Car Boot Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 (edited) On 06/06/2020 at 17:27, altus said: Put the blame where it lies. The only reason that happened is the government stopped funding TV licences for over 75s leaving a huge shortfall in the BBC's budget. It deliberately did it this way so they the blame for any changes would be attached to the BBC rather than the government who made the cuts. The blame for the BBC scrapping the free TV licence for over-75s lies completely with the out of touch senior BBC management. On August 01 2020 many pensioners over 75 years old will be required to pay £157.50 a year for their BBC TV licence to help contribute to the cash strapped corporation's £4 billion per year income. We should remember that when the decision for the BBC to take on the cost of free TV licences for people over the age of 75 was first announced, back in 2015, the BBC was eager to accept and stated at the time: "It gives us financial stability and the ability to plan for the future". BBC director general Tony Hall said: "Far from being a cut, the way this financial settlement is shaped gives us, effectively, flat licence fee income across the first five years of the next charter." Lord Hall was very upbeat, claiming the deal he's done with the government was a good one which would leave the BBC, at the end of five years, slightly better off. So the BBC welcomed the move to take over the funding of free BBC TV licences for the over 75s, just as it had welcomed Gordon Brown bringing in free TV licences back in 1999. On 10 November 1999, 'The Guardian' had reported: “Chancellor Gordon Brown swept away the burden of the BBC licence fee for the over-75s yesterday, in a move that delighted the broadcaster but left the rest of the television industry alarmed that the move might presage a rise in the licence fee for others.” It quoted the BBC as welcoming “this imaginative and innovative approach to a long-standing issue”. An unnamed TV executive said the move would make it easier to raise the licence fee if pensioners were protected in this way. Scrap the BBC TV licence fee, make the BBC a subscription service and let the people decide. 2020 NOT 1946. Edited July 26, 2020 by Car Boot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magilla Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Car Boot said: The blame for the BBC scrapping the free TV licence for over-75s lies completely with the out of touch senior BBC management. Nonsense. The funding was stopped by the government. The BBC undertook a public consultation over many months to decide whether to fund the free license themselves, it was widely advertised and anyone could take part. The *majority* of the public said the BBC should not continue the benefit. Funny how the "will of the people" is only of any interest to you when it tallies with your view! You can't have it both ways... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Car Boot Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Magilla said: Nonsense. The funding was stopped by the government. The BBC wanted the government to stop funding the free BBC TV licences for the over 75s, and for the BBC to take over paying for them in return for BBC licence fee increases and the criminalisation of the iPlayer. BBC Director General Tony Hall, the top person at the BBC, stated that "It gives us financial stability and the ability to plan for the future". He went further: "Far from being a cut, the way this financial settlement is shaped gives us, effectively, flat licence fee income across the first five years of the next charter." The BBC eagerly wanted flat licence fee income and the BBC iPlayer being included in the BBC licence fee in return for the BBC funding the free tv licences. Now the BBC has reneged on the free tv licences after getting what it wanted. The government, and the public, have been played by the BBC. Time to defund the BBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettytom Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 On 21/07/2020 at 20:41, Longcol said: Johnson, Cummings, Rees-Mogg are progressives? Which planet is this😎 Good old CB always aligns himself with the Tory high command. Rees Mogg is his go to politician, he also shared philosophy with Ann Widdecombe. Not much of a radical leftie. He’ll be reading the Telegraph with his boiled eggs in the morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magilla Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 (edited) On 26/07/2020 at 14:02, Car Boot said: The BBC wanted the government to stop funding the free BBC TV licences for the over 75s, and for the BBC to take over paying for them in return for BBC licence fee increases and the criminalisation of the iPlayer. No, they didn't. The BBC Trust said they accepted the decision "although we cannot endorse the process by which it has been reached"... ...because it was a government edict! The BBC weren't given a choice anymore than someone who has a gun held to their head by persons demanding money. Regardless, the decision was passed to the public, and *they* said "no". Edited July 27, 2020 by Magilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Car Boot Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 If I choose to watch an old episode of 'Doctor Who' on BBC iPlayer I must pay the BBC TV Licence fee. If I watch an old episode of 'Doctor Who' on Britbox, I do not have to pay the BBC TV Licence fee. Both are NOT live broadcast, linear tv. Yet BBC iPlayer content is treated differently from the commercial equivalent. This special privileged treatment for the BBC on demand streaming service only happened because the BBC agreed to fund tv licences for the over 75s. Something it has now reneged on. No non-BBC on demand service is covered by the legal need to buy a BBC tv licence if you watch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Car Boot Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 You must be covered by a BBC TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer – including catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use. Why is the BBC iPlayer on demand service treated differently from its commercial equivalents - many of whom also provide BBC content? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghozer Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 58 minutes ago, Car Boot said: You must be covered by a BBC TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer – including catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use. Why is the BBC iPlayer on demand service treated differently from its commercial equivalents - many of whom also provide BBC content? As other 'entities' are commercial entities, and run on advertisements between programs... the BBC does not (although they do own shares in some channels that do) When the license is scrapped (and it will be) they will have to turn to a similar commercial model, and as a result there will be many more advertisements on TV! It's a few years old now, but there's a good breakdown on this link, should at least give you an idea! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/14/how-does-the-bbc-spend-its-5bn-in-licence-fee-money/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bloke Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 4 hours ago, Car Boot said: You must be covered by a BBC TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer – including catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use. Why is the BBC iPlayer on demand service treated differently from its commercial equivalents - many of whom also provide BBC content? If you are going to 'quote' things, at least get it right. https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence From the link above: You must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use. BBC iplayer includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a licence. You don't need a licence for anything else, but the design and mechanics of iplayer means it doesn't separate live TV from anything else, so you need a licence to use it regardless of what you do with it. The BBC isn't about to change iplayer to support people who don't have a TV licence, because the assumption is that everyone has one and everyone should have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyboy Posted August 2, 2020 Share Posted August 2, 2020 (edited) you need a licence to watch ANY TV channel not just BBC. When I volunteered at the CAB I had a client who wanted to know if he needed a licence because he only watched Lithuanian TV. The answer from the licensing dept. was YES!!!!! I couldn't believe it, he was not happy. A licence entitles you to operate a live TV set Edited August 2, 2020 by davyboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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