TV Licence

[shazbang]

Can you believe the TV licence is going up again? its shocking. i NEVER watch any bbc channels yet im forced to pay this. if they introduced a service where you could choose to pay or get bbc turned off i would get bbc turned off as im sure many other people would. the channel is a load of drivel. what is the world coming to? you need a licence to own a car, a dog, a tv, go fishing etc yet any numpty can have a child.

[Trojanfarce]

Have to say, I completely agree with you Shazbang. The BBC is rapidly becoming a national disgrace and the licence fee is nothing short of corporate robbery. Personally I'm not interested in watching some has been "celebrity" prance about with a dancer I've never heard of, not do I want to watch yet another period drama or a soap opera that that does more for the sale of razor blades than a drop in the price of coca leaves.

I seem to vaguely remember reading somewhere that a class action was being brought by a group who claimed that as the BBC were providing news, under such-and-such a law, they were unable to "charge" for it. Never did hear what happened though....

I too would them off but I guess we'll always be fighting a losing battle on this as the government wouldn't want those sort of job losses on their hands that a repeal of the tax (sorry fee) would entail

[OBonio]

It's the one tax I feel I get any value out of! Radio 2 (I know, I'm over 30!), Radio 6 (I know, I want to be 18 again!) and the BBC website (in my opinion the best I've ever come across).

The one thing that grieves me as that we pay for it and they give it away to the rest of the world!

[khana]

I don't have a problem paying for service such as television, what I object to is not having a choice in the matter.

For all the many people that believe they receive value for money with the TV Licence, there are many who do not.

I myself watch an average of about 2 hours a week of BBC television and do not listen to radio. For me its not value for money and I could easily give up the channels involved.

[Zeddy]

All I can say is, thank God ITV is not licence-fee based. It would have been shut down by the taxpayer decades ago.

They might not be everyone's taste but think of shows such as Horizon, Attenborough's wildlife, BBC comedy to name but 3 quality outputs.

What do ITV do to compete?

Quiz shows and "reality" shows, hmmmm......

[casaespana]

The BBC is revered throughout the world for its fairness and impartiality. That is something this country should be proud of. It has been and still is a beacon of light to those under the shadow of dictatorship. Sadly the BBC is fair game for the gutter press who have their own agenda, Rupert Murdoch comes to mind. The wealth of programming that the BBC commissions is unsurpassed anywhere. I, for one will not begrudge the increase.

Nation shall speak unto Nation

[Narolines]

Nation shall speak peace unto nation, I thnk you'll find. I agree - I hardly ever watch anything on non-bbc channels, as apart from there apparently being more adverts than programmes, the average run of drivel they screen wouldn't tax the faculties of a retarded stoat. OK, there are a few shining exceptions, but on the whole I'd rather watch paint dry. Thank God for Radio 4.......

[CT]

Having said that it's expensive, I use the bbc internet service every day. I wake up every morning listening to five live. I guess on balance it's probably worth it in the end.

[TEAK36]

I must admit that I am one of those people who rarely watches or listens the BBC,and I really hate being forced to pay for something I do not want.I do not have a landline telephone at home, but I would be outraged if BT told me that I had to pay them a fee simply because there is a landline to my home.Surely we have the technology to allow those people who do not want to watch the BBC,to be exempt from the TV licence fee, or maybe even a considerably reduced fee.I know there are a lot of people who watch the BBC, but I for one,just feel ripped off by the BBC.