if I don't ever watch the BBC or any BBC channels, should I still have to pay the TV license?

Question

this is a hypothetical question - I do watch the BBC but would happily not do so if it meant not having to pay the license.

You choose which Sky channels you pay for so why do we have to pay for the BBC whether we want it or not? so the government can try and control what we watch as well as what we say, where we work, how much we eat, smoke, exercise, drink etc?!

i am aware that i DO have to pay, I'm asking whether I SHOULD have to

Answer 1

I think a few people dont understand your question, I totally agree, if you want to watch sky one, you pay by choice to watch sky one, however you have to pay to watch a tv and the license fee goes to the bbc, or a proportion, but none the less, it doesnt go to sky does it. so why dont they cut the losses and say, if you want to watch bbc channels, choose from a package and pay to view!

The reason why this won't happen, because they know very few people will subscribe. we dont want to watch endless repeats, old films, the propaganda that is displayed on the bbc, and how much do they spend on those stupid programme fillers between programmes.

Answer 2

I dont think we should. Its not like theres much decent on very often (unless your a pop idol or eastenders sheep, or is that itv, like i care!).

Its like BT making everyone pay for line rental. Communication should be free. These companys all have the money so why not. Just look in the paypackages of most corperations and how much they cut for themselvs.

I dont pay a licence and never watch TV. I choose to be an XBOX sheep instead. I pay once and never again.
I download everything i want to see unless its a small time company then I try to support. BBC are not small time.I have no money.

I already pay for water and food and housing and tax and the glass im drinking froms tax cos of vat and the air we breath (being petrol fumes) etc... Problem is im not earning it doing what i do best which is making tunes.

If I had a decent amount of money I wouldnt mind paying thru the nose for this crap.
Maybe I am lazy and should get an education and better job and 2 point 4 children and citron punto piccasso car and 3 bedroom house with wife.

But I dont want to. I dont live life like that. I DONT have to. It doesnt make me happy. Where is our golden age of technology. Con artists realised idiots would pay lots for things that should be free (water anyone).

When Nuclear Fission becomes a reality you guarentee we pay for that too. (Fission is the power of the sun, unlike the much more dirty Nuclear Fusion which we use now. Its estimated (not fact) that 5 fission stations could power the world)

Answer 3

Only if someone else makes Eastenders! I've said this before, Licence fee's should be added on at the point of purchase of a TV. It should be the responsibility of the Retailer to make sure people have a Licence for the goods he is selling. Instead of hoodwinking us into thinking we got a bargain - just top the TV price up another £120 and issue the Licence at the till point. Simple.

Answer 4

I *think* that C.4. (and channel three) get a fraction of the license fee—though I'm not sure. Don't quote me.

Yes, the license fee is to all who own a television and other recievers.

I also think that the BBC sets a de facto minimum standard that the commercial broadcasters have to remain above to be competitive. In my thesis, in the baked beans argument, think of the BBC as the Baked Beans Corporation, and it has to keep a standard of quality in the beans, thus for people to buy the other companies' beans, the competitors have to be as good as the Baked beans Corporation's products. That is what I think the BBC does, anyway. Bean baking isn't so compilcated as media, so I don't expect we'll see a Baked Bean Corporation anytime soon.

Answer 5

Definitely not, you don't have to pay for HP baked beans if you buy a can of Heinz.
The government should give up their control of the BBC and give it to the licence payer.
They will have no excuse shortly when digital TV is the only way to receive TV and you can then choose to subscribe to pay TV or just take the free channels.

Answer 6

Unless you are over 75 years of age you have to pay the TV licence to receive any television signal. Why it should go to the BBC - who knows? They already use the money to make programmes but then of course in due course sell them all over the world. They also spend a great deal on radio programmes particularly the World Service which is probably seldom listened to by the majority of TV Licence holders!

Answer 7

I think if we all had a choice to remove the BBC from our viewing & not pay for a tv license we would do
the other stations all have adverts I thought we only paid for the BBC am I wrong

Answer 8

Difficult call this one. On balance, you should have to pay as it is highly unlikely you will never switch to BBC etc and fee also supports the BBC radio programmes etc.

Answer 9

Just to expand the point, remember the licence fee also funds BBC National & Local radio stations.

Answer 10

Yes, it falls within the category of the many things we have to pay for whether we use them or not, just as illiterates have to pay for public libraries, the childless pay for schools for other people's children to attend, etc. etc. You do, after all, have the choice as to whether or not to own a TV in the first place!