TV licence people wanting to open a 'full investigation'.

Cornucopia · 27 February 2017 at 12:22AM

I have that warm glow that you only get when all the things you've been saying are suddenly proven by the weasel-words of the miscreant boss himself.

:beer:

Annabee · 27 February 2017 at 3:56AM

Wow that guy is unbelievable. He doesn't seem to grasp that many people nowadays, particularly young ones, are just not watching live TV

And he seems to think owning a TV means a person must necessarily watch live TV. Many people now own one to watch DVDs, and stream services like NetFlix, and maybe to play games. His thinking is 20 years out-of-date. Arrogant fool, let's hope he gets sacked. Why don't Channel 4 (for example) make an expose programme about this? The BBC aren't going to, obviously!

Cornucopia · 27 February 2017 at 9:41AM

The relationship between the BBC and other mainstream media is complicated, and given the complexity of the TV Licensing debacle, it has taken this long (since 1991, in fact) to really get in to the issue.

Even then, it remains to be seen where the Mail and the BBC will go with this. Will it be a flash-in-the-pan, "let's sack one bad manager" response, or will it go further and examine the underlying truth that the TV Licensing system is out of date, and is not capable of being enforced within the law as it presently stands without spending much more LF-payers money on it.

Hopefully, the Government will get hold of it, and we will see BBC subscription (possibly backed by some kind of compromise/interim Licensing arrangement) soon.

poppasmurf_bewdley · 27 February 2017 at 10:27AM

Cornucopia wrote: »

The relationship between the BBC and other mainstream media is complicated, and given the complexity of the TV Licensing debacle, it has taken this long (since 1991, in fact) to really get in to the issue.

Even then, it remains to be seen where the Mail and the BBC will go with this. Will it be a flash-in-the-pan, "let's sack one bad manager" response, or will it go further and examine the underlying truth that the TV Licensing system is out of date, and is not capable of being enforced within the law as it presently stands without spending much more LF-payers money on it.

Hopefully, the Government will get hold of it, and we will see BBC subscription (possibly backed by some kind of compromise/interim Licensing arrangement) soon.

I hope this never comes to happen as I think the Licence Fee is still the best way to fund the BBC. However, should such a thing come to pass, then hopefully it will be on the Sky Model with encryption on all BBC output including iPlayer AND every outlet that shows BBC programmes.

Cornucopia · 27 February 2017 at 11:19AM

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

I hope this never comes to happen as I think the Licence Fee is still the best way to fund the BBC.

I just don't see how it can be made to work fairly, effectively and with 100% legal compliance (by TVL). The Daily Mail investigation only scratches the surface - for example no mention was made of the threatening letters, but there are plenty of issues there, too.

However, should such a thing come to pass, then hopefully it will be on the Sky Model with encryption on all BBC output including iPlayer AND every outlet that shows BBC programmes.

Yes, that's how I see it working. Perhaps, like Sky/Now TV, there would be a cheaper option for iPlayer only?

poppasmurf_bewdley · 27 February 2017 at 11:29AM

Cornucopia wrote: »

Yes, that's how I see it working. Perhaps, like Sky/Now TV, there would be a cheaper option for iPlayer only?

That would be where you start hitting problems.

Why should it be cheaper to watch iplayer than live TV? iPlayer has most, if not all, BBC programmes so why should it be cheaper to access them via that particular media?

You could even argue it should be more expensive to watch iPlayer than live TV as iPlayer requires massive storage capacity and technology whilst live TV is broadcast and then is over and done with.

Cornucopia · 27 February 2017 at 11:33AM

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

That would be where you start hitting problems.

Why should it be cheaper to watch iplayer than live TV? iPlayer has most, if not all, BBC programmes so why should it be cheaper to access them via that particular media?

You could even argue it should be more expensive to watch iPlayer than live TV as iPlayer requires massive storage capacity and technology whilst live TV is broadcast and then is over and done with.

The main reason would be to follow the prevailing wisdom of the commercial market - NowTV, Netflix and Amazon are all less than the Licence Fee. The Now TV entertainment pass (£6.99pm) is significantly cheaper than a basic Sky subscription, and has the advantage of not being tied in to a contract.

The issue for me is the urgent replacement of TV Licensing now that my fears and suspicions going back over several years have been confirmed by undercover footage. Ideally, the hated and dysfunctional system would be replaced by something more rational, fit for purpose and with the support of the Public.

The exact format of that is up for debate.

Oldfatgrumpy · 27 February 2017 at 11:41AM

Good to see this has finally officially become a scandal, remarkably nobody at the BBC knew about any of this, which has been an internet sensation for years, until the DM's sting- yeah, right!

Cornucopia · 27 February 2017 at 11:44AM

Oldfatgrumpy wrote: »

Good to see this has finally officially become a scandal, remarkably nobody at the BBC knew about any of this, which has been an internet sensation for years, until the DM's sting- yeah, right!

I can tell you that the BBC, BBC Trust and Perry Review were all fully aware of these and other issues with TV Licensing...

... because I have been involved in telling them.

poppasmurf_bewdley · 27 February 2017 at 1:58PM

Cornucopia wrote: »

The main reason would be to follow the prevailing wisdom of the commercial market - NowTV, Netflix and Amazon are all less than the Licence Fee. The Now TV entertainment pass (£6.99pm) is significantly cheaper than a basic Sky subscription, and has the advantage of not being tied in to a contract.

The issue for me is the urgent replacement of TV Licensing now that my fears and suspicions going back over several years have been confirmed by undercover footage. Ideally, the hated and dysfunctional system would be replaced by something more rational, fit for purpose and with the support of the Public.

The exact format of that is up for debate.

But your problem is that the majority of the British Public are content that the licence fee continues in it's present form. I for one know of nobody who considers the licence fee a "hated and dysfunctional system (that) would be replaced by something more rational, fit for purpose". Most people I know pay the licence fee monthly and believe that £12 per month represents excellent value for money.

Most of the opposition to the licence fee comes from forums like this, along with a few MP's who are looking to boost their names in the eyes of the public.

I'm not saying everything about the licence fee is perfect. It does need some minor adjustments, but not abolition.

TV licence people wanting to open a 'full investigation'.

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