Let’s talk about BBC

[icowden]

A large percentage of the U.K. don’t even pay the fee. Nobody ever bothers to check on them.
Also many people may not have a TV but will still watch bbc on phones & devices without a license.

Not sure where you get your "large" percentage from. 95% of households (27,000,000) have a TV (or way of watching TV) and TV license evasion is at around 7.25% (1,025,000).

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8101/

Checks are carried out - usually by checking the license database against a government postal address database and looking for unlicensed homes - the assumption being that everyone watches TV and will need a license.

On your last point though, I think you are right and it becomes ever harder to enforce TV licensing due to the proliferation in ways you can watch the TV.

 

[Milzy]

Not sure where you get your "large" percentage from. 95% of households (27,000,000) have a TV (or way of watching TV) and TV license evasion is at around 7.25% (1,025,000).

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8101/

Checks are carried out - usually by checking the license database against a government postal address database and looking for unlicensed homes - the assumption being that everyone watches TV and will need a license.

On your last point though, I think you are right and it becomes ever harder to enforce TV licensing due to the proliferation in ways you can watch the TV.

I know many who use IPTV and have their house aerial unplugged so if anybody turns up they can invite them in & show them the lead cut off.

 

[icowden]

I know many who use IPTV and have their house aerial unplugged so if anybody turns up they can invite them in & show them the lead cut off.

That's great, but pointless. You don't have to use an aerial. You have to be able to prove that you don't watch *any* TV live streams in the UK whether from BBC, ITV, Netflix, Amazon or wherever.

 

[Milzy]

That's great, but pointless. You don't have to use an aerial. You have to be able to prove that you don't watch *any* TV live streams in the UK whether from BBC, ITV, Netflix, Amazon or wherever.

Which is pretty damn easy. They have to prove you are.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

You have to be able to prove that you don't watch *any* TV live streams in the UK

You don’t have to prove anything, that burden is solely the prosecution’s.

 

[icowden]

Which is pretty damn easy. They have to prove you are.

Yes, I suppose so. It's sad that there are people that are not willing to pay the TV license though and support a world class broadcaster.

 

[Unkraut]

It's sad that there are people that are not willing to pay the TV license though and support a world class broadcaster.

It's foreign language services have been and still are a lifeline of information to countries where freedom of the press has been suppressed. You need only think of Russia at present as the most obvious example.

 

[slowmotion]

It's foreign language services have been and still are a lifeline of information to countries where freedom of the press has been suppressed. You need only think of Russia at present as the most obvious example.

Absolutely! The BBC World Service is a vital resource for countries that cannot get reliable information locally. It's pretty uncool to feel proud of it these days, but I do.

 

[Ian H]

Absolutely! The BBC World Service is a vital resource for countries that cannot get reliable information locally. It's pretty uncool to feel proud of it these days, but I do.

I see the BBC is now offering a TOR service to get round censorship in certain countries. Of course, as a by-product, this might ingratiate them with a government closer to home.

 

[matticus]

Absolutely! The BBC World Service is a vital resource for countries that cannot get reliable information locally. It's pretty uncool to feel proud of it these days, but I do.

(I make no apology for posting this on 2 threads)
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/en...radio-frequencies_uk_621fa132e4b0a7784bb2808f

 

[slowmotion]

I see the BBC is now offering a TOR service to get round censorship in certain countries. Of course, as a by-product, this might ingratiate them with a government closer to home.

I noticed that for the first time tonight and was rather impressed that they gave explicit instructions for getting its broadcasts via TOR etc.

 

[Milzy]

Wasn’t there talk of the BBC scrapping the license fee so they’d have to advertise like ITV?

 

[newfhouse]

Wasn’t there talk of the BBC scrapping the license fee so they’d have to advertise like ITV?

The BBC don’t decide on the licence fee, the government does. Culture Secretary Dorries has tweeted that the current settlement, which runs until the end of 2027, will be the last but has not said what will replace it.

There’s probably not enough advertising and/or subscription revenue to go around to support the BBC as well as the commercial sector. Both would be damaged.

 

[Beebo]

The BBC don’t decide on the licence fee, the government does. Culture Secretary Dorries has tweeted that the current settlement, which runs until the end of 2027, will be the last but has not said what will replace it.

There’s probably not enough advertising and/or subscription revenue to go around to support the BBC as well as the commercial sector. Both would be damaged.

Ad revenue for commercial radio would totally bomb as it is very fragmented. No way to complete with the huge national audiences that BBC radio gets.

 

[mjr]

Yes, I suppose so. It's sad that there are people that are not willing to pay the TV license though and support a world class broadcaster.

While we do pay it, the thuggish behaviour of the collection agents Capita makes me want not to. They have no shame and harass estates of dead relatives ("no, no one at that address is watching TV because they died, same as we told you a few weeks ago. The for-sale board is still up. How about you butt out until it's sold? Oh, it's cheaper not to check and to keep demanding the executors fill out your forms?" Scum.)