Do you pay your TV licence fee?

My gut feeling is that your opinion of the BBC is driven by years of right wing media attacking it, and years of Tory governments using it as a handy dog to kick when their news journalists dare to critique poor policy.

If the BBC didn't exist, then most TV consumed would be of US origin. One only has to look at the current commercial operators to see the lack of quality original UK content created specifically for UK audiences.

Here's a [citation] thought experiment - walk into any BBC exec/talent meeting/staff room and ask for a show of hands who voted to leave the EU. See how many hands go up. Ask the same for how many voted Tory at the last GE, count the hands. I'd wager a large sum that even if there are a few in those rooms, they are unlikely to be brave enough to put up their hands. Ask yourself if there is a cultural reason why? Does the BBC only employ people who have a metropolitan liberal-left bias, or are they the only types drawn to that institution?

There is a lot of British film and TV on ITV, Channel 4, probably Sky, and even Netflix. Some of what the BBC broadcast isn't made by the BBC but by other companies who would sell to someone else.
The BBC lost its way in the 90s when they tried to chase ratings and move to the lowest levels of entertainment. At the very least it needs major reforms.

the top people at the bbc wont do this unless forced to, they are milking the gravy train, why would they stop?
if the bbc had to pay its own way it would fail in its current form and they know that.

Never paid for it, never watch any live TV tbh, maybe a total of 10 minutes in a year and the odd BBC youtube video

I haven’t checked the whole thread however it came to mind when browsing some random sub Reddit on the topic.

There is a guy that has been documenting and cataloging every letter received from 2006 with the usual threats of enforcement, court summons, etc etc and according to what I read not a single threat has been successful and the guy has done a sterling job of holding his nerve.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/ - side note, cracking domain name in itself.

~£2600 “saved” and estimated cost to the bbc of ~£100 over that timeframe. If you dig out some stats and these threats are carried out toward suspected license fee avoiders I wonder what the total cost of chasing the fees when you build in the costs for Capita, postage, paper, ink, disk space etc etc.

I do watch a lot of telly so don’t mind paying the fee but sometimes I do wonder what it might be like to challenge this. When you fire up op;Ayer now you only need to say “yes”‘ to the notice. As far as I know this doesn’t call home to bbc with an address and when they can’t match a payment I guess this is when they send the heavies. I do get annoyed that I need to declare my address when I buy a telly and then inevitable get a letter to say they know I’ve bought a new telly..

I bought a house to renovate three years ago. I wasn't living there for the first 18 months whilst I was renovating it, but I amassed quite the collection of letters and threats from the TV Licence bods. There were notes from enforcement officers saying they'd been round but 'missed me'. After receiving the first one I'd assumed they'd realise the house was a building site, no furniture or TVs to be seen through any window, but no. The letters kept coming.

When I moved in I declared that I didn't need a licence, I don't use iPlayer or watch live TV. None of the TVs are connecting up to an aerial. The letters finally stopped.

Then my brother starting using my old TV (at a property WITH a TV Licence), however iPlayer was still signed in on my account using the same email address I'd declared I didn't need a licence. I got an email telling me I'd been using iPlayer and I need to buy a licence. There was no option to reply to the email or speak to anyone to tell them they were wrong, so I just deleted my BBC account and thought that'd be that. But the emails continued, then I started getting letters along with threats of visits from enforcement officers and court... There was never any option to declaire I didn't need a licence, no option to speak to anyone, just instructions on how to pay. I eventually managed to find a phone number where I could re-declare I didn't need a licence, but it was tough to find.

Are you sure that wording is correct. I know they like to act belligerent, but they can't interview you under caution, they don't have that power.

Always had a TV licence as much prefer the BBC output to the other channels. Both TV, Radio, iplayer etc.
Cheap as chips.

No SkyTv or Virgin etc.

I thought you did to use i-player.