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Saturday 15 September 2018

BBC Could Scrap the "Free" Over-75 TV Licence


From the financial year 2018/19 the BBC is responsible for funding a proportion of the "free" over-75 TV licence. Until this point the concessionary TV licence, which is available to every household with at least one over-75 occupant, has been fully funded by a Government grant.

From the financial year 2020/21 the BBC will be entirely responsible for shouldering the £725m annual cost of providing such licences.

The BBC doesn't like spending money (unless it's on champagne, hookers, bikini waxes, baseless legal defences or gagging clauses of course), so is actively considering ways of reducing the "financial burden" of the over-75 TV licence.

Tony Hall, the BBC Director General, was questioned about the future of the over-75 TV licence at a recent hearing of the House of Commons Digital, Media and Sport Select Committee.

"I can't give you a guarantee it will continue", Hall said.

"The concession, as formulated, comes to an end in June 2020. We have got to decide what will replace it."

Hall said that the BBC was considering whether or not the concession should be means tested or limited to those households where all occupants were over 75.

"We have got to be mindful of two things: we know the over-65s and over-75s consume many, many more BBC services than others. That's good - we are many people's companion. On the other hand, there is real hardship among some or many of those over 75," he said.

"This is such a difficult balance. What can people afford?"

According to TV Licensing (so take that with a pinch of salt) there were almost 4.5 million over-75 TV licences in force last year.

The Committee also questioned Hall about Chris Evans' decision to leave the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show after eight years at the helm and thirteen at the station.

According to Hall, the Government's (naughty) decision to make the BBC publish the salaries of its highest-paid "talent" was a factor in Evans' decision to quit. Last year Evans topped the list with earnings of £1.6m.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell the BBC to foxtrot oscar, Netflix etc is the way.

Anonymous said...

I bet it will be new fully loaded 7 Series BMWs all round the BBC board room on the strength of this windfall and I can already hear TVL CAPITA scum rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of all the extra bonus earning vulnerable victims this will generate for them to prey on.

Anonymous said...

How typical of the BBC, who cannot help themselves but play games and show themselves up for what they really are. Dishonest, devious, characters. We have plenty of options now thankfully and do not need their services. Also why support an organisation that employs secret trannies like Chris Evans and overpays them at the expense gullible people of all ages going without and who do not understand who the BBC really are. I have nothing against transgendered people - I resent them lying to the public and overcharging the public for deception. I object to the lies that the BBC get away with in order to support a perverted agenda. They should be forced to self fund or close down.

Fred Bear said...

Simple solution:
BBC becomes a subscription service.
UK Government puts £150 per year into the pensions of the over 75's
Extra-Senior citizens then have the choice: buy a subscription to a broadcast TV or On-demand service provider or stick with free to air TV and spend the money on other things (eg. champagne, hookers, and bikini waxes).

Anonymous said...

Quote: On the other hand, there is real hardship among some or many of those over 75," he said. "This is such a difficult balance. What can people afford?"

There is a surprisingly high number of people in this country under the age of 75 that also find the television tax tricky to find money for. Maybe a flat per-household tax that takes no account of any of the following: (ability to pay / amount of consumption of said taxable activity / number of adults at the address partaking in said taxable activity) and is used for no purpose other than to fund a state-owned media organisation is not the fairest way to approach things?

Terminator said...

I agree totally Fred Bear, 2012 they should have gone to a subscription service. Everyone should get the price of the licence fee for the next 10 years, working or not, then those that want totally free TV can watch while CRAPITA make 300+ redundant. Since the age of 18 I have only bought a TV paedo tax Licence for 6 years and I am now 55! So have been Licence free for 31 years

Fred Bear said...

That's pretty good going, Dean, I've only been licence free for just over 20 years now.