Is the TV licence worth £145.50 a year?

[cunning fergus]

The poor don't have to watch tv if they can't afford a licence. There's nothing compulsory about watching television. You can listen to the radio without a licence.

True enough, but then the poor (or the rich for that matter) don't have to pay for a licence if they only watch iPlayer.

But then doesn't that encapsulates the ridiculous of the current situation?

Make the service subscription only, let people pay for a bit or the full annual fee, after all humanity put a man on the moon, a multiple optioned subscription fee for the BBC would be like falling off a log in comparison.

 

[Biscuit]

Easily, yes.

Listening to my BBC radio podcasts now. When you consider what you get for your money it's bloody brilliant.

 

[cunning fergus]

But that's not what you originally said, which was that you can choose which Sky channels you want to see.

I am only interested in the Sky Sports, but when I ask to just watch it, Sky say I must also buy the other basic package, which I don't want.

I'm just wondering how you've got around this, this is FAR more important than the BBC, as Sky Sports costs £500 a year with the other package, but I'd have it for £250 if I could get it without all the family and other channels.

Well within reason, fact is, and first off you can choose whether you want sky, it strikes me that if you could opt out of the BBC fee you could then get the Sky basic package plus the sports.

That bloody fee is denying you the access to the sports channels............what a travesty.

Anyway, footies back on, enjoy Poldark.

 

[El Presidente]

Well within reason, fact is, and first off you can choose whether you want sky, it strikes me that if you could opt out of the BBC fee you could then get the Sky basic package plus the sports.

That bloody fee is denying you the access to the sports channels............what a travesty.

Anyway, footies back on, enjoy Poldark.

What's denying me access to the sports channels is Sky charging £500 though. I don't want the Sky basic channels, just as you don't want the BBC. I'd like to know how you got round it when the rest of us can't

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I pay £84 per month so over £1000 a year for sky which includes the BBC channels so why should I pay another £145 for channels that I technically have already paid for.

Isn't that an argument for you to take up with Sky rather than the BBC? Why should Sky charge you for something that is free?

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We have loads of channels on Sky but, except for Sport on occasion, most of what we watch (and listen to) is the BBC. Worth every penny.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

No not worth it , it should be self financed including subscription and adverts , I wonder if all the people on here who say how wonderful the BBC is would subscribe to it ?

YES, I WOULD - and in preference to everything else.

 

[Hendrax]

lets put it this way. If we stopped paying our TV license, they wouldn't be able to offer the huge prizes on shows such as pointless and egg heads would they.

The bbc sucks. bring on the adverts. who doesn't record and watch later anyways. if there is something on i want to watch that night, I will still record it and watch something else for 15-20 minutes so I can skip the adverts on said show.

 

[cunning fergus]

You can opt out. It is not compulsory! And why would an EU single digital market have any effect? The BBC channels are not available in the rest of Europe. It is not like Sky trying to sell the same channels at different prices in different countries, which is wrong.

If I want to just watch sky I need a licence for the BBC, why should I be denied watching live sport to have compulsory access to EastEnders.

I can't help you if you don't know how the single digital market will work, however the unelected commissioners pushing these new laws through propose that EU citizens should have full access to digital output in other EU states.......like say BBC iPlayer.

https://euobserver.com/digital/128143

If that is how it works in practice, will non UK EU citizens need to pay for it or have access free?

Either way it's a potential game changer, so embrace the change that's coming.

On the plus side with all those potential new BBC subscribers in the EU this new market could be good news for the BBC, so dry those eyes........

 

[cunning fergus]

Ending geoblocking sounds like a good thing. It still wont have any effect on the BBC tv though. It is clearly about internet access and, in the case of the iplayer, you just stick adverts on non UK distributions like they do with the website already.

And in regards to the Sky subscription, I bet there are tons of channels on that that you get and never watch, so why is that different to BBC channels.

Christ, one minute you question the effect of a single digital market, the next you are an expert..........

A quote from the unelected Estonian pushing all this through (from the FT).

Today’s situation is lose-lose: people are ready to pay, but we do not accept their money. There are two logics — geoblocking or the internal market. Those two cannot coexist,” he said.
He added: “Deep in my heart, I hate geoblocking. It is old-fashioned and it is not fair. We do not have to use these instruments in the 21st century.”
Even state broadcasters, such as the BBC, should make their content available across the EU for people to buy, according to Mr Ansip. “Millions of people are ready to pay for it,” he said.

So there you are, subscription is coming, let the Europeans who want to pay for it subscribe and those in the UK who don't want to pay opt out.

What's not to like?

 

[drew]

Christ, one minute you question the effect of a single digital market, the next you are an expert..........

A quote from the unelected Estonian pushing all this through (from the FT).

Today’s situation is lose-lose: people are ready to pay, but we do not accept their money. There are two logics — geoblocking or the internal market. Those two cannot coexist,” he said.
He added: “Deep in my heart, I hate geoblocking. It is old-fashioned and it is not fair. We do not have to use these instruments in the 21st century.”
Even state broadcasters, such as the BBC, should make their content available across the EU for people to buy, according to Mr Ansip. “Millions of people are ready to pay for it,” he said.

So there you are, subscription is coming, let the Europeans who want to pay for it subscribe and those in the UK who don't want to pay opt out.

What's not to like?

Isn't he just saying that we can keep the licence fee but that people that want access from abroad pay a subscription. Then everyone (apart from you) is happy.

 

[cunning fergus]

That is fine. But you can opt out already. Maybe your friends at Sky should pay the BBC to include it in their packages and then pass the cost on to you, then everyone will be happy.

That is fine? What you actually mean is, yes you are right.

The BBC will have subscriptions for non UK subscribers if the single digital market comes into effect as planned.

Once they do this for non UK EU citizens, voluntary subscription for UK citizens is a reality.

I will opt out either at this point or when non payment is decriminalised............

 

[cunning fergus]

Isn't he just saying that we can keep the licence fee but that people that want access from abroad pay a subscription. Then everyone (apart from you) is happy.

Maybe, however this would create a voluntary opt in for non EU citizens which UK citizens would not have, which does not seem to be the single market that is being created here.


Good luck with that messaging..........it's a kind of some pigs are more equal than others type thing isn't it?

 

[drew]

Good luck with that messaging..........it's a kind of some pigs are more equal than others type thing isn't it?

What

 

[cunning fergus]

No. I said just put adverts on the non UK iplayer. We should all pay for the BBC like we do the NHS. If you do not it is simply looking out for number one selfishness.

What YOU said isn't worth a light, you are not absorbing what the unelected Estonian running this show is saying........read it again:

Even state broadcasters, such as the BBC, should make their content available across the EU for people to buy, according to Mr Ansip. “Millions of people are ready to pay for it,” he said.

He is talking about millions of people, not adverts from corporates.

A single market means we all have the same access, otherwise it's not by definition a SINGLE market.

People like you are terrifying; you lurch from one hysterical outburst to another because you don't agree with what is happening or what people say............and the BBC is not the NHS, grow the f@ck up.

 

[cunning fergus]

What

What's?

A single market is a single market.

If some EU citizens can opt in, why should other EU citizens not have that choice?

What bit here are you struggling with?

 

[mikeyjh]

The answer to the headline question is of course YES - It's not perfect, I would advocate a reduction in the cost for those who cannot afford it but for society it is very good value. The BBC, again far from perfect, is a fantastic institution - The provision of unbiased and global news coverage is unmatched, far reaching and I'm going to guess that theirs is one of the worlds most viewed non commercial websites. Like any taxation, there will be be people who do not benefit, but like any taxation is about its value to society rather than the individual.

 

[drew]

What's?

A single market is a single market.

If some EU citizens can opt in, why should other EU citizens not have that choice?

What bit here are you struggling with?

You are aware that not everything in the EU is free to everyone else. An example is the NHS. Why can't the same be for the BBC?

 

[halbpro]

Yes. Easily worth it.

 

[father_and_son]

You get BBC telly, radio and online content with no adverts, but is it worth the money?

The licence is a tax to watch live television broadcasts, not to watch the BBC. (albeit the tax raised does fund the BBC, but even if you only watched self-funding channels [as they are broadcast], then you still need a licence).


Personally, if the BBC were a set of subscription channels costing £145.50 a year, I wouldn't bother. I watch BBC News in preference to any other station's news output, but there's really nothing else that I'd be bothered for and the News alone isn't worth the cost.

Unfortunately, because there are some things on channels transmitted by Sky that me and the family do watch, I am forced to pay the tax.