The principle of the TV license is indeed wrong. However the pragmatic reality is that it's incredibly right. One of those idelogy-meets-practical-reality dilemmas.
Oli - 14 years ago
The BBC is no longer relevant in today's world. The internet gives me everything I need, from free education through to free entertainment. I got tired of the left wing comedy, the news with left wing comments and the slow rewriting of history through the left wing dramas - If it wasn't for the fact that the BBC bid more for my preferred sport, I would not need to watch them at all!
We need a PBS model in the UK. One TV channel, one radio channel dedicated to ensure that people are aware of the big events of the day - plus the chance to get any minority message on to the TV screens if needed.
Financially, Sky is able to raise £7Bn a year from advertising and subscription from a public who are willing to pay the price. If the BBC tried to get the public to pay their TV licence purely as a subscription charge, they would lose 60% of their funding over night. Who said the public don't know what they want?
Junius - 14 years ago
The principle of the licence fee is utterly wrong. To make it illegal to watch any television at all without paying a particular organisation, ie.the BBC, is anti-libertarian and dictatorial. It is particularly offensive when the BBC uses our money , £3,500, 000,000 of it each year, to take upon itself to determine,from its left-wing standpoint , what we should think both politically and socially. The damage it has done is incalculable.
The licence fee should be abolished, but just as museums are funded by taxation we should support a TV and radio station that would provide programmes of real cultural value untainted by political correctness. Needless to say it would need to be monitored very closely so that it did not grow too big for its boots.
Junius - 14 years ago
The principle of the licence fee is utterly wrong. To make it illegal to watch any television at all without paying a particular organisation, ie.the BBC, is anti-libertarian and dictatorial. It is particularly offensive when the BBC uses our money , £3,500, 000,000 of it each year, to take upon itself to determine,from its left-wing standpoint , what we should think both politically and socially. The damage it has done is incalculable.
The licence fee should be abolished, but just as museums are funded by taxation we should support a TV and radio station that would provide programmes of real cultural value untainted by political correctness. Needless to say it would need to be monitored very closely so that it did not grow too big for its boots.
I stopped watching the BBC in the fifties. I presume they still have programmes?
Are they as terrible now as they were in the fifties?
Stephen Maskell - 14 years ago
Have none of you noticed that X Factor is on for about three hours a day on ITV and commercial radio plays the same ten songs 24 hours a day? Commercial broadcasting results in generic 'one size fits all' slop aimed at everybody and nobody.
The BBC is virtually the only broadcaster in the UK that breaks this pattern because of the way it is funded. It's remit requires it to cater for minority interests, and therefore it takes risks. Monty Python is one of countless examples of a British institution that wouldn't have been let anywhere near a commercial broadcast.
This is not left-wing nonsense, it's a logical argument that is being drowned out in the stampede to the dumbing-down of this country. And while on the subject of the BBC's supposed impartiality - try watching Sky News, it's a joke.
Edward Palmer - 14 years ago
If the BBC News was just balanced & impartial news, as it should be, they could save a huge amount (& wouldn't need so much funding). Comment should be separate from news, not intertwined as now. I would pay for news, but not comment (which, from the BBC, usually has a left wing bias).
Bob - 14 years ago
The BBC have not complied with their obligation to impartiality, whether it's news, current affairs, comedy or even childrens programs.
It has become the propaganda arm of the left, and is now too riddled with fifth column fabianists to be rehabilitated. The kindest thing to do would be to privatise it and let it sink or swim based on it's own merits.
Licensed-radical - 14 years ago
How about?
The license fee radically reduced but the concept retained.
National BBC News channel funding for TV, radio and online maintained – we need a national news service that's not wrecked by advertising.
Remainder of the license fee provisioned to regional studios based on number of license fee payers in each area to create content.
Content balance of news/documentary/entertainment/sport content to be controlled at this local area by editorial board comprising 4 BBC staffers (below Grade 9) and 6 elected local trustees.
Election of trustees yearly as televised talent show – don't like what's made by the BBC in your area? Vote or Stand.
Monthly meetings of trustees streamed online.
Most popular shows from regions based on iPlayer views aired on BBC 1 / Radio 1.
Locally produced content aired on BBC 2 / Radio 2 in each region.
National and local news on BBC News.
All content from all regions available over iPlayer.
No content may be bought in from overseas, except where produced as a joint venture.
All other BBC TV and Radio stations shut down.
Website reduced to supporting the above services.
Dick Scratcher - 14 years ago
As Paul Daniels once said (on a BBC programme ironically): "The BBC carries more passengers than British Airways."
Nun-of-the_abuv - 14 years ago
None of the above. Make the BBC's income dependent upon properly conducted customer satisfaction surveys NOT designed by the BBC. Start with the status quo. If ratings go up - so do fees. If they go down - so do fees.
As for pensioners +10 (or should that be +9, +8....) yes Free, for God's sake.
Dissatisfied - 14 years ago
.....................make it private then if lefties want to listen to the BBC's news they can pay for it and the rest of us....................won't
The principle of the TV license is indeed wrong. However the pragmatic reality is that it's incredibly right. One of those idelogy-meets-practical-reality dilemmas.
The BBC is no longer relevant in today's world. The internet gives me everything I need, from free education through to free entertainment. I got tired of the left wing comedy, the news with left wing comments and the slow rewriting of history through the left wing dramas - If it wasn't for the fact that the BBC bid more for my preferred sport, I would not need to watch them at all!
We need a PBS model in the UK. One TV channel, one radio channel dedicated to ensure that people are aware of the big events of the day - plus the chance to get any minority message on to the TV screens if needed.
Financially, Sky is able to raise £7Bn a year from advertising and subscription from a public who are willing to pay the price. If the BBC tried to get the public to pay their TV licence purely as a subscription charge, they would lose 60% of their funding over night. Who said the public don't know what they want?
The principle of the licence fee is utterly wrong. To make it illegal to watch any television at all without paying a particular organisation, ie.the BBC, is anti-libertarian and dictatorial. It is particularly offensive when the BBC uses our money , £3,500, 000,000 of it each year, to take upon itself to determine,from its left-wing standpoint , what we should think both politically and socially. The damage it has done is incalculable.
The licence fee should be abolished, but just as museums are funded by taxation we should support a TV and radio station that would provide programmes of real cultural value untainted by political correctness. Needless to say it would need to be monitored very closely so that it did not grow too big for its boots.
The principle of the licence fee is utterly wrong. To make it illegal to watch any television at all without paying a particular organisation, ie.the BBC, is anti-libertarian and dictatorial. It is particularly offensive when the BBC uses our money , £3,500, 000,000 of it each year, to take upon itself to determine,from its left-wing standpoint , what we should think both politically and socially. The damage it has done is incalculable.
The licence fee should be abolished, but just as museums are funded by taxation we should support a TV and radio station that would provide programmes of real cultural value untainted by political correctness. Needless to say it would need to be monitored very closely so that it did not grow too big for its boots.
I stopped watching the BBC in the fifties. I presume they still have programmes?
Are they as terrible now as they were in the fifties?
Have none of you noticed that X Factor is on for about three hours a day on ITV and commercial radio plays the same ten songs 24 hours a day? Commercial broadcasting results in generic 'one size fits all' slop aimed at everybody and nobody.
The BBC is virtually the only broadcaster in the UK that breaks this pattern because of the way it is funded. It's remit requires it to cater for minority interests, and therefore it takes risks. Monty Python is one of countless examples of a British institution that wouldn't have been let anywhere near a commercial broadcast.
This is not left-wing nonsense, it's a logical argument that is being drowned out in the stampede to the dumbing-down of this country. And while on the subject of the BBC's supposed impartiality - try watching Sky News, it's a joke.
If the BBC News was just balanced & impartial news, as it should be, they could save a huge amount (& wouldn't need so much funding). Comment should be separate from news, not intertwined as now. I would pay for news, but not comment (which, from the BBC, usually has a left wing bias).
The BBC have not complied with their obligation to impartiality, whether it's news, current affairs, comedy or even childrens programs.
It has become the propaganda arm of the left, and is now too riddled with fifth column fabianists to be rehabilitated. The kindest thing to do would be to privatise it and let it sink or swim based on it's own merits.
How about?
The license fee radically reduced but the concept retained.
National BBC News channel funding for TV, radio and online maintained – we need a national news service that's not wrecked by advertising.
Remainder of the license fee provisioned to regional studios based on number of license fee payers in each area to create content.
Content balance of news/documentary/entertainment/sport content to be controlled at this local area by editorial board comprising 4 BBC staffers (below Grade 9) and 6 elected local trustees.
Election of trustees yearly as televised talent show – don't like what's made by the BBC in your area? Vote or Stand.
Monthly meetings of trustees streamed online.
Most popular shows from regions based on iPlayer views aired on BBC 1 / Radio 1.
Locally produced content aired on BBC 2 / Radio 2 in each region.
National and local news on BBC News.
All content from all regions available over iPlayer.
No content may be bought in from overseas, except where produced as a joint venture.
All other BBC TV and Radio stations shut down.
Website reduced to supporting the above services.
As Paul Daniels once said (on a BBC programme ironically): "The BBC carries more passengers than British Airways."
None of the above. Make the BBC's income dependent upon properly conducted customer satisfaction surveys NOT designed by the BBC. Start with the status quo. If ratings go up - so do fees. If they go down - so do fees.
As for pensioners +10 (or should that be +9, +8....) yes Free, for God's sake.
.....................make it private then if lefties want to listen to the BBC's news they can pay for it and the rest of us....................won't
seems a bit of a one sided question to me !!