Comment on BBC licence fee is ‘regressive tax’, broadcaster’s former chair says
brewery@feddit.uk 1 year ago
It is and it isn’t. It’s regressive that we all pay the same. It isn’t because it is still a choice whether you choose to watch TV or not.
I’d happily have it funded by tax in theory. However, only if it was guaranteed somehow but knowing Tories would gut it straight away means I would never support this. Other parties might choose to reduce funding to serve political needs.
We also need to think how much we get for the price really. It pays for decent news coverage (especially internationally), Welsh language shows, weather, radio stations (with a lot of support to all types of music/ musicians, especially non mainstream and small artists), children’s education (tv channels and bitesize), food recipes (they have a lot of healthy newsletters). The news is contentious with some people but its only a small part of it all. They have also pushed creative, technological and social boundaries.
The BBC is the UK’s NASA!!! We should be proud of it, push to keep it going and as with everything, push to improve it to serve us as people.
I used bitesize just the other week to remind me of multiplying fractions as applying to do a degree as a mature student. It was such good content for free and there was much more on so many topics.
They have a lot of TV shows that private producers like netflix would never make. They cater for making money for shareholders only. How many good tv shows do they cancel because not profitable anymore? How many shows for ethnic minorities or small parts of the country do they make?
We should also support the ITV and Channel 4. They are differently operated to how a private company would be even without fees but do so much less than the BBC because they don’t get fees so is not a real alternative option. They challenge the BBC and produce a wider mix of content. I never watch ITV tbh but appreciate people must do.
Let’s take away any political influence (e.g. choosing the chair and board), make sure its accountable to the UK public by ensuring its independence from the current government so it can actually challenge them, and make sure its following aims like increase access to culture of all types, support British creators, support/represent all parts of the community, help teach us and our kids, give us information how/ when we need it and make us proud!
Wow, this was supposed to be one or two lines but I got carried away!
TL:DR: the BBC does so much more than we often think about (TV, radio, news, weather, children’s shows, Bitesize, recipes etc). Let’s make it properly independent from govt and help it carry on supporting the British people in the many ways it already does so.
Channel 4 do some absolutely amazing real life documentaries and films that give BBC a run for it’s money. At the end of the day the BBC have produced arguably the best TV series ever made. Planet Earth and Blue Planet.
I remember last year when the BBC were talking about pricing. They just need to open it up to abroad for £13pm.
shish_mish@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I agree with everything you said, and I do think the BBC is amazing. But for me and many people, the reality is that it is just too expensive . I am on a very limited budged and simply can’t afford it. I also don’t have any other subscriptions. I wish they scrambled their signal and people could choose to subscribe for a month and then drop it when they can’t afford it. I should not be forced to pay for a service when I don’t want it. I haven’t owned a TV in over a decade.
Furthermore, I did ring them up and informed them of not needing a licence, and it worked for a while but then they started with the threatening letters again, they are pretty nasty in tone, which I find appealing.
brewery@feddit.uk 1 year ago
It is horrible how they target those who haven’t paid even if they don’t have to. They should put a stop to that, especially given how much people are struggling.
I don’t think we should get into a trap of blaming things that cost us for being unaffordable but to be challenging why we are so poor compared to previous years. Austerity, big business and the lack of taxes on the rich are to blame for everyone suffering now. Also the B word hasn’t helped. Yes, there has been the Ukraine war and covid but other countries seem to doing much better in response.
The licence fee is extremely good value for money for what we get and once we lose it, it’s gone and will never come back. To get the same things we did from private companies would be ten times as much. BBC is £13 a month. To replace that you’d need netflix (with UHD and multiple users, which bbc offers is £17.99), Planet radio (3.99 although free with ads), News (depends on your flavour. Telegraph is 29.99, Guardian £14.99. Free options are available but are paid by ‘special interests’ wanting to direct your thinking and ads) and even more other services on top.
If you are not using it you should not be paying though, I definitely agree. There should be an assumption that you are not using it rather than you are choosing not to pay.