None of that money goes to ITV/CH4/Sky for their programming – only the BBC yet if you don’t use any of their services at all you still have to pay the tax license fee so do you really think that is fair?

I struggle to believe anyone never uses something from the BBC. Even once. Unless they are completely militant and intentionally boycott it. If they do that’s just daft. It’s 34.5p a day. Hardly earth shattering outlay for many, many great programmes.

I certainly haven’t watched anything on the iPlayer app this year.
There’s no aerial, sky dish or virgin in this property so Netflix and Prime for me.
The only time I’ve seen BBC on tv (this year) was at a friends house – they have a tv license due to a menagerie of kids 😆

It’s great that so many people value the BBC output. I just wish they’d put their hands in their pockets to pay for it properly and not have everyone who is more interested in other channels subsidise their entertainment.

We probably could get away without paying for a licence but CBeebies is a life saver and other radio and TV BBC content is generally bloody amazing. Happy to pay for a license as we use it so much and when you stop and think abut it, it is certainly worth the money. Compare it to 12 month sky subscription fee. Licence fee is a bargain.

Oh also, it hacks me off all the people that expect free content and complain that they can’t afford it. Oh but they have the latest iPhone, designer bags, sky tv, beers out with the lads, latest clothes, summer holiday abroad, new car, etc, etc. If you can’t afford it then you can’t have it, thats life!! It is not a human right to be able to watch TV

I think a lot of the discussion in this thread misses the point.

The BBC is amazing because it’s a public service.

They are very much in danger of becoming an optional subscription service. Force users to login to a service they must pay for, and they’ll start questioning what they’re paying for, and if they can get a better service elsewhere.

With the growing amount of competition, the BBC will become increasingly reliant on selling to viewers. Which will mean more reality TV shite. Bruce Forsyth shite. Ant and Dec shite. Without the BBC, all that stuff will just move to one of the many, many other available mediums anyway, so we’re no worse off.

The only thing that I think can save the BBC is public funding. Strip out the entertainment to keep costs down. Keep the documentaries, the news, sport, world service, radio… Otherwise it has the same business model as any other broadcaster, and that’s what it becomes.

There’s a few people up there ^ that say the licence is a bargin. I beg to disagree. As one of those without a licence I only watch download. Very rarely I’ll watch the iplayer or access the BBC news website. For that they want me to have a licence? At around 10 quid a month it’s over 30% more than netflix and more that my broadband cost. That’s the comparsion I’d be making and frankly at that price the iplayer is a pretty poor offering.

butcher – Member
I think a lot of the discussion in this thread misses the point.

The BBC is amazing because it’s a public service.

Are you an octogenarian? The BBC serves itself and those who pull their levers. The sooner it’s gone the better. Can’t believe they still have their foot in the door of the public purse.

Good point. I also wish the people who use the NHS would put their hands in their pockets to pay for it properly and not expect the rest of us to subsidise their ill health. Oh yeah, and people who read library books – that should be a subscription service too.

There’s not much entertainment in the NHS. I’m truly surprised you’d think that the provision of health services was of equal importance to entertainment.

I’ve never understood the mentality of the thieving parasites who refuse to pay for a licence yet use the iPlayer

I don’t get quotes like this. the law states that you only require a licence to watch live TV as it is being broadcast. That’s it no more. If you aren’t watching it live then by law you do not need a licence, it doesn’t make anyone a parasite, a thief or a lowlife.
I agree that the BBC make some good programmes alongside it’s dire programmes and this is pretty much the same as most of the other channels. but if the law states I only require a licence to watch it as it is being aired then the quality of it’s production, the price it pays its stars, and the daily rate of an annual fee is irrelevant.
the only relevant part is, if I watch LIVE TV from ANY broadcaster and I do not have a licence then I am breaking the law.

Yeah, I’d be surprised if I thought that too.