Is the TV Licence fee worth it? Poll results/discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence · 1 April 2008 at 6:48PM

Poll Started 01 April 2008:

Is the TV licence fee worth it? It costs £135.50 a year for any home with a colour TV, and pays for the BBC - that's TV, radio, regional programmes and BBC online. We’ve run the same poll twice before, have views changed?

Is it worth it? Which of these is nearest to your view?

A. Yes. Due to its quality output - 5% (698 votes)
B. Yes. Mainly due to BBC radio - 2% (289 votes)
C. Yes. As Public service broadcasting is important -4% (509 votes)
D. Yes. It's a good buffer against govt & tabloid power - 1% (180 votes)
E. Yes. Simply so I needn’t watch ads - 3% (376 votes)
F. Yes. All the above/another reason - 9% (1241 votes)
G. No. It's too expensive - 14% (1862 votes)
H. No. I don’t watch/use any BBC output - 2% (267 votes)
I. No. I already pay for Sky,why pay twice? - 16% (2081 votes)
K. No. It should simply have ads - 13% (1712 votes)
L. No. It's another tax - 16% (2074 votes)
M. No. All the above/another reason - 14% (1813 votes)

Total votes: 13102

This vote has now closed, but you can still click 'post reply' to discuss below.

competitionscafe · 2 April 2008 at 12:34AM

If you ditched your TV and only used BBC iplayer and 4OD would you still need to pay the licence fee? If not, I am tempted as I hardly watch any TV, what I do i mainly catch up with on iplayer or 4OD and apart from that I mostly watch an occassional dvd. 90% of TV is carp.

she_grinch · 2 April 2008 at 12:45AM

I think it should simply have adverts and drop the licence fee all together as there are enough financial strains on people today, to some the tv is the only form of entertainment they get,much more expensive they would have to lose the tv.
Perhaps we shold have the option of just receiving itv, channel 4 and channel 5 and see how many would regret no longer payin for BBC1 and 2!

StripyPixieSocks · 2 April 2008 at 12:48AM

To be quite frank I haven't had a TV for getting on two years now and am much better off because of it and not just financially.

I'm not constantly bombarded with rubbish and mind numbing rubbish at that and I have £135 to spend one doing something much more entertaining.

I think the BBC should scramble all their channels and if people really want it they should pay that way so the less well off and people who don't watch BBC don't have the burden of yet another £135 of their hard earned cash disappear on a non-essential!

To be honest, alot of people would be better off if they didn't have a TV at all!

d123 · 2 April 2008 at 2:02AM

she_grinch wrote: »

I think it should simply have adverts and drop the licence fee

I agree, and in truth it will be no different with real adverts on the BBC channels. All their in-house "adverts" are becoming just as annoying anyway, between every program there are "ads" for other stations and programs like Radio 1, Radio 2, BBCi, BBC7 (something like that) and the latest one is something like "Black Music is best on 1 Xtra".

To me an advert is annoying whether it's advertising another BBC service or Daz.

We may as well have commercial adverts and not be burdened by the licence.

rikreschem · 2 April 2008 at 7:46AM

Apart from House on Channel 5, non BBC channels have little to offer except cheap entertainment. The days of quality drama and good investigative journalism of ITV are a distant memory. The only purpose of the commercial channels and Sky are to keep the great unwashed of the streets. Give them cheap booze and mindnumbing TV and they are controlled. The Romans used the Games for the same reason.
The BBC is still the best TV broadcaster in the world. Just go to the US or Austrailia and see what dross is churned out ther.

DAZnJEN · 2 April 2008 at 7:58AM

The TV icence is outdated - with SKY, Freeview and Cable most people are paying twice to watch TV. How many people would really miss BBC channels and Radio if you had the choice to have them taken away and not pay the licence fee - me personally, well other than eastenders i dont think i watch any BBC channels and i never listen to BBC radio so i would choose to have them removed and save myself £135 per year

teddyco · 2 April 2008 at 8:04AM

stripypixiesocks,

My wife and I enjoy reading a good book and have discussed selling our telly and doing something more productive. You are right, the news has become very aggressive and insulting as reporters dig up more and more dirt on people who are at the mercy of their attacks. I personally think it does more to cause fear in society than actually 'reporting the news'.

For example, I don't think the recent trouble at Heathrow T5 was worth all the news coverage that it received. My heart goes out to those folks who were inconvenienced with their luggage, but the story sits and runs in a loop as though a major catastrophe has happened, and it's irritating.

I can give you a list of things that need to be scrapped in this country!

autismmum · 2 April 2008 at 8:10AM

we are planning to ditch the tv in four years when we move to orkney, as mostly its non educating rubbish. we have a collection of dvds and yes we know if we have internet we have to pay the fee,
but i hope that eventually it is seen for what it really is a tax on us by the state sponsored media...
1984
we pay to be told what to think
lol

mute_posting · 2 April 2008 at 8:43AM

A TV Licence costs £139.50 for colour and £47.00 for black and white. (www.tvlicensing.co.uk)

A total rip-off.

I purchased on 31/03 to miss increase (first license, moving into new flat this week) yet TVL craftily set up DD over 4 months instead of 5 :mad: to pay for this years (they say on the site if it is your 1st and you pay monthly DD current year is paid for months 1-5, and next years start to be paid for in month 6)

Curious_Cat_2 · 2 April 2008 at 8:57AM

M. I mainly use my TV set to watch DVD so resent paying so much for programmes I hardly ever watch!

Is the TV Licence fee worth it? Poll results/discussion

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