BBC licence fee poll.

[TTwiggy]

Tom Logan said:

No thanks.

I'll leave it to the PH rejects.

Maybe drivetrain is on there.

[Biker 1]

chrispmartha said:

Just one example, BBC introducing is a fabulous resource for young musicians and for music fans, this would never exist in a commercial setting, music is one thing that the UK is universally renouned forand the BBC helping you musicians benefits the whole country culturally

I would question the viewing/listening figures.
For classical music there is R3, Classic FM & umpteen online sources
For pop, there are R1/R2/R6 etc etc, & thousands of online sources/stations
As for TV: I suppose there is a very small clique that watch young musician of the year & the like, & perhaps the proms, but I have no interest in these things & therefore resent subsidising it.
Whatever: the younger generation are 'leaving' the BBC in droves, & certainly not paying the license, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of it. My guess is a hybrid pay per view/advertising model, a bit like Sky, Virgin & BT, who are today extremely successful....

[chrispmartha]

Biker 1 said:

chrispmartha said:

Just one example, BBC introducing is a fabulous resource for young musicians and for music fans, this would never exist in a commercial setting, music is one thing that the UK is universally renouned forand the BBC helping you musicians benefits the whole country culturally

but I have no interest in these things & therefore resent subsidising it.

Which is of course your right to feel that way, however I feel it's a bit of a shortsighted view, I cannot abide musical theatre, am I annoyed that a certain amount of my tax will go towards this in the form of grants etc, no, not at all I think Britain is well respected for its culture and arts and I'm glad I contribute to that, even if it's not to my taste.

[TTwiggy]

Biker 1 said:

the younger generation are 'leaving' the BBC in droves, & certainly not paying the license

Probably because they still live with their parents.

[CrutyRammers]

I see today that they're planning on outsourcing hundreds of jobs overseas. Our tax money being sent overseas, with the savings being used to "address the gender pay gap".
It's bad enough being forced to pay for it, being forced to pay for jobs to be lost here and sent abroad is appalling.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/26/bbc_to_of...

[chrispmartha]

CrutyRammers said:

I see today that they're planning on outsourcing hundreds of jobs overseas. Our tax money being sent overseas, with the savings being used to "address the gender pay gap".
It's bad enough being forced to pay for it, being forced to pay for jobs to be lost here and sent abroad is appalling.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/26/bbc_to_of...

Not quite how you are painting it though is it. It's already an outsourced contract which they have cut from 2.3bn to 580 million to save costs, its the outsourced company (ATOS) who are shifting the jobs abroad.

[Cotty]

CrutyRammers said:

with the savings being used to "address the gender pay gap".

Why not just reduce the mens wages to match the womens.

[chrispmartha]

Cotty said:

CrutyRammers said:

with the savings being used to "address the gender pay gap".

Why not just reduce the mens wages to match the womens.

Would you be happy with that at your place of work?

[Cotty]

chrispmartha said:

Would you be happy with that at your place of work?

I negotiated my salary when I joined. If they could have employed a women to do the same job but pay her less im sure they would have done.

[chrispmartha]

Cotty said:

chrispmartha said:

Would you be happy with that at your place of work?

I negotiated my salary when I joined. If they could have employed a women to do the same job but pay her less im sure they would have done.

Ah right so you negotiated a salary when you started, so presumably you wouldn't expect that salary to but cut to match another persons wages?

[Cotty]

chrispmartha said:

Ah right so you negotiated a salary when you started, so presumably you wouldn't expect that salary to be cut to match another persons wages?

There isn't anyone comparable to me to match.

But we are not talking about my job we are talking about a public funded company. its an entirely different thing. I am sure if you did a poll of the women who pay the licence they would not want a gender pay gap for people doing the same job with the same experience.

[Nothingtoseehere]

chrispmartha said:

Would you be happy with that at your place of work?

If it was negotiated to 250k to match women's pay I'd be over the moon.

[Biker 1]

TTwiggy said:

Biker 1 said:

the younger generation are 'leaving' the BBC in droves, & certainly not paying the license

Probably because they still live with their parents.

Really? Anecdotal evidence from my neck of the woods says not so. Younger generation for me means 35 years old & below, many of whom live independently, & have such little disposable income left over once they have paid extortionate rent/bills etc that they wouldn't/couldn't pay the fee anyway.
Whether we think the license fee is worth paying or not, it will be irrelevant in my lifetime at any rate, as the BEEB will be bust before long if the current business model extortion is pursued in its current form. The politicians responsible for the gravy train that is the BBC have a lot to answer for, let alone screwing the next generation (but that's another story...)

[TTwiggy]

Biker 1 said:

Really? Anecdotal evidence from my neck of the woods says not so. Younger generation for me means 35 years old & below, many of whom live independently, & have such little disposable income left over once they have paid extortionate rent/bills etc that they wouldn't/couldn't pay the fee anyway.
Whether we think the license fee is worth paying or not, it will be irrelevant in my lifetime at any rate, as the BEEB will be bust before long if the current business model extortion is pursued in its current form. The politicians responsible for the gravy train that is the BBC have a lot to answer for, let alone screwing the next generation (but that's another story...)

£145? How does that compare to a new iPad, a night out in a London pub or a tattoo sleeve?

Assuming they have internet access at home (likely!) BT are taking more money off them just to supply a landline.

[anonymous-user]

TTwiggy said:

£145?

To keep Evans 'the Bisto Kid' in Ferraris.
If they sacked Evans and Lineker And Sarah Cox I might think about buying a tele licence untill then not a fking chance.

[Roofless Toothless]

Although arriving late to the party on this thread, I personally think I more than get my money's worth of the licence fee from the radio alone. For me, the television is all bunce.

I am generally surprised at the lack of appreciation of BBC radio services here, and the number of people who say that they don't pay for a licence because they never watch television, but make no comment about whether they use the radio services or not. That radio is not licensed as such is a matter of practicality, as it is a mobile medium. Do these posters never listen to news or local radio in their cars? If they do, then fee payers subsidise them, perhaps not legally, but certainly morally.

I have lived and worked abroad, and know what it is like to be in a country with appalling TV and radio media. I would be genuinely interested in any suggestions of other countries that have broadcast media on a par with what the BBC offers. They may well exist, I am just ignorant of them.

And as for the political bias that so many on Pistonheads discover, I am old enough to remember when the Beeb was seen as a bastion of the establishment by many. Your perspective on political bias depends first and foremost on where you are standing in the first place, doesn't it? I would agree that it reflects the 'liberal', politically 'careful' (if not politically correct) inclusive, and possibly over-urban Home Counties mindset of its traditional base in London, but perhaps the recent migration of programme making to Salford and the regions is addressing this. The recent furore over staff pay structures hardly reveals an egalitarian socialist behemoth, does it?

Many times I watch a Promenade concert, or hear a radio programme and think that I have just got a month's worth of licence fee all in one go. The rest comes for nothing. Bernard Haitink's Prom the other night was just one example. I would willingly pay more if it would bring back the kind of investment in drama and sport that we have lost in recent years, and see the end of the chase to the bottom of the pond of popularism that we have experienced in recent years.

[chrispmartha]

Roofless Toothless said:

Although arriving late to the party on this thread, I personally think I more than get my money's worth of the licence fee from the radio alone. For me, the television is all bunce.

I am generally surprised at the lack of appreciation of BBC radio services here, and the number of people who say that they don't pay for a licence because they never watch television, but make no comment about whether they use the radio services or not. That radio is not licensed as such is a matter of practicality, as it is a mobile medium. Do these posters never listen to news or local radio in their cars? If they do, then fee payers subsidise them, perhaps not legally, but certainly morally.

I have lived and worked abroad, and know what it is like to be in a country with appalling TV and radio media. I would be genuinely interested in any suggestions of other countries that have broadcast media on a par with what the BBC offers. They may well exist, I am just ignorant of them.

And as for the political bias that so many on Pistonheads discover, I am old enough to remember when the Beeb was seen as a bastion of the establishment by many. Your perspective on political bias depends first and foremost on where you are standing in the first place, doesn't it? I would agree that it reflects the 'liberal', politically 'careful' (if not politically correct) inclusive, and possibly over-urban Home Counties mindset of its traditional base in London, but perhaps the recent migration of programme making to Salford and the regions is addressing this. The recent furore over staff pay structures hardly reveals an egalitarian socialist behemoth, does it?

Many times I watch a Promenade concert, or hear a radio programme and think that I have just got a month's worth of licence fee all in one go. The rest comes for nothing. Bernard Haitink's Prom the other night was just one example. I would willingly pay more if it would bring back the kind of investment in drama and sport that we have lost in recent years, and see the end of the chase to the bottom of the pond of popularism that we have experienced in recent years.

BBC radio is fantastic!

As for other countries, I've lived in Australia, now they actually have a state broadcaster of sorts 'ABC' but it's no great shakes, and the less said about the other channels the better, and the radio is just commercial after commercial.

[Cotty]

TTwiggy said:

£145? How does that compare to a new iPad, a night out in a London pub or a tattoo sleeve?

Why does it have to compare to anything, why can't we just accepts its is a pointless charge that most people don't want to pay. Scrap it, move on.

[CrutyRammers]

chrispmartha said:

Not quite how you are painting it though is it. It's already an outsourced contract which they have cut from 2.3bn to 580 million to save costs, its the outsourced company (ATOS) who are shifting the jobs abroad.

It's not good enough to employ an outsourcing company and then claim that the outsourcing isn't your fault. The BBC know exactly what they are doing. And it's using UK tax money to move jobs abroad. Are you happy with that?

[Boring_Chris]

Biker 1 said:

Younger generation for me means 35 years old & below

I turn officially 'old' this year.

I didn't agree to this!

I don't have a TV licence and I don't use BBC (or any TV) services - this, despite growing up in a very much BBC / TV at the centre of the household environment.

I haven't had any TV services up and running for over 5 years. Visiting someone's house and catching what's on the box... Jesus H Christ - it makes me cringe. The format (game shows, soaps, reality TV etc) is so dated it's painful.