Why do we pay a TV tax?

Nice_Username

Kohoutek wrote: »

If we really want to get back on topic, the OP's original point was about the BBC's political bias.

....of which there isn't any. I remember Labour complaining about pro-Tory BBC bias during its years in opposition. It's paranoid nonsense, the BBC is as objective a news broadcaster as any country could wish for.

mjm3346

Why do we pay a TV tax?

because no Govt has sense/guts enough to abolish it. The BBC is a public service so why should it be funded any differently to all the others that we pay for regardless of whether we use them or not?

Getting rid of the license fee and funding the BBC through general taxation would only need a very small increase in the tax paid per person. There would be considerable savings by getting rid of all the license collection and enforcement costs in addition there would be a saving of court time and costs as there would be no tv licence evaders to prosecute (177,000 cases a year go to court!). No abusive TV licence enforcers or evaders either.

Collection (over £70 million a year just to CAPITA) and evasion is estimated to cost around £300million a year, do away with this then the 50p broadband tax (£175million/year) could be funded from the saving and there would still be £125 million left over.

StevieJ

Kohoutek wrote: »

Yeah but the reason the OP was criticising the BBC was overt political bias, not having to pay the license fee per se.

Interesting when you look at the Beebs major political player, Nick Robinson Political editor

At Oxford he was also President of the Oxford University Conservative Association.

In 1986, he spent a year as national chairman of the Young Conservatives

Strange, not many get more left wing as they age.

Paranoid

mjm3346 wrote: »

Why do we pay a TV tax?

"because no Govt has sense/guts enough to abolish it. The BBC is a public service so why should it be funded any differently to all the others that we pay for regardless of whether we use them or not? "

Simple answer is that, like it or not, the BBC IS independent and does present, mostly successfully, balanced programmes.

Would you like it to become a Government Channel? Which it would certainly become if funded by general taxation.

taxi97w

Why do we pay a TV tax?

Sadly, you're paying for propoganda.
If the government said it is compulsory to pay any independent company money to recieve a particular product or service, do you not think that that company would bend over backwards for the government, considering the government is sending everyone to you and making you the monopoly and therefore megabucks?

ukcarper

Can someone show me some nulabour propoganda on the BBC

Paranoid

taxi97w wrote: »

Why do we pay a TV tax?

Sadly, you're paying for propoganda.
If the government said it is compulsory to pay any independent company money to recieve a particular product or service, do you not think that that company would bend over backwards for the government, considering the government is sending everyone to you and making you the monopoly and therefore megabucks?

The BBC is not a monopoly.

Over the years the BBC programmes involving the government and politicians have become very hard hitting. Do you ever watch Newsnight/Panorama/Andrew Marr/David Dimbleby and many others? Do you consider these "bending over backwards" for the Government?

The Government continually tries to interfere with the BBC income and bring it to heel! Long may they fail.

And if you want to go down the path of "The piper calling the tune" how about ITV whose only income is from advertisers?

googler

nearlynew wrote: »

Also, every top comedy show/sitcom that you could mention was made by the bbc

I'd rather watch, (American) Frasier, Two and a Half Men, Becker, Spin City, Taxi, Roseanne, etc than (British) My Family, The Royle Family, Hi De Hi, 'Allo 'Allo........

Having said that, I'd still put The Good Life, Fawlty Towers, Yes Minister in the top comedy category....

wigglebeena

Nice_Username wrote: »

....of which there isn't any. I remember Labour complaining about pro-Tory BBC bias during its years in opposition. It's paranoid nonsense, the BBC is as objective a news broadcaster as any country could wish for.

I don't think that's entirely true (because it's a really difficult thing to achieve). But I think they do try at least. Which is more than you can say for Sky.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Paranoid wrote: »

The Government continually tries to interfere with the BBC income and bring it to heel! Long may they fail.

Greg Dyke.......