Licence Fee - Is it worth it?

ScoobyZ

I think the fee is too much. I Also think they waste alot of money too. Biggest waste is how much the radio presenters get. After all I think DJ's would do the breakfast show for alot less that £630,000 a year.





(From the Sun)

RADIO 1 DJs were at each others’ throats yesterday after The Sun revealed Chris Moyles’ mega pay.

Bosses BANNED presenters from discussing the story on air — but the leaked figures caused huge rifts away from the microphones.

Breakfast Show star Moyles is on more than twice as much as his colleagues.

A source said: “The atmosphere was nasty. People were outraged to learn Moyles gets £630,000 while Jo Whiley is only on £250,000.

There was a general feeling the discrepancy was too big — after all, Jo works five days a week too.

“People also thought Sara Cox’s £200,000 was a lot, as she only does two shows a week. The pay deals were all anyone was thinking about.”



The source said Beeb chiefs threatened disciplinary action if staff were caught talking about The Sun’s story.

But the scoop had furious DJs calling their agents to demand why they weren’t getting as much as others.

Moyles was on holiday yesterday while stand-in Scott Mills — who gets £130,000 — did his Breakfast Show.

We also revealed that Edith Bowman earns £175,000 a year, Colin Murray is on £170,000, and Zane Low £130,000.

t8769

If you look at the top dramas in the UK, most are US or Channel 4, as good as or better quality than the BBC.

Sure the radio's good, but then why pay all that money for a few stations.

As someone who's worked at the BBC, I know from my experience that the staff are largely Left wing, Guardian reading, Middle/Upper Class, Whites.

If you listen to Radio 4, BBC London or other stations you'll notice around 80% of jouirnalist guests come from 2 Left wing papers, the Guardian/Observer and Independant.

Listen to Radio 4 and count how many Independant journalists come on compared to the Telegraph. The Telegraph outsells the Indi about 8 to 1.

I've great respect for Left wing views, but don't like paying for a network that regards those working for the Mail or Telegraph as barely worth talking to.


The BBC is an excellent network, if you read the Guardian, dislike America and admire Castro. But for me and many others, it should just declare its politics and stop making people pay for it.

There was a time when people were forced to join a Union, depsite being Conservatives, and I'd like to stop paying for the BBC, as I don't want to support a Socialist network.

Blacksheep_3

My particular reasons for saying No to the TV License, include
1) the fact that; I have lived in Australia, where there is no license fee and they have exceedingly good TV.
2) They also provide Free cable TV.
3) Viewers who have difficulty paying for their license can end up with a £1000 fine for non-payment. Non-payment of a fine can result in a prison term. Yet we got rid of the debtors prison sentences. Jailing people for being in a state of poverty seems perverse and cruel. How about license concessions for those recognised to be in a state of poverty, e.g. the unemployed and disabled people, or single parent families?
4) The consistently rude, sarcastic or downright threatening nature of the many correspondances I have received from TV Licensing, despite my grudging compliance and the fact that I always buy a license. They need to realise that courtesy costs nothing.
I am the Blacksheep

kingarhu

Blacksheep wrote:

How about license concessions for those recognised to be in a state of poverty, e.g. the unemployed and disabled people, or single parent families?

Excellent idea - another reason for people to claim they're better off without a job! Sorry to add a note of discord, but take a look around most "deprived" areas and count the number of satellite dishes. The licence fee is less than a Sky subscription. I think it would be a good idea for pensioners to get it free though.

Rob_B_8

Going digital we should have the option to NOT recieve BBC if we don't want to.
Changes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4923470.stm - ironically) have made it easier for channels to charge via freeview, make the BBC do it!
I wouldn't have an issue missing it, I only watch BBC3 & i pay my license fee for the privilege of about 30mins of viewing per day (bearing in mind i often don't watch any BBC channels!) Why not charge £10 (for example only) per year per BBC channel so I can pick & choose what I want?
It IS a tax, I don't drive so i don't pay road tax, why should I pay to recieve channels I don't watch when the technology is available NOW to block it from my TV if I don't want it!

RoCas

Very good poll - I resent having to pay so much tax for a TV station. Anyway, I'd be happy to see adverts on the BBC just so I can have a wee in the middle of a programme.

Tight_Old_Git

http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

The fee, recently reclassified as a tax by the National Statistics Office, is monopolised by the BBC, which uses the proceeds to launch services for which there is no public demand. The BBC unfairly monopolises broadcasting spectrum and unfairly launches products subsidised by the licence fee tax in competition with independent ventures.

nir_mk

Looks like I can't vote. I opted out of television and radio 2.5 years ago and so don't pay the license fee. I do read some news on the BBC website though - they still keep up the quality in that medium and I do recall they were the best of the bunch on TV and radio.

merdekaorang1125

It wasn't until I visited the USA for a while and discovered what a beauty it is to listen at home to sensible talk radio (eg Radio 4), WITHOUT advertisements and evangelistic, axe-grinding presenters (yeah, you might say R4 is the same but it is no way approaching the stuff on Radio USA), preaching polarised views which people believe!!! The same goes for TV. It's too loud, the ads are too long and the content is really cheesie. Since then I have paid my licence fee with gratitude and so should y'all, if you know what's good for your brain!

chinagirl

I agree with a license fee. If you are really hard up you can cancel your subscriptions to sky etc, and just watch the standard free to view chanels, costing you only the annual license fee.

If you objected to paying the BBC fee, you would not be able to watch any TV as you would not be allowed one in your home. Paying the fee at least enables you the right to have as many TV sets in your homes as you please, and you can watch the BBC chanels and regard tuning into ITV, Chanel 4 and 5 as a bonus!