[News] Say's it all

[timbha]

Should be means tested, along with other things at 75+

There are some very wealthy over 75s in this country who own big houses, drive expensive cars, have Sky and go on expensive holidays. Why shouldn’t they pay for their TV licence (and buses!).

 

[Yes Chef]

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Lazy tedious boll-ocks

 

[Stato]

Great fun isn't it (apostrophe in the right place)
I just think it's wrong. Ever heard of the Blitz, imagine being a child living through that. I can still remember rationing etc which went on for quite a time after the war. Going to Holland in August to visit my partners grandfathers grave. Personal invitation to all the family's of the soldiers who gave their lives on the 75th anniversary so they were liberated
My partners grandfather gave his live the day before my partners mother was born
So take the piss all you want and be happy you were lucky enough not to live then.
Anyway who watches BBC
apart from that generation

I don't think that anyone is saying that we shouldn't respect service, experience or value our elderly. That is a part of the social contract that we all enter into through the welfare state and the greatest post war achievement of the generation you are defending was to vote in a government who built that.

However the underlying message that should be taken from this story is not that one generation does not value the contribution of another, it is that our government doesn't want to have to fund the BBC. They threw the BBC under the bus knowing that they must choose between doing something very expensive or very unpopular. The government makes the saving, the BBC takes the flak. The fact that this decision could impact upon the popularity of the BBC and start people talking about cuts or alternative means of funding is a win-win for a government that does not like the BBC's funding model and would take great pleasure in dismantling one of the UK's greatest institutions, selling the popular bits to Murdoch and his fellow weasels and freeing themselves from the costs of the less popular but socially valuable parts.

 

[Bill Cassidy's tie up]

I don't think that anyone is saying that we shouldn't respect service, experience or value our elderly. That is a part of the social contract that we all enter into through the welfare state and the greatest post war achievement of the generation you are defending was to vote in a government who built that.

However the underlying message that should be taken from this story is not that one generation does not value the contribution of another, it is that our government doesn't want to have to fund the BBC. They threw the BBC under the bus knowing that they must choose between doing something very expensive or very unpopular. The government makes the saving, the BBC takes the flak. The fact that this decision could impact upon the popularity of the BBC and start people talking about cuts or alternative means of funding is a win-win for a government that does not like the BBC's funding model and would take great pleasure in dismantling one of the UK's greatest institutions, selling the popular bits to Murdoch and his fellow weasels and freeing themselves from the costs of the less popular but socially valuable parts.

Thank you Stato said it a lot better than me


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[BN41Albion]

Should be means tested, along with other things at 75+

Absolutely. Why is it that suddenly so many things become cheaper at retirement age, yet many people of that generation retired on full pay pensions etc. Should all be means tested as you said.

As for the meme...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Many of them are living in care & don’t pay anyway.

I do agree the Tories have reneged on their promises but what else is new?

Your two posts are commendable. Just because the tories are shit doesn't mean their every policy and u turn will result in pain and suffering. Perspective.

 

[timbha]

Absolutely. Why is it that suddenly so many things become cheaper at retirement age, yet many people of that generation retired on full pay pensions etc. Should all be means tested as you said.

As for the meme...

It must frustrate some (of the smaller) football clubs that their over 60/65 supporters pay significantly less for their season tickets when some can easily afford to pay full price, when a fan aged say 40 with a couple of kids can’t afford to go (at full price).

 

[Saunders]

The underlying problem here is that people are no longer watching network television unless you are in the average age of 62 for the people who still watch the BBC regularly. They cant expect the next generation to continue to subsidise something they do not use. People dont watch live TV anymore. This is also a generation they have hounded agressively for non licence payments and are resentful for it. If they continue to make it free for 75+ it wont be long before the majority of their audience are free viewers and it will be a dead man walking arguably it is already.


So they need to charge a subscription and use adverts like everybody else and it not be compulsory.

Edit yes the Tories have completely thrown them under the bus but they can see whats coming.

 

[drew]

Absolutely. Why is it that suddenly so many things become cheaper at retirement age, yet many people of that generation retired on full pay pensions etc. Should all be means tested as you said.

As for the meme...

Agree, I'm struggling to understand why it is assumed that everyone over the age of 75 is all of a sudden on the breadline. There are thousands sitting in the large houses, living of a ring fenced final salary scheme, taking foreign holidays every year. Means test it and that means more can go those that actually need it.

BBC got shafted by the Tories in 2015 because the Tories hate the BBC. The BBC are now getting it in the neck because of a tory policy!

 

[symyjym]

At the end of the day they won't be locking up pensioners for not purchasing a TV licence. The BBC will just take the money off who is willing to pay and they will ignore all those who don't.

I think there is about 3.5 million people in the UK who don't pay it.

 

[Winker]

And of course the unnecessary apostrophe in the thread title is an invitation to the pedants

Shouldn't it also be 'from us...?'

 

[BN41Albion]

It must frustrate some (of the smaller) football clubs that their over 60/65 supporters pay significantly less for their season tickets when some can easily afford to pay full price, when a fan aged say 40 with a couple of kids can’t afford to go (at full price).

It makes it even more ridiculous when you consider that they won't have children to pay for, many will have their mortgage paid off, etc.

 

[The Camel]

This is excellent

https://www.newstatesman.com/politi...-didn-t-fight-war-so-why-do-we-think-they-did

 

[BLOCK F]

All forgetting that the government made the promise but didn’t give the BBC the money to cover the cost and are now letting the BBC take the flack for another of their failed promises

I understand that the Government allowed the BBC to put up the licence fee in return for taking on the cost of maintaining the free licence cost.
Apparently, BBC boss Lord Hall was happy with this arrangement and is reported saying that they would make a small surplus.
As an aside, in these days of media revolution, the TV licence is surely a bit of an anachronism. There must be a good case to be made for scrapping the thing and getting the Beeb to move into the 21st Century.

 

[monty uk]

I understand that the Government allowed the BBC to put up the licence fee in return for taking on the cost of maintaining the free licence cost.
Apparently, BBC boss Lord Hall was happy with this arrangement and is reported saying that they would make a small surplus.
As an aside, in these days of media revolution, the TV licence is surely a bit of an anachronism. There must be a good case to be made for scrapping the thing and getting the Beeb to move into the 21st Century.

...and how would you pay for TV from the BBC? By monthly subscription, like Sky, Netflix, Amazon, Virgin? What's the difference?

By the way, the BBC has been in a process of disbanding it's core activities - it used to be a world leader in broadcast engineering, now it barely does anything in that area.

 

[BLOCK F]

...and how would you pay for TV from the BBC? By monthly subscription, like Sky, Netflix, Amazon, Virgin? What's the difference?

By the way, the BBC has been in a process of disbanding it's core activities - it used to be a world leader in broadcast engineering, now it barely does anything in that area.

I dare say that will probably be the way things go in the future, like it or not.
The younger generation have vastly different viewing habits to those of us oldies and some barely watch 'live tv'. I think a change is inevitable.

 

[DavidRyder]

It doesn't matter to me if they are 75 and not involved in the war, or in their 90s and having risked their lives for us - this is about a generation that deserve respect, and a little help, when on the whole they might be struggling with their finances. There's a lot of vulnerable elderly people, who rely on TV for comfort, as they can't afford to do anything else, or indeed, have no-one to share their lives with.

 

[nicko31]

Amusing the way the right wing press round on the Beeb while propping up the government that continue austerity and the war on the poor.

My advice to the over 75's is if you are struggling to pay for the TV licence, cancel your daily delivery of the Mail or the Express, you'll be a lot happier as well

 

[Chicken Run]

I don't agree.

It is right that elderly folk should not have the burden of paying for things that taxes can provide them comfort with.

However, there are large numbers of elderly folk for whom the TV license fee is absolutely no burden.

To say this is a travesty of justice, and suggest it is a dereliction of duty to heroic service, is righteous indignation intended to hold a faux moral high ground.

The elderly in this country are let down in many ways. This is not one of them.

This, my mother is 86 and can easily afford the tv license in her mortgage free detached house , healthy pension from my late father, heating allowance and free bus travel, and she has loads of friends in a similar position!

I say give a free tv license to the under 30’s ffs!

 

[Biscuit]

Why do you think the BBC is having to make this move? Because its hands are tied politically and it can't raise the TV license fee.

Free, independent news is just as much of a national treasure as the NHS, but you wouldn't think so reading some of the comments online.