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    BBC to look at overhauling licence fee as 300,000 more households stop paying
    United Kingdom

    BBC to look at overhauling licence fee as 300,000 more households stop paying

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    28 Comments

    1. runew0lf on

      Should have been ahead of the curve mate… done a subscription type model that people want, instead, you waiting till everyone quit because its shit

    2. Commercial-carrot-7 on

      A subscription service being a red line because they know that people won’t pay £10 a month for their service. If they can’t compete on fair terms, they should shut shop.

    3. Worldly_Table_5092 on

      I still find it werid we are the only country with a “TV Goon Squad” who comes house to house to fund “Strictly Come Dancing” and other high quality shows.

    4. reddit_junkie23 on

      Oh people don’t want to pay for crap TV and support an “institution” that has repeatedly covered up literally hundreds of complaints of harassment, bullying, sexual assault and rape by some of their big “stars”?

      Colour me shocked.

    5. Commandopsn on

      Last time I had a tv licence I was watching re-runs of shit tv. I got more joy out of YouTube videos, watching random meme shit.

    6. TheScottishGoat on

      Do people under 40 watch “live” TV bar sports now anyway? With all the streaming services and youtube whats the draw of iplayer or actual TV channels now?

    7. Azzadal on

      The BBC has its issues but it’s still more impartial than any billionaire owned propaganda company. Some of you wont appreciate how bad it can be till we’re like the US.

      The BBC get dragged over the coals, quite rightly so every time they make a mistake. Does GB news for lying constantly?

    9. Beneficial-Pitch-430 on

      Having a selection of channels and radio stations available without fucking adverts is a godsend. I’ll be very upset if it goes.

    10. Any-Conversation7485 on

      We’re all going to get forced to pay for this garbage through general taxation forever just watch.

    11. boingwater on

      The BBC needs to go to adverts or a subscription service to fund its overpaid “stars”.

    12. SportsterDriver on

      It would be nice if they had a complete back catalogue on iPlayer for us to access.

    13. JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo on

      If it was always just taxpayer-funded like any other public service, no one would be fussed.

      But if they pivoted to that system now, the news of it would enrage people. As would funding it via advertising. As will keeping and enforcing the license. Can’t win.

    14. aleopardstail on

      it shouldn’t really be up to the BBC how they are funded, it should be up to those who consume BBC content how they wish to pay for it and what price is acceptable

    15. Ragnarsdad1 on

      Yea lets scrap the closest thing we have to unbiased news on the TV so Murdoch can launch Fox New UK.

      I may not like paying the licence fee but given the alternatives i will keep on doing it.

    16. LOTDT on

      I never understand how people who cry about losing British culture are happy to have one of our most successful institutions slowly killed off.

    17. flings_flans on

      I’d support a very much slimmed down public service broadcaster for news and radio funded from general taxation, and a subscription based service for entertainment and sports and whatever else they want to do.

      I think having a free at point of consumption public service broadcaster is important for a society, but it doesn’t need to include master chef.

    18. myth0503 on

      I’m still in utter disbelief that the BBC demands a TV licence for all live stream content.

      Like, mate… I just wanted to watch a squirrel cam in Finland, not fund another season of ‘Antiques Roadshow!

      At this point, if I livestream myself boiling pasta, do I owe the Charlie a tenner?”

    19. Commercial-carrot-7 on

      I think that’s what should be done is that it should be broken up. Only news and radio funded by a massively reduced tax of some sort and the rest should be a subscription service.

    20. DennisAFiveStarMan on

      Gotta pay to get 800k Wayne Rooneys opinions 4 hours after everyone watched the goals on YouTube

    21. Crashball_Centre on

      A regressive, anachronistic funding model, should’ve been gotten rid off decades ago.

    22. Noctale on

      I’m generally supportive of the BBC and their goals. I use BBC sites, apps and the iPlayer regularly and have always recognised the value of their content. Some of that content would never get made if they were funded by a subscription, had to focus on putting out only the most popular programming, or were funded primarily by advertising. The TV Licence has historically been a good way to ensure that the BBC is serving us, not commercial interests.

      But there are limits. The way it stands at the moment, if I watched a live event on Amazon Prime Video through my phone or PC and didn’t have a TV Licence then I’d be breaking the law. If I watch any livestream on YouTube that is designated a ‘TV programme’ (such as Sky News) that also needs a licence. Those streams have nothing to do with the BBC, don’t cost them anything, don’t involve a TV, and should therefore not need a TV Licence. But they do, as does any live ‘TV’ content, on any device. That is not acceptable.

      I would absolutely sign up for a BBC subscription if one was offered, but the TV Licence is outdated and either needs completely reworking or removing entirely. It is no longer fit for purpose.

    23. Howthehelldoido on

      Cancelled ours last week.

      Litterally do not consume anything by the BBC, or watch live TV.

    24. Diligent-Till-8832 on

      If you use it, pay for it.

      If you don’t use it, you shouldn’t be charged.

      I don’t know if theyve noticed that there is a cost of living crisis and people are on stagnant wages and we are expected to pay for everything in this bloody country.

    25. Brigid-Tenenbaum on

      Well, sure, who is watching live TV in 2025.

      This isn’t the ‘20 million tune in for the Only Fools and Horses Xmas special’ era.
      This is the ‘find everything you can possibly imagine on YouTube, for free’ era.

      And for many people, a TV license isn’t cheap.
      £174.50 each year.

      I don’t even pay that for my phone.
      That’s the cost of internet territory.

      And is the fifth series of Mrs Browns Boys equivalent in value to the entirety of the internet, no.

      Also, nobody likes it when you spend decades, and millions of pounds, on intimidating your customer base.
      Threatening to send ‘the lads’ round with their magic detector vans
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw

    26. GeeKay44 on

      Bin the general public paying for TV shows and radio programs.

      But I’d pay a reduced licence fee to keep the BBC as an independent news service, to keep a UK news media independent from politics and advertising.

      We seem to be so far removed from “just the facts” being reported, this will probably be unpopular as it’ll be hard to police without regulations and pressures being applied from… yep, political and commercial interests!

    27. The_Sherminator2 on

      The issue here really isn’t finding an alternative, it’s the BBC being massively stubborn and refusing to actually be open to any change that requires them to adapt and modernise with the times. They seem to have a massive sense of entitlement to their existence via public funding even as a dying platform becoming less relevant each year.

      I think I’d be fine with the council tax idea on the basis that it significantly brings down the yearly price to the point it’s dirt cheap.

      The absolute worst outcome to come out of the Royal Charter negotiations is that Labour bend over backwards and agree to every demand BBC bosses make. Expanding the range of the license to cover streaming so the BBC can sponge off more undeserved revenue streams is unacceptable and gives Reform more ammunition considering how popular this issue is in far right spaces.

    28. Rootayable on

      I wonder if people realise they can actually stop paying for their TV licence? I haven’t paid it for nearly 10 years now, never watch any of it.