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The number of people agreeing that the TV licence fee represents good value for money has fallen to its lowest level in a generation, according to recent poll findings.
The poll, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Times, found that only 44% of respondents agreed that the TV licence fee was good value for money. This represents a 4% drop in support for the fee since the last comparable data was collected.
In contrast, 45% of respondents indicated their preference for an alternative method of BBC funding, including the introduction of subscription services and advertising.
As the law stands at the moment, a TV licence is needed for any property where equipment is used to receive TV programmes at the same time as they are broadcast. Payment of the £145.50 fee, which exclusively funds the broadcasting of the BBC, is required irrespective of the TV channel actually being received. This means viewers are legally compelled to fund the BBC, even though they might only ever watch non-BBC content.
As the law stands at the moment, a TV licence is needed for any property where equipment is used to receive TV programmes at the same time as they are broadcast. Payment of the £145.50 fee, which exclusively funds the broadcasting of the BBC, is required irrespective of the TV channel actually being received. This means viewers are legally compelled to fund the BBC, even though they might only ever watch non-BBC content.
In their response to a Daily Mail article on the subject, the BBC said: "At just £2.80 a week per household the BBC provides excellent value for money. It means that programmes like EastEnders, Strictly, Sherlock, Doctor Who and Match of the Day can be watched by everyone, not a select few, along with our radio stations, news, iPlayer and our website.
"Public support for the licence fee has risen since 2004 and remains the most popular way of funding the BBC - indeed, another YouGov poll for The Times earlier in December showed 51% support for the licence fee."
Back in October the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, whose Department oversees the TV licence fee, announced that barrister David Perry QC is to lead a review into how effectively the BBC administers and enforces the TV licence system.
Back in October the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, whose Department oversees the TV licence fee, announced that barrister David Perry QC is to lead a review into how effectively the BBC administers and enforces the TV licence system.
3 comments:
I'm not surprised - the BBC is generally seen as a disgrace amongst those I know. I don't have a TV, nor do I watch catch up/on demand but I could see the rationale behind state funding for a single radio channel with important national/international news, nothing else. Everything else is entertainment and is not something the state should be funding.
The subscription model seems to me to be the fairest. You pay for what you chose to watch and you don't have access to anything else. If you can't access what you do not pay for you can eliminate the need for "enforcement".
It is such a neat solution the BBC can't see it is an obvious replacement for the licence fee. I am all for eliminating the fee and decriminalising as long as the solution allows those of us who are legally licence free to get on with our lives in peace without having to worry about the constant, looming presence of the BBC/TVL.
£0 for my (non-existant) viewing habits is far better value than £2.80 a week!
The BBC is a disgrace. Biased and with a political agenda that's not even subtle. If you are unhappy with anything they have done witness the contempt they treat any complaint with, normally a template response. They can even get out of many freedom of information requests. The majority of their output is dire and if you attempt to give on them up and not get a license because you don't need it, you will be hounded by a stream of "threat" letters. It's time for the fee to be abolished and a subscription introduced for anyone who wishes to watch their output.
Totally agree with both of you. Thanks for dropping by.
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