The TV Licence fee

I willingly pay for a state broadcaster, although see and read news from varied sources. I dislike advertising and won’t watch programmes if interrupted by mind numbing ads.

I believe that the BBC suffers from too much political interference from the government, but the right wing political parties hate the BBC so it must be doing something right!

I think the BBC is struggling because of reduced income but still occasionally manages to turn out excellent investigative programmes and drama.

As to news reportage, I find there is bias with news from many media outlets, and why it is important to obtain and read information from different trusted sources. There is so much drivel on social media I find (including here 😀)

unfortunately, unlike other countries, there is currently no govt funding for the BBC. 65% of the income comes from the licence fee, the rest from royalties and grants. I am a strong believer in Public Service broadcasting, would agree that much of their output is grim, but I hope this govt will revise the whole finance structure. I do feel we lose public service broadcasting at our peril.

The TV license is needed to watch any live TV on any TV channel. That's the thing that disgusts me, that your can't just opt out of BBC.

We haven’t had a license for years, just fill the form in to state you don’t watch live tv. You can watch all catch-up, apart from the iPlayer- I find most bbc dramas end up on Netflix anyway. I have cancelled the bbc licence for most of my family & friends who no longer want it.
I think it should be a subscription like Netflix, now tv.. You don’t get them banging on the door (although we never have).

This summer has been nothing but sport and repeats and we still have the Olymics to go its about time there was a sport channel

M0nica

Quite simply, if you have a tv, you must have a license, that includes watching tv on a computer or any other device.

That’s not strictly true!

I am the owner occupier of my multiple occupancy house the other five residents in the house do not watch TV so have no licence we regularly receive threatening letters from the company that chases licence payments even though I have advised only I require a licence and have one and at 81 require one as I am not in receipt of pension credit. The rediculous threats are clearly dishonest. The salaries paid to the likes of Gary Linekar understandably irritate many. The BBC is in reality an establishment 'oligarchy' as is the current bloated Royalty and the House of Lords. If this country was in reality a democracy as Scandinavian countries are we might see real reform,not Trumpian/Farage Reform !

M0nica

Quite simply, if you have a tv, you must have a license, that includes watching tv on a computer or any other device.

No, you are wrong. You only need a TV licence when watching any live programmes, you also need a TV licence when watching BBC whether live or not live this includes TV, computer, tablet, phone. As long as the programmes are live or BBC programmes live or not live you need a licence.

You do NOT need a TV licence if you do NOT watch BBC in any form at all or watch TV programmes on catchup.

I never watch BBC in any form at all. I only watch other TV programmes on catchup, never live.

I don’t have enough time in a day to watch or listen to all of the good stuff on the BBC. There are still series that I haven’t got round to watching and I either have the radio on or BBC Sounds programmes on catchup. Nighttime watching is usually BBC4.

I haven't had a TV licence for 3 years - I cancelled it as I was only ever watching Netflix and Amazon Prime - which remains the case.
It's a treat for me when I stay with friends, and watch 'normal telly' ... I'm even enthralled by the adverts, haha 😄

Sago

Whilst they are still paying Huw Edwards I am reluctant to pay my license fee.

Huw Edwards resigned 22 Apr 2024.

"The corporation has confirmed Edwards has not received a payoff." (Guardian on that date)

I live alone, can't afford Netflix etc. but pay my licence fee gladly, I listen t radio 4 a lot and watch tv in the eening. If I went to the cinema two or three nights a weeks the cost would soon add up to £167.00

No you will be breaking the law if you have a tv but no licence. Fortunately it no longer attracts a custodial sentence.

If you watch live on any channel, TV service or streaming service, or use BBC iPlayer, you need to be covered by a TV Licence. This applies to any device you use, including a TV, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box

I thought you had a free tv licence at 75. I had 2 month then it was cancelled. Now nearing 80, I misguidedly thought that would start at 80. Not so…..unless of course, as with most thing you are on some sort of ‘benefit. I think it so unfair

The compulsory licence fee for the BBC should be abolished as being completely out of date for the modern age. They make a great deal of money from selling or licensing their content abroad and perhaps they could give themselves a good shake up and increase this. Much of their content is old hat and of poor quality. They are VERY far from impartial as according to the outdated ‘charter’ they should be. They are non too careful about fact checking (Verify is far from reliable!) and they pay some of their often verbose and biased presenters huge amounts of licence payer’s money. A thoroughly undemocratic institution that we have no real say in and are forced to fund. I only pay the licence fee because I like watching live TV (rarely BBC channels). I think it is obscene that I have to pay to do that! A charge for transmission of TV sure, a charge for our TV choices but not to fund an organisation whose biased views I disagree with and whose integrity is questionable to say the least!

Amalegra I really do agree with you, there is so little on the BBC that I choose to watch. There are much better news programmes elsewhere, better drama, better everything really. And I don't watch sport so have no interest in ex-sportsmen presenting at great expense.
We really don't watch much live TV at all, other than the news.

I wouldn’t cancel my license even if I felt I didn’t watch BBC
I d not know how I could prove it and would feel utter guilt if I accidently went onto a bbc programme without thinking
I turned 75 just as they scrapped the free license 🙄 but I still wouldn’t stop paying just would never feel controllable enough to say I never went on to it if I saw something really interesting
But I think it’s bad news because between all the people on benefits and all those saying they don’t watch it and all those that stopped as a protest I reckon the minority are keeping it going. Ahh well

At least I can always get onto BBC catchup unlike ITVX which is a nightmare and full of ads. Unless I subscribe which is what they seem to want me to do.

M0nica

Quite simply, if you have a tv, you must have a license, that includes watching tv on a computer or any other device.

Completely wrong information. I have not had a TV Licence for 4 years.
I have a TV in my living room, I watch Netflix and Prime Video.
Anyone can cancel their TV licence, called an NLN declaration, (no licence needed).

And for everyone's info, there is NO such thing as a TV detector van, TV Licensing does NOT have people who knock on the door, this is all outsourced to a debt collection agency called Capita.

They have NO power whatsoever unless you invite them in, or give them your name.

Once you cancel your licence, no further contact is made for around 2 years.
There has been a HUGE surge in cancellations this year

mabon1

I live alone, can't afford Netflix etc. but pay my licence fee gladly, I listen t radio 4 a lot and watch tv in the eening. If I went to the cinema two or three nights a weeks the cost would soon add up to £167.00

Precisely!

The TV licence site says that you need a licence if you watch any channel live, watch BBC I player or live stream from sources such as Netflix, Amazon etc.
So it would seem that not watching any BBC channel is not a let out!

I am happy to pay the licence as I use many of the radio stations available as well as the tv stations.

HOWEVER I think the enormous salaries paid to the so called presenters are ridiculous. I was horrified the see what the top presenters get in comparison with Lyse Doucet who puts her life on the line to report from war torn countries.

I'm happy to pay my tv licence.
I don't subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney, Apple or any other paid channel. I've no idea what those cost, but it must mount up to a fair bit, comparable with the cost of a tv licence.
I find there's more than enough to watch on the terrestrial channels. But I can see that some people would object to the fact that it's compulsory if they want to watch BBC.

Nannapat1

The TV licence site says that you need a licence if you watch any channel live, watch BBC I player or live stream from sources such as Netflix, Amazon etc.
So it would seem that not watching any BBC channel is not a let out!

If you watch BBC whether live or on catchup and any other live programmes whether through Netflix etc. you need a licence.

If you do NOT watch BBC in any format whatsoever and only watch pre-recorded programmes (never live) you do not need a licence.

It is straight forward and not confusing at all.