's Frasier, but I refuse to pay for any more. Amazon have already annoyed be by not playing the music I want without signing up for Amazon music, which I refuse to do, thereby rendering my Alexa pretty useless as that's what I bought it for.

Yes! I don't understand Amazon music which is why I went with Apple Music. My Alexa is also useless. She nearly ruined Christmas one time too when DD asked what was being delivered for a few days. Had to change some settings.

I will crack and get paramount soon but I think it will be at the cost of Disney which is quite rubbish.

Oh, yes, I remember that I also watched Slow Horses. Wasn't sure what to expect of it but really enjoyed it. Would like another series. I share my daughter's appletv, because, even though we don't live together, I'm on her family sharing through apple so can access anything that she's subscribed to (including things like the extra cloud storage, which is incredibly handy, other downloaded apps etc, and also vice versa).

New Slow Horses coming next month, I think. I've started reading the books and trying not to read ahead

I pay it. We watch iPlayer a lot and I listen to bbc radio all the time.