| BBC Licence 12:04 - Jun 11 with 5807 views | colinallcars |
Well, bang goes the free TV licence just as I near the age to qualify for it. To be fair, most pensioners can afford to pay, and those on pension credit still get it free. What bugs me is the way the Beeb has become dumbed down to commercial TV level recently. The BBC's integrity has gone by the board supposedly in pursuit of ratings. There should be one channel that retains some dignity and sadly the Beeb is slipping away from that position.
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| BBC Licence on 12:06 - Jun 11 with 3125 views | TheChef |
Always seemed like a scam to me. So if I decide not to watch BBC, I don't need to pay my licence? Given the 5,000 other channels out there.
I think everyone should stop paying it. What exactly would they do about it? |  |
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| BBC Licence on 12:07 - Jun 11 with 3122 views | runningman75 |
Heard a 90 something women on the radio today stating she would refuse to pay. Probably be imprisoned while toffs admit to taking Class A drugs and get away with it. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:12 - Jun 11 with 3096 views | colinallcars |
| BBC Licence on 12:06 - Jun 11 by TheChef |
Always seemed like a scam to me. So if I decide not to watch BBC, I don't need to pay my licence? Given the 5,000 other channels out there.
I think everyone should stop paying it. What exactly would they do about it? |
We all pay for commercial TV, the cost that companies payto advertise on said channels is a component of the price we pay for the goods in the shops. | | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:18 - Jun 11 with 3067 views | paesanu |
BBC is fantastic value for money for the incredible variety they offer to please EVERYBODY. It's £3 a week, not a bank-breaker.
You talk about dignity, it's all relative. Commercial TV has sunk below the bottom of a barrel for so long now in a desperate bid to combat the internet, I think the Beeb still has a decent balance. |  |
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| BBC Licence on 12:27 - Jun 11 with 3036 views | Antti_Heinola |
Tories been so clever about this.
Bash the Beeb, threaten them, take away cash, force them into this, and then sit back and watch the carnage.
the BBC is the best deal on entertainment available in the world. It is such an incredible thing (with, of course, a multitude of flaws, like any behemoth).
It's a complex issue on the way it's funded, especially these days, but I'd be happy to pay double, on the condition that anyone who doesn't pay, is fined heavily or forced to do community service if they listen to any BBC radio, use any BBC online content, watch any BBC shows or listen to any BBC podcasts. |  |
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| BBC Licence on 12:32 - Jun 11 with 3014 views | ManinBlack |
I believe the Beeb have said they will take action against non payers who refuse to pay no matter what age you are.
I haven't really followed this story until I saw the way the decision was made in a Brexit style way of 52% of 190,000 people surveyed voted for change. It sounded like the 15% of people who voted to abolish the licence fee altogether were included in the change vote but I may be mistaken in that.
I have read that many people have ditched their licence this year for what they see a political bias by the Beeb in programmes like Question Time so are they making over 75's pay for that?
I must confess I don't understand what is going on in terms of the Beeb saying that without this funding they will have to cut programmes and channels. Part of me thinks why don't you cut the ridiculous wages they pay to people like Norton and Lineker and the rest? They keep trotting out the line that they need to retain the best talent so have to pay silly money and then Lineker appears on BT Sport anyway. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:32 - Jun 11 with 3009 views | CamberleyR |
When you work out what it costs per day (about 43p) and what you get for it which includes not only television but BBC Radio and BBC iPlayer as well which a lot of people forget about, I think it's good value. We probably don't realise how much we actually use the BBC's services whether it's just watching the news on the telly, tuning into a radio station, watching or downloading something on iPlayer or using online services. |  |
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| BBC Licence on 12:35 - Jun 11 with 2995 views | BuckR |
| BBC Licence on 12:32 - Jun 11 by ManinBlack |
I believe the Beeb have said they will take action against non payers who refuse to pay no matter what age you are.
I haven't really followed this story until I saw the way the decision was made in a Brexit style way of 52% of 190,000 people surveyed voted for change. It sounded like the 15% of people who voted to abolish the licence fee altogether were included in the change vote but I may be mistaken in that.
I have read that many people have ditched their licence this year for what they see a political bias by the Beeb in programmes like Question Time so are they making over 75's pay for that?
I must confess I don't understand what is going on in terms of the Beeb saying that without this funding they will have to cut programmes and channels. Part of me thinks why don't you cut the ridiculous wages they pay to people like Norton and Lineker and the rest? They keep trotting out the line that they need to retain the best talent so have to pay silly money and then Lineker appears on BT Sport anyway. |
According to reports the BBC pay Lineker £1.75million a year! | | | |
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| BBC Licence on 12:36 - Jun 11 with 2988 views | BuckR |
| BBC Licence on 12:18 - Jun 11 by paesanu |
BBC is fantastic value for money for the incredible variety they offer to please EVERYBODY. It's £3 a week, not a bank-breaker.
You talk about dignity, it's all relative. Commercial TV has sunk below the bottom of a barrel for so long now in a desperate bid to combat the internet, I think the Beeb still has a decent balance. |
Is it value for money though? A Netflix account is half the price and for me has far better content | | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:40 - Jun 11 with 2969 views | 1MoreBrightonR |
Having lived in the States which doesnt have a decent public funded TV or radio platform, i can say we are beyond lucky to have it. 90% of american TV and radio is shocking and riddled with advertising and product placement.
I literally never watch ITV. Its dogsh1t. Channel 4 is decent but otherwise, BBC shows way more quality things than the other offline TV options. And between the various BBC radio stations, they pretty much cover all my radio needs.
Its the kind of thing people love to moan about and then will complain about once its gone. | | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:40 - Jun 11 with 2968 views | TacticalR |
You can listen to BBC Radio (and BBC podcasts through BBC Sounds) without a license. |  |
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| BBC Licence on 12:43 - Jun 11 with 2946 views | robith |
| BBC Licence on 12:18 - Jun 11 by paesanu |
BBC is fantastic value for money for the incredible variety they offer to please EVERYBODY. It's £3 a week, not a bank-breaker.
You talk about dignity, it's all relative. Commercial TV has sunk below the bottom of a barrel for so long now in a desperate bid to combat the internet, I think the Beeb still has a decent balance. |
On this as well, BBC is well ahead of them - iPLayer was absolutely trail blazing and is a big part of keeping the BBC alive |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 12:46 - Jun 11 with 2929 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
Just saying like.
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| BBC Licence on 12:48 - Jun 11 with 2917 views | peejaybee |
| BBC Licence on 12:36 - Jun 11 by BuckR |
Is it value for money though? A Netflix account is half the price and for me has far better content |
But do you get Mrs Browns Boys.?????? |  |
| If at first you dont succeed, pack up and f**k off home. |
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| BBC Licence on 12:52 - Jun 11 with 2895 views | Mick_S |
| BBC Licence on 12:18 - Jun 11 by paesanu |
BBC is fantastic value for money for the incredible variety they offer to please EVERYBODY. It's £3 a week, not a bank-breaker.
You talk about dignity, it's all relative. Commercial TV has sunk below the bottom of a barrel for so long now in a desperate bid to combat the internet, I think the Beeb still has a decent balance. |
There was a superb bit of BBC bashing on Good Morgan Britain earlier today. Apparently someone's elderly relative now faces the choice of either buying a licence or starving. |  |
| Did I ever mention that I was in Minder? |
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| BBC Licence on 12:52 - Jun 11 with 2893 views | paesanu |
| BBC Licence on 12:36 - Jun 11 by BuckR |
Is it value for money though? A Netflix account is half the price and for me has far better content |
Well if you're comparing it to something individual you like, I can't answer that. Netflix to me is full of cack, so you and I will have different answers!
Shall we compare the Beeb to value for money with a season ticket at Loftus Road?
Generally speaking, for the amount of content they produce, £3 seems very reasonable.
The right-wing newspapers frothing at the mouth with their headlines today is pretty transparent, lazy and pathetic - but it'll tap into some people for sure. | |
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| BBC Licence on 13:32 - Jun 11 with 2767 views | Northernr |
Not sure why it’s the BBC copping the grief for this, it’s been forced on them by the government. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 13:55 - Jun 11 with 2702 views | Konk |
Whilst not without its faults, I think the BBC is pretty great. Being able to watch TV, listen to the radio or podcasts, and look at a website without being bombarded with adverts is a real treasure. Our family watches loads of BBC4, a fair bit of BB2 and BBC News and I would lie down in front of a shopping trolley to defend the BBC's right to educate and entertain my son via cbeebies. Stick on top of that, the comfort of being able to watch BBC News when I'm out of the country and follow pretty much any League game live on BBC local radio, and I'm a big fan.
There's a fair bit of pap amongst their programming, but they're meant to providing TV for the whole country and many of the programmes that I don't warm to are amongst their most popular. There's more than enough good stuff across their output to justify a lot more than £3 per week. Long live the BBC. |  |
| Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts |
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| BBC Licence on 14:40 - Jun 11 with 2594 views | stowmarketrange |
I don’t think many people can complain about the £154 a year if you can afford it.But in my opinion it is wrong to suddenly start charging the over 75’s the fee for several reasons.
Why can’t they introduce to future 75 year olds instead?They wouldn’t lose that much by allowing those who may only have a few years left to pay it anyway.
Some of those who currently get it free are going to be open to fraudsters,who will obtain phone lists of pensioners and potentially scam vulnerable people who haven’t dealt with the licence authorities in 20 years.
If all the 3.7 million over 75’s refuse to pay how would the bbc deal with that number?The worst they could do is to put them in prison where they could watch tv for free.Assuming they could accommodate 3.7 pensioners in overcrowded prisons. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 14:43 - Jun 11 with 2583 views | BrianMcCarthy |
The BBC's quality is far, far ahead of other National broadcasters not to mention commercial broadcasters.
I'll never understand, though, how National broadcasters, whose raison d'etre is by definition to broadcast to the Nation, should then be forced by the Nation's government to charge the Nation's people for their doing precisely that. |  |
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| BBC Licence on 15:02 - Jun 11 with 2537 views | ElHoop |
'Why now' is something I'll always ask myself when something like this is announced.
Seems to me that the BBC is looking to the Tory leadership 'battle' to drum up some future financial support from the government. Seems a fairly shrewd move if that's the case or fortunate good timing otherwise. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 15:04 - Jun 11 with 2531 views | jonno |
| BBC Licence on 13:32 - Jun 11 by Northernr |
Not sure why it’s the BBC copping the grief for this, it’s been forced on them by the government. |
It hasn't actually. In 2017 the BBC agreed a deal with the government that it would provide the free licences so long as it could increase the licence fee when it felt necessary - the government had frozen the licence cost for some time before that. The government agreed because up to that point it had been funding the free licences. The BBC were happy, because the extra income they would generate from their increases would more than cover the cost of the free licences. So, in 2017 they increased the licence fee. And again in 2018. And again this year I believe. And now the BBC has reneged on the agreement to provide the free licences. Last year, BBC executives awarded themselves a 30 per cent pay increase. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 16:21 - Jun 11 with 2413 views | DavieQPR |
The Bias Broadcasting Company would struggle to survive without your compulsory payment. |  | | |
| BBC Licence on 16:36 - Jun 11 with 2369 views | Northernr |
| BBC Licence on 15:04 - Jun 11 by jonno |
It hasn't actually. In 2017 the BBC agreed a deal with the government that it would provide the free licences so long as it could increase the licence fee when it felt necessary - the government had frozen the licence cost for some time before that. The government agreed because up to that point it had been funding the free licences. The BBC were happy, because the extra income they would generate from their increases would more than cover the cost of the free licences. So, in 2017 they increased the licence fee. And again in 2018. And again this year I believe. And now the BBC has reneged on the agreement to provide the free licences. Last year, BBC executives awarded themselves a 30 per cent pay increase. |
The BBC was far from happy with that deal. It was forced upon it as the least worst option at the point when Whittingdale was basically out for it all guns blazing. This over 75s thing has been coming down the pipe since then, as a result of it, and people have only noticed it/started covering it this week because they've announced a solution to it. The cost of increases was never going to cover this shortfall, unless they were ridiculous increases, and nor would sacking Gary Linekar. They were put in a no win position by a hostile government.
That's not to say it isn't a ridiculously bloated, dreadfully run, incredibly wasteful, bureaucratic mess of an organisation. Did an interview with the head of factual there as part of my day job covering the TV industry when she first got the job. First question was to run through her department - who commissions what basically - for the benefit of producers reading. It took her 17 minutes to list everybody and what they did, by which time I only had 13 minutes of interview left and we had to schedule a follow up call. Channel 5 meanwhile has a commissioning team, for the entire channel, of seven. | | | |
| BBC Licence on 16:39 - Jun 11 with 2360 views | qprd |
| BBC Licence on 15:04 - Jun 11 by jonno |
It hasn't actually. In 2017 the BBC agreed a deal with the government that it would provide the free licences so long as it could increase the licence fee when it felt necessary - the government had frozen the licence cost for some time before that. The government agreed because up to that point it had been funding the free licences. The BBC were happy, because the extra income they would generate from their increases would more than cover the cost of the free licences. So, in 2017 they increased the licence fee. And again in 2018. And again this year I believe. And now the BBC has reneged on the agreement to provide the free licences. Last year, BBC executives awarded themselves a 30 per cent pay increase. |
The BBC executives dont award themselves pay increases
it has a board made up of non-executive directors. salaries for executives like these are tied to financial performance (eg profits, revenues, etc), just like executives at most big companies. there's usually an independent compensation committee which determines compensation. and to the extent salaries went up, it may be indexed to financial performance pursuant to contracts that were pre-agreed
also, private companies dont have to disclose executive pay to the same way as does an enterprise like the bbc. for all we know, bbc executives are actually making less than if they were working for other privately-held channels, streaming services, etc
and finally, while executive comp at bbc is relatively high (approx 300k in a lot of cases), a 30% change isnt really going to move the needle that much. its easy to latch on to b/c we can understand an increase from £250k to £300k... but in the scheme of budget thats in the hundreds of millions, its nothing | | | |
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