Soapbox David Culm: Time to scrap the TV licence fee and fund the BBC from general taxation
IT cannot have escaped the more eagle-eyed of this newspaper's readers that the majority of those brought before courts for the "crime" of having no TV licence, are women. Why is that ?
What really puzzles me are the disparity of fines imposed for that offence compared with other more socially harmful offences.
On average the courts impose a £200 fine and (this makes me laugh ) a "victim surcharge" and costs.
Some recently reported driving offences (no insurance, no licence, and no road tax) are penalised less severely in many cases.
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Even assault and obstructing the police is treated less harshly.
If the fines are passed on to the Government and onwards to the BBC, it begs the question: "Who are the 'victims' if people don't pay their licence fee?"
Surely an increasing number of users does not incur extra costs? The opposite, in fact.
But the answers are under the control of fat cats at the BBC and those of the population who prefer not to watch programmes interrupted by commercials.
With developing digitalisation, cable networks, computers and online access, we are seeing a reduction in BBC costs by the closure of local radio stations.
With modern communications, what is wrong with saving money by having regionally weighted broadcasts from BBC employees working from home or a rented office? That makes economic sense.
Let's reduce costs by stopping the BBC giving endless contracts to celebrities and board executives.
It is true the BBC will claim they can go on making quality programmes and are the voice of Britain for discerning viewers and a world market. But perhaps there has to be a balance between compulsion and choice.
If the BBC is a world voice, then the Government should pay for it out of general taxation. If that happened, I feel the available funding might be far less than it is today.
What really intrigues me is what might be passing between Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond and the director general of the BBC, with the forthcoming referendum on independence in Scotland.
"Hello Alex, DG of the BBC here, I hope you don't mind but you haven't answered my question about the imposition of and collection for compulsory TV licences for Scotland if you get full independence!"
"Oh, hi there DG. We've had a chat up here about it and decided we're going let people watch TV for free."
"You can't do that! What will you do about policing TV viewing and providing programmes not interrupted by commercials?"
Alex replies: "We won't, we'll let the people of Scotland choose what they watch for free."
You can almost hear the smile.
3 Comments
by IanCrompton
Friday, February 22 2013, 10:34PM
“Well said. Time is up for the TV Licence, as more people watch TV on computers, tablets and mobile phones. No one has been convicted of using a computer or phone to watch TV without a licence. My experience is that not paying the Licence isn't a problem if you ignore TV Licensing (Capita). They have no right of access to your house. You don't have to say anything to them. TV detector vans are all made up - if you do see one, its just a van with "TV Detector Van" written on the side. Their stupid letters come every month, and they become funny after a while.”
by Starlight
Friday, February 22 2013, 2:34PM
“Well said David Culm and Janine2011. The BBC is far from what it used to be. I used to trust and respect the BBC. It is a terrible shame that institutionalised deception continues unabated. We all have to tighten our belts, but the BBC still take bread off our table in the form of their TV Tax – I don't have a TV Licence because 1. I don't want one and 2. I never watch the tedious pap labelled as "entertainment" on TV. The word "Licence" means "Permission" why on Earth would anyone need permission to switch on a TV set that they have bought and paid for to watch TV programmes? Let the BBC encrypt their programmes and take a fee like any other service might. We'll see just how long they last.
The TV Licence fee is outdated; if the BBC thinks they are so 'go ahead' and modern, let them prove it by working for a living instead of throwing our hard earned money in whichever direction they choose. The commercial sector work for their pay, why can't the BBC? As for the BBC's "Local Radio"…., it just gets duller by the moment.”
by janine2011
Thursday, February 21 2013, 9:00AM
“How I agree with the abolition of the TV licence, never mind having it funded by general taxation make the ******s raise their own funds. I stopped paying for my TV licence three years ago after I realised I hadn't watched TV for over a year, I just saved the money I had been paying. The first years savings sent my lad to Spain with his friend and his family, the second sent him to Devon last year and who knows where he will go this year.”