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BBC LICENCE FEE - TOO HIGH!


pinfireman
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13 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

Good for you, I don’t give sky my cash either.

you get a far greater return for your money from your old mate bbc 😎

Sky isn't compulsory, and you pay for what you want, The beeb takes your money as you have no option and just sends you **** in return

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15 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

Right tin hat strapped thoroughly on...

As a BBC employee I do agree the licence fee is not popular and would be better funded indirectly through taxation like many public service broadcasters over the world. In my experience not many people are rabidly anti BBC but very many are anti licence fee and it's aggressive enforcement so addressing that would be a good start.

You can't compare Netflix and Amazon to anything except them, they are both chucking money at star talent, way more than any other broadcasters so if you hate some of the money paid to BBC people then these amounts would really make your ears bleed. Sadly both of these broadcasters are also running at an enormous loss which is only sustainable through Amazon's shopping portal propping up Prime, and Netflix having deep pocketed private backers who will at some point want to start making money.

The importance of a public service broadcaster is massive, unless you only want what Murdoch wants you to know? I am pre-emptively acknowledging the fact that most of the naysayers will say the BBC is biased etc etc but we really do strive for balance.

The over 75's licence fee is a disgrace, government used to fund it and dropped it onto the BBC to figure out. I don't think you'd find anyone disagreeing it should continue but it real terms it means roughly 1/5 in loss of revenue and I don't know any organisation that could survive that without massive cuts (cue lots of people suggesting where they could save money by sacking Lineker etc)

I realise I might as well be shouting this into the wind but like most BBC people we really do love working for a world respected broadcaster and don't earn nearly as much as we would in the private sector - think NHS versus private healthcare and you're probably not far off.

I can't do anything about Packham however - but think how many countryside shows are on the other channels....

You failed to mention the BBC,s rabid pro-Remain, pro-Labour stance on all it,s News and Current Affairs programmes! It,s massive overpayments to talentless "celebs and ex-footballers"...............the index linked pensions, and the "jollies" abroad. 

14 hours ago, hod said:

BBC or murdoch? Errr bbc every day of the week, thanks - even with all its faults. 

Apart from channel 4 news I suspect that bbc is the most balanced overall, and that is despite me I having huge reservations about their independence during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

 

They are as balanced as a one.legged man in a backside kicking contest!

14 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

I don’t want to just argue semantics but you saying left wing fascists is exactly perfect, it is impossible to be both so which is it? Are they left wing or fascists? Is it possible that by trying to hold the middle ground that those to the left of the BBC think it is too right wing and those to the right think it is left wing? Confirmation bias has proven we place more value on things that confirm what we already believe so there is quite possibly more than a shadow of truth in this.

There are nowhere near as many repeats as people think, again confirmation bias in action, my department make over 100 hours of network drama per year much of which gets repeated in other slots to give people an opportunity to watch who missed it first time around - not everyone is catch up service savvy. They got on average one repeat each per year, ie each show is broadcast twice.

I agree, unfortunately it’s a Brexit level of polarisation so despite knowing I will not get anywhere with the naysayers I still feel the need to put my case forwards - it’s my BBC need to provide balance you see... 😜

So you admit that the BBC is anti-Brexit? This from a so-called impartial state broadcaster?

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14 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

As I already stated we’re never going to agree but just to mull over the “they are not up to much” in the last 12 or so months, Bodyguard - biggest drama audience in modern times, killing Eve, Dynasties from NHU sells all over the world, Shakespeare and Hathaway the biggest seller at  MIPCOM of all programmes released worldwide by any broadcaster in the last year.

those are just the first ones that came to mind, but obviously we’re just sitting on our gravy train snorting cocaine

it isn’t about being self financing, if that happened most risk taking stops and you end up with ITV trying to appeal to mass market for advertising purposes. Without the pressure of commercial operation you can have an NHU, take chances on projects that would not ever make money so wouldn’t get made otherwise - who would back the recolouring of WW1 footage for the amazing “lest we forget” except the BBC?

I notice you failed to mention the biased News and Current Affairs programmes! I agree they occasionally make good drama series, but with the level of financing they get from the licence fee (and some financial support from the EU), they bloo*y well should be good!

14 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

You do like to stir the pot Grant but don't become a troll 😂

Too late!

14 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

They sell so much but still need our money because it’s very expensive. If you have sky you probably pay about fifty quid a month for roughly the same number of tv channels as the BBC which costs about fifteen quid a month. I’m. Sure they’d love to not have to sell things on but the licence fee would go up and that’s not going to be very popular.

SKY is a choice, the Licence Fee isn,t !!!

14 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

Good for you, I don’t give sky my cash either.

you get a far greater return for your money from your old mate bbc 😎

Freeview!

13 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

You are right I do earn my living from them, and as you know all employees offer blind obedience to their master without question don’t they!

i stated in my first reply I think the licence fee needs to go so we’re at least agreeing with that. The difference is it still needs state funding to not end up just another commercial channel.

Can you imagine what would happen with State Funding under a Corbyn government?

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13 hours ago, Yellow Bear said:

Because most of those over 75 got their "investments" by saving when they were "living off income" instead of blowing it  all , it is called a pension. This is also taxed like an income at the same rate.  There is very little that the over 75s get for nowt given that they use  the services their tax pays for less than earners.

CORRECT!

13 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

I think that is exactly the problem, how does one fund a state broadcaster in a fair way? If anyone has the answer I’m sure there’s lots of people that would listen. There are pros and cons to all the funding streams so I don’t envisage ever getting consensus to any meaningful degree.

All government advertising should be shown on the BBC, and the payments by government depts should offset the cost of the licence fee. 

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56 minutes ago, Hamster said:

We've binge watched Breaking Bad, wife enjoys some of the period drama series and we both watch some of the gladiator type yarns, last good film I watched on there was only a few days ago :), recommend "Lion" with Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman although the star of the movie is far and away the utterly brilliant little Indian child. What I meant is that for your £96 quid you just get lots of films the majority of which I personally couldn't watch if you paid me, the BBC fee by contrast is for an amazing range of subjects and interests, I don't "like" the BBC as an entity but can't deny it's fantastic value.  

If paying the fee really  bothers people then there are ways around it so long as you truly don't watch it. 

But you fail to mention it,s political bias, which is a disgrace for a so-called state broadcaster! We are paying them, to stuff propaganda down our throats!

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10 minutes ago, pinfireman said:

But you fail to mention it,s political bias, which is a disgrace for a so-called state broadcaster! We are paying them, to stuff propaganda down our throats!

I mentioned that already in a previous post but just so we're clear..................regarding their left wing pro Labour stance 😂  😂  😂 ..............that did me make me larf, we must be watching two completely different BBC's. 

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35 minutes ago, Hamster said:

 BBC fee by contrast is for an amazing range of subjects and interests, I don't "like" the BBC as an entity but can't deny it's fantastic value.  

If paying the fee really  bothers people then there are ways around it so long as you truly don't watch it. 

Ok, I'll bite. 

There is no value argument to be made when it is a compulsory tax.  To compare it to Netflix, Sky or whatever is entirely spurious as they will not take me to court should I no longer wish to subscribe to their services.

By the way, please don't conflate this with getting value-for-money for your taxes, that's different.

But, as you state, you don't actually have to pay it.  One needs a TV licence to watch live TV as it is broadcast (or use Iplayer), not merely because one owns a television.  This cannot be emphasised enough, and even TVL's threatening letters have finally started acknowledging this.

I haven't bothered with broadcast television for years.  But I did just visit my aged parents for the weekend, who do.  Crikey, what dire, agenda-pushing drivel the BBC pumps out.  Your " amazing range of subjects and interests" appears to be, in order, cooking, cooking, sewing, dancing.  The 10pm news contained precisely zero analysis from so-called 'senior correspondents', and appeared to be pitched at the level of John Craven's Newsround.

Most of my friends and colleagues below the age of 40 don't bother with broadcast television either, and those that do pay it begrudgingly so they can watch live sport, usually not on a BBC channel.

Thing is, ultimately it doesn't matter; the BBC is merrily signing its own death-warrant through its steadfast unwillingness to adapt its funding model.  It will go the way of the dodo.

Instead of being angry at them, don't pay for them.  All perfectly legal.  I've found I'm generally happier and calmer since I stopped watching broadcast television, especially the BBC.

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1 hour ago, pinfireman said:

You failed to mention the BBC,s rabid pro-Remain, pro-Labour stance on all it,s News and Current Affairs programmes! It,s massive overpayments to talentless "celebs and ex-footballers"...............the index linked pensions, and the "jollies" abroad. 

They are as balanced as a one.legged man in a backside kicking contest!

So you admit that the BBC is anti-Brexit? This from a so-called impartial state broadcaster?

Which bit of my post have you interpreted as admitting the BBC is anti-brexit?

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16 minutes ago, squirrelhall said:

Corrections welcome .Pinfireman says BBCs income is £ 5 billion.  Mighty Prawn says over 75s  exemption is 1/5 of that i-e £1 billion 2 pensioners living in  a lot of  households . That seems a lot of old peopie

on that basis with even one over 75 per household  that would be about 20% of households  -  I think MP's figure is a little exaggerated 

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16 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

You do like to stir the pot Grant but don't become a troll 😂

Not a matter of stirring it. The BBC is a good business for the UK and provides for me a valued service and as both sides of the argument think it's biased it says to me its about as good as it gets. views on both sides of the spectrum are what makes forums entertaining. 

As for 'free for pensioners' I think it's just another confused political message. If we want them to get it for free, top up the pension by £ licence fee. Then pensioners will be equal stakeholders like the rest of us. 

 

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2 hours ago, Hamster said:

I mentioned that already in a previous post but just so we're clear..................regarding their left wing pro Labour stance 😂  😂  😂 ..............that did me make me larf, we must be watching two completely different BBC's. 

You should remove your rose tinted glasses then....however, my main thrust was their Pro-Remoan stance over Brexit, something that has been commented on many times! Try watching Question Time, always more Remoaners on the panel than Leavers, and often with a hand-picked audience!

2 hours ago, udderlyoffroad said:

Ok, I'll bite. 

There is no value argument to be made when it is a compulsory tax.  To compare it to Netflix, Sky or whatever is entirely spurious as they will not take me to court should I no longer wish to subscribe to their services.

By the way, please don't conflate this with getting value-for-money for your taxes, that's different.

But, as you state, you don't actually have to pay it.  One needs a TV licence to watch live TV as it is broadcast (or use Iplayer), not merely because one owns a television.  This cannot be emphasised enough, and even TVL's threatening letters have finally started acknowledging this.

I haven't bothered with broadcast television for years.  But I did just visit my aged parents for the weekend, who do.  Crikey, what dire, agenda-pushing drivel the BBC pumps out.  Your " amazing range of subjects and interests" appears to be, in order, cooking, cooking, sewing, dancing.  The 10pm news contained precisely zero analysis from so-called 'senior correspondents', and appeared to be pitched at the level of John Craven's Newsround.

Most of my friends and colleagues below the age of 40 don't bother with broadcast television either, and those that do pay it begrudgingly so they can watch live sport, usually not on a BBC channel.

Thing is, ultimately it doesn't matter; the BBC is merrily signing its own death-warrant through its steadfast unwillingness to adapt its funding model.  It will go the way of the dodo.

Instead of being angry at them, don't pay for them.  All perfectly legal.  I've found I'm generally happier and calmer since I stopped watching broadcast television, especially the BBC.

Correct!

2 hours ago, squirrelhall said:

Corrections welcome .Pinfireman says BBCs income is £ 5 billion.  Mighty Prawn says over 75s  exemption is 1/5 of that i-e £1 billion 2 pensioners living in  a lot of  households . That seems a lot of old peopie

I never said £5 billion.......! Credit someone else with that.

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2 hours ago, The Mighty Prawn said:

Which bit of my post have you interpreted as admitting the BBC is anti-brexit?

unfortunately it’s a Brexit level of polarisation"..... you only have to watch News and Current Affairs, with a "clicker" and it becomes blindingly obvious that the Beeb is anti-Brexit ! 

2 hours ago, Yellow Bear said:

on that basis with even one over 75 per household  that would be about 20% of households  -  I think MP's figure is a little exaggerated 

I did not say £5 Billion, please give credit for that to someone else!

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5 hours ago, henry d said:

75% OF (insert group here) think THAT THE BBC licence fee is too high.

Your welcome.

...and then this?

Go out, go shooting, get in the shed and give it a sort out, get your fishing tackle sorted for the coming season, straighten a few sticks and sort out some handles, sort out the dogs training problems, get some reloading done, check the scopes zero, stop faffing about bumping your gums about a telly fee that is a minimal cost or amount of your day compared with all the other things you could get all upset about.

Just maybe im shouting cos my state pension struggling 78 year old mum has more than paid enough to these overpriced bunch of troughers and its about time they left her a little bit of money in her purse ,to u its peanuts to her its a chunk of cash .So why should she start paying again ?

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20 minutes ago, pinfireman said:

unfortunately it’s a Brexit level of polarisation"..... you only have to watch News and Current Affairs, with a "clicker" and it becomes blindingly obvious that the Beeb is anti-Brexit ! 

I did not say £5 Billion, please give credit for that to someone else!

That isn't remotely what I said, I said it's a Brexit level of polarisation ie the majority of people are very much on one end or the other of the debate and neither can see anything other than their opinion being right. 

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45 minutes ago, pinfireman said:

You should remove your rose tinted glasses then....however, my main thrust was their Pro-Remoan stance over Brexit, something that has been commented on many times! Try watching Question Time, always more Remoaners on the panel than Leavers, and often with a hand-picked audience!

 

Correct 👍 . 

I have most definitely noticed that and it's just one of many establishment realities we live with, many if not most of even the so called Brexiter politicians don't actually want to leave. 

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6 hours ago, udderlyoffroad said:

You don't.  Close the door on the them.  They have no power to enter your home.  The only way they secure prosecutions is people voluntarily letting them in and/or signing their own convictions. 

Again Spot on, unfortunately it's the never ending harassment, how many people just pay to avoid the letters and knocking at the door, even when they don't watch the TV, if it were just me and I wasn't using it, I wouldn't pay and I certainly wouldn't let them in either, but for the sake of peace and quiet for my girlfriend, I just pay it, it's not about the money anyway, it's a small fee, some will even argue its good value, but I think that's irrelevant, it's the principle and the lack of choice, unless you want to be harassed of course. 

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1 hour ago, clakk said:

Just maybe im shouting cos my state pension struggling 78 year old mum has more than paid enough to these overpriced bunch of troughers and its about time they left her a little bit of money in her purse ,to u its peanuts to her its a chunk of cash .So why should she start paying again ?

If my mother was alive and struggling I think I would be helping her out?

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11 minutes ago, henry d said:

If my mother was alive and struggling I think I would be helping her out?

I don't like the insinuation that this comment contains.

Bit below the belt in my opinion.

Unless you know Clakk,  and I don't,  you have no idea of his family circumstances 

Edited by stuartyboy
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Funnily enough ,do her shopping ,pay her phone bill,take her for meals and look after her ,moved to sheltered housing around the corner when dad passed away and dont know what your implications are as you dont know me from adam but you have totally missed the point mr offensive why should over 75,s pay for a tv licence again .Do explain your reasoning

Edited by clakk
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2 hours ago, pinfireman said:

I never said £5 billion.......! Credit someone else with that.

 

5 hours ago, squirrelhall said:

Corrections welcome .Pinfireman says BBCs income is £ 5 billion.  Mighty Prawn says over 75s  exemption is 1/5 of that i-e £1 billion 2 pensioners living in  a lot of  households . That seems a lot of old peopie

 

4 hours ago, Yellow Bear said:

on that basis with even one over 75 per household  that would be about 20% of households  -  I think MP's figure is a little exaggerated 

Have just checked on line 

"The total income from licence fees was £3.8302 billion in 2017–18 of which £655.3 million or 17.1% was provided by the government through concessions for those over the age of 75. Thus, the licence fee made up the bulk (75.7%) of the BBC's total income of£5.0627 billion in 2017–2018."

 

 

Edited by Yellow Bear
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