Political Crossfire Forums

antonio62 · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 5:02 pm Post subject: TV licence

Well the BBC are trying to get the licence fee up to £180. Do you think the licence fee is a good thing and is it good value for money. I dislike the licence fee greatly. It's expensive for one thing and it's forced on you. If you had the choice of £180 a year or the BBC which do you pick. For me there’s no question. I almost never watch the BBC and I don't like having to pay for it. I would also actually rather watch the adverts because you often want to get out and do some thing during them which with the BBC you cant do.

Ssushi · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 7062

I actually think the Beeb is a great organisation but 180 quid is taking the piss! Then again I have the benefit without having to pay - YAY!!

The Redcoat · Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 411 Location: Hampshire, England

I don't have to pay the TV licensing fee as I have not left home yet, but when I do I don't want to pay £180 a year without choice just to own a TV. If the BBC need the money to make their programming, and charge everyone who owns a TV in the UK £180 to make these programs, then why do they need to charge us £180 if they have a good 45 million people paying the fee. They are rolling in money and I don't think that it is all spent on the TV shows and programming they release.

And that's only if they spend it on their programs at all.

TV channels should be independant and not rely on public funding.

Lord Hargreaves · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 7192 Location: Herefordshire

Its already a foregone conclusion - the Beeb wouldn't have submitted the proposal without the govt nod first.

Everyone already knows my position on the BBC, and i can't be bothered to repeat it. Lets just say I oppose this.

Snow Patrol · Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 2175 Location: Glasgow

I'm pro-BBC, but don't believe there should be a rise in the license fee, esepcially such a dramatic one.

Windy · Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 3451 Location: Wolverhampton

Lord Hargreaves wrote: Its already a foregone conclusion - the Beeb wouldn't have submitted the proposal without the govt nod first.

Everyone already knows my position on the BBC, and i can't be bothered to repeat it. Lets just say I oppose this.

Well as they never get the amount they ask for thats a complete lie.

I don't have any objection to a publicly funded BBC- however I think the license fee if just a pain in the arse. Fund it from general taxation- we pay enough of that anyway.

I do think the government are trying to kill off the license fee though- they are using some money of it to fund the switch over to digital tv for old people. Apparently they need to spend billions on it to.

JDnCoke · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1153 Location: Oxford, Queen's

Windy wrote: Lord Hargreaves wrote: Its already a foregone conclusion - the Beeb wouldn't have submitted the proposal without the govt nod first.

Everyone already knows my position on the BBC, and i can't be bothered to repeat it. Lets just say I oppose this.

Well as they never get the amount they ask for thats a complete lie.

I don't have any objection to a publicly funded BBC- however I think the license fee if just a pain in the arse. Fund it from general taxation- we pay enough of that anyway.

I do think the government are trying to kill off the license fee though- they are using some money of it to fund the switch over to digital tv for old people. Apparently they need to spend billions on it to.

I agree, funding it via general taxation would save loads in admin costs, but that would put bureaucrats out of the job and the government wouldn't get aload of money from the poor bloody students who forgot to pay... :x

Lord Hargreaves · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 7192 Location: Herefordshire

Windy wrote: Lord Hargreaves wrote: Its already a foregone conclusion - the Beeb wouldn't have submitted the proposal without the govt nod first.

Everyone already knows my position on the BBC, and i can't be bothered to repeat it. Lets just say I oppose this.

Well as they never get the amount they ask for thats a complete lie.

They "never" get the amount they ask for? Are you sure?

Windy wrote:
I don't have any objection to a publicly funded BBC- however I think the license fee if just a pain in the arse. Fund it from general taxation- we pay enough of that anyway.

Right, so instead of needing to fund the Beeb to watch TV, now you have to fund the Beeb whether you watch TV or not - how unjust is that?

And if the only consideration for tax was how easy it was to pay and administer, then how do you explain any of our tax system? We'd already have a flat tax of course.

Showboat · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:12 am Post subject:

The BBC is better than mind numbing dumb ITV.

Also 180 GBP is a small price to pay for no bloody adverts.

Here's a tip, get a black and white TV license. It's half price and they're too busy checking up on people without a license to check up whether you've a b/w or colour.

John Galt · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 21641 Location: Minnesota

Can't you just have a TV with cable for 30 bucks a month and get 400 channels and not get the BBC and not have to pay a fee?

Or do you have to pay if you own a TV?

If the latter, its no wonder the government there had to strip people's rights of self defense -- and what comes from it, self determination -- because the tax collectors might have gotten a piece of someone's mind who didn't watch the BBC and didn't want the government stealing their money. I would give them a piece of my mind if I had to live there and deal with such tyranny and protect my property from thieves.

Achilles The Myrmidon · Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 4649 Location: Hellas

John Galt wrote: Can't you just have a TV with cable for 30 bucks a month and get 400 channels and not get the BBC and not have to pay a fee?

Or do you have to pay if you own a TV?

If the latter, its no wonder the government there had to strip people's rights of self defense -- and what comes from it, self determination -- because the tax collectors might have gotten a piece of someone's mind who didn't watch the BBC and didn't want the government stealing their money. I would give them a piece of my mind if I had to live there and deal with such tyranny and protect my property from thieves. Oh,pleaseeeeeeeeee :roll:

Yes,the tv license tax is ridiculous but saying that the UK has a tyranny is even more ridiculous.You should give your country's authorities a piece of your mind when they would come to take your house and give it to someone else(i believe you have a "law" like that in the States)

antonio62 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:07 am Post subject:

John Galt wrote: Can't you just have a TV with cable for 30 bucks a month and get 400 channels and not get the BBC and not have to pay a fee?

Or do you have to pay if you own a TV?

You have to pay if you own a tv.

Lord Hargreaves · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 7192 Location: Herefordshire

John Galt wrote: Can't you just have a TV with cable for 30 bucks a month and get 400 channels and not get the BBC and not have to pay a fee?

You should be able to of course. Some Tories now are suggesting the Beeb should now just be another subscription service like all the others - and anyway, apart from the odd documentary on BBC2 and Radio4, and the odd show on Radio2 - its a load of **** anyway.

John Galt wrote:
Or do you have to pay if you own a TV?

Yes, but if Windy had his way, you'd have to pay regardless of whether you even owned a TV, let alone ever used the Beeb.

John Galt wrote: If the latter, its no wonder the government there had to strip people's rights of self defense -- and what comes from it, self determination -- because the tax collectors might have gotten a piece of someone's mind who didn't watch the BBC and didn't want the government stealing their money. I would give them a piece of my mind if I had to live there and deal with such tyranny and protect my property from thieves.

yes i certainly agree with your basic premise - although Achilles is right, your rhetoric is a bit OTT, we're only talking TV.

John Galt · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 21641 Location: Minnesota

Dude, that's where it starts. The Tea Tax your government forced on us actually made tea cheaper. We just didn't like the whole principle of the thing and threw a party.

thundertaker · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:40 am Post subject:

I don't think you need a liscence to own a TV, just if you use it. The TV detector vans only detect TVs that are being used.
Anyway, it's not tyranny. Nobody is forcing you to buy a TV, but if you use one, you have to buy a liscence. It's the same with road tax, I don't own a car, so I don't pay it. Those that do must contribute to the upkeep of the Queen's Highways, so TV viewers must pay for perhaps the finest TV broadcasting network in the world......

Lord Hargreaves · Joined: 05 Oct 2004 Posts: 7192 Location: Herefordshire

see? Even a supposed "libertarian" is prepared to discard his beliefs entirely just to maintain the Beeb - thats how far the rot has sunk in into the British people

I've conducted a prayer for you thundertaker, which you can chant to yourself when you go to bed tonight:

Oh Holy, Holy Beeb
You are infallible
Every year we have this license to offer
as a sacrifice to your eternal greatness
I am but a mere mortal, but only say the word, and i shall serve you
Oh Holy, Holy Beeb

Needs improvement - i'll get back to you :think:

thundertaker · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:39 am Post subject:

I like the BBC, if I wasn't prepared to pay for it, I wouldn't buy a TV. It's part of the package.
I would however object if they started funding the BBC through general taxation, because that removes the freedom of choosing not to fund public broadcasting by not having a telly.....

Robin Hood · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 3295

I for one am looking forward to the rise :-D I can't wait until more people are inspired to join me in my act of civil disobedience i.e not paying the license fee.

Windy · Joined: 17 Jan 2004 Posts: 3451 Location: Wolverhampton

Lord Hargreaves wrote: Yes, but if Windy had his way, you'd have to pay regardless of whether you even owned a TV, let alone ever used the Beeb.

Yes I do feel sorry for the 2 people in the country who don't watch BBC TV, listen to the radio or use the BBC internet services.

The TV license ignores the fact that people listen to the BBC on the radio or access it on the website (which is by the way the best in the world), so unless your going to have a computer tax and radio tax as well the current system is unfair.

Kenna · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 189 Location: Manchester

First off the £180 figure quoted is not intended for present day, it is what they hope it will be in 2013.
Secondly, Thundertaker, TV detector vans are just for show, they don't actually detect anything. When you buy a tv or video, they take your details and cross reference it with a list of those who have got a licence.

And put into context, the hike in gas, electric, water and council tax charges is far more worrying than the tv licence price.