According to a Media Guardian article it looks like the BBC will get its licence fee for another ten years, although it does suggest there will be a review of the level of the licence fee after just five to satisfy commercial/anti-bbc parties who think the BBC will be pointless after analogue switchoff in 2012.
I personally think after analogue switchoff the BBC will be more important than ever, a stallwart of quality television in an ever growing commercially driven market place, but that's just my opinion, and I work for them so I'm biased.
Couldn't agree more. And I simply don't believe these people who say that they never use any of the BBC's services: I defy anyone to never watch any of their programmes, or listen to any of their radio stations.
The BBC, for all its faults, performs a valuable service; long may it continue!
As others have said, I pay for so much else with my taxes that I don't use - I don't see why others can't do the same for me.
It really does worry me, though. A while ago, nobody took the abolition of the licence fee seriously. Now, people *are* starting to (I have no idea why the shift) - and I'm really not sure it will exist in its current form in 30 years or so.
I would rather pay for the BBC through income tax, not having to fork out £126 a year for it. You could argue that I could "pay as little as £10 a month" for it, but I've got enough direct debits swallowing my money as it is, and I don't need another one on top!
Couldn't agree more. And I simply don't believe these people who say that they never use any of the BBC's services: I defy anyone to never watch any of their programmes, or listen to any of their radio stations.
A major flaw with the BBC is that the year at Uni I didn't have a licence fee - or TV - I used the BBC more than ever due to it's (national) radio stations. I also noticed how often each station runs promotions for BBC This or BBC That - and while I wouldn't like to see ads on BBC TV, I do think it's time the radio services became a commercial operation - something similar to UKTV.
The licence fee should be scraped, and the BBC should be funded by taxation revenue, and by it,s existing merchanddising enterprise, also the BBC,s board of govenors should be abolished, and OFCOM(which should be renamed the Independent Broadcasting Authority , in order to distance itself from this control freak government.)should take on the job of regulating the BBC
I would sooner pay a one off fee like I do now for my TV license which I know is going to the BBC. If funding for the BBC were to come from income tax surely the treasury would have to increase the amount taken, I know I'd sooner pay the £100ish rather than pay (more thank likely) more to the gov't for probably less to go to the BBC.
If the BBC were funded by taxation firstly they would have less money to offer an incredible range of unique programming and services to the quality they do now.
Secondly they would be under the control and influence of the government and if they had to rely on tax revenue (look at the NHS, school system etc..) and merchandising/commercial activities (wouldn't make nearly enough) you would have 5 minutes of adverts for BBC Products after every programme.
The licence fee is great value for money and a good way of funding the BBC, your tax would go up by more each year than you currently pay for the licence fee and you would get a lot less for your money than you do now.
Almost every report/study/investegation that has been done into the licence fee and BBC funding has found that of all the options available the Licence is the best way of funding the corporation, even the BBC opponents say it is the 'least worst way'.
The BBC also runs a number of projects/schemes etc that don't get mentioned by the medium of broadcast. I can bet that we have all used a BBC service in someway without even realising.
The BBC is a massive employer and without it things could be very different. Stopping the license fee could be catastrophic for many thousands of jobs.
It bugs me people moaning about this, you've always had to pay it, get used to it eh.