Why should we pay for the BBC in order to watch other Channels?

Question

To pay for the BBC to watch ITV is no diferent from the Government saying you may drive a Ford but you must keep a BVW in the Garage you don't use. Recently a BBC spokeswoman stated that the BBC's viewer would be quite happy to pay an increased license fee. I am sure both would, what about the othe 59,999,998 population.

Answer 1

I agree that the current TV licencing arrangement is unjust and nothing short of theft. If you really feel strongly about this, why not sign the e-petition to scrap it completely. It can be found on 10 Downing street's official petition web site page. petitions.pm.gov.uk/bbcmonopoly/

Spread the word and see if we can get somewhere with this instead of just moaning about it.

Arguments that the fee is simply to pay for the right to receive television signals is a poor one, the BBC's website states that only £1.08 per month (£12.96 per year) is charged for transmission and collection costs a staggering difference between the actual £131.50 charged !!

I myself watch BBC quite rarely, never ever listen to their radio broadcasts and I don't have digital TV,and those programmes I have watched/enjoyed I have usually bought on DVD, thus in my mind fairly contributing to their funding. I feel completely ripped off !

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

You don't pay the licence fee to watch the BBC or any other channels. The licence fee is paid for the right to operate a television receiver whether or not you watch BBC or any TV stations on it. You have to have a licence to operate a car , motor cycle and many other things in your life. As to increased fees I for one would pay an increased fee if all the rubbish reality shows on all channels were banned and sent to the rubbish tip where they belong.

Answer 4

I agree, make the BBC a subscription channel and see how many people wish to support its top heavy management and political bias.
This will never happen as it is currently a useful tool of the Blair government.
£400m is earmarked for a move to Salford (Hazel Blears' constituency) and not withstanding the Greg Dyke incident, the BBC with its left wing slant on History, News and Culture is of great assistance to this vile government that is intent on the destruction or degradation of our heritage.

Answer 5

You're paying the government for a licence which allows you to receive television signals from whoever is broadcasting them........no more nor less than that.
How the government then chooses to spend that money is up to them to decide, in much the same way that your income tax goes towards buying nuclear submarines.
You can't really pick and choose other than at election time.

Where else can you get such good value for 40 pence a day?

Answer 6

Be glad you live in the UK and not in some other countries where the ads seem to be on every 2 minutes and are longer than the bits of the programme you're watching. That's how it is in Oz and it's even worse in the US. The ads are crap too. No humour to them. Except for the occasional crude one. Usually about nuts! Wow how sophisticated!

Answer 7

If I owned a shop and stood at the door grabbing passers-by demanding money for what they may have bought, I would get smacked on the snout. The BBC, in effect, does just that.

Answer 8

On a slightly different point, its like paying for SKY, and still having to watch 15 minutes of adverts per hour... oh, we DO have to do that =(

BBC should just have adverts like other channels... they still have breaks between shows, where they advertise their OWN programmes...

Answer 9

I watch about one show a week (if that) on the BBC, and I'm paying for the privilege do do so. I agree with Hugh Luwit and the other answerers. Please put adverts on...

Except Shiela's wheels, that frosties advert and Cillit Bang! Otherwise the rest are fine.

Answer 10

I'd rather pay and have the "quality and choice" available on the TV in the UK. Try living in Spain. The TV is absolutely shite and the adverts about 20mins long each time. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.