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  1. #1
    DF VIP Member burner1's Avatar
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    Default Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    TORY MPs will this week demand the £145 TV licence fee be replaced with an opt-in subscription.

    Up to 50 of them are backing backbencher Andrew Bridgen’s appeal to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, demanding an urgent Government review of BBC funding. The Sunday Express has learnt that among those calling for the fee to be scrapped is Conservative vice-chairman Rebecca Harris.

    Insiders say if the review into funding goes ahead, subscription could become a viable option in discussions for the next BBC Charter in two years.

    In a letter to Mr Javid, seen by the ¬Sunday Express, Mr Bridgen argues that the current BBC funding structure is “increasingly becoming unsustainable and out of keeping with the modern media environment”.

    The licence fee, he adds, is ¬classed as a tax by the Office for National Statistics and as such remains one of “the most regressive taxes in the UK today”.

    “The corporation should be planning for a future without the licence fee and ¬investigating subscription-based payment options, as well as the wealth of further opportunities that exist for its worldwide operation,” he argues. Last year the ¬BBC raked in £3.7billion from licence fee ¬ payers, with additional funding bringing its total revenue to more than £5billion.

    Mr Bridgen played a key role in convincing the Government to allow an independent review into whether the non-payment of the licence fee should be a civil offence, rather than a criminal one, after figures revealed 107 people had been jailed for payment avoidance in just two years.
    That review will not be completed until after next year’s general election.

    Mr Javid is known to be sympathetic to the calls for change. Last month he said a review of BBC funding “should rule ¬nothing out”. If the latest Tory campaign succeeds in pushing the issue on to the party’s ¬manifesto, campaigners say it will “all but ¬guarantee” change.

    Speaking to the Sunday Express last night Philip Davies MP said he and “many others” would be backing Mr Bridgen’s call for a review. He said: “I totally believe the BBC licence should be abolished and moved to a subscription model. The BBC keeps saying the fee represents wonderful value for money; in that case it has nothing to fear from entering the market.
    “The only reason for the BBC to oppose this idea is because it believes it doesn’t represent such wonderful value and is worried people will vote with their feet.
    “In this day and age when there are hundreds of channels to choose from, it is wholly unjustified to impose a compulsory levy for one particular broadcaster, regardless of whether you like their programmes or not.”

    Andrew Allison, of the Freedom Association’s Axe The Tax campaign, said: “The BBC should move to a subscription model as soon as is practicable.
    “It is the only way forward and the ¬corporation should realise this. The sheer pace of technological change will render the licence fee redundant. It is a matter of when the fee goes, not if.”

    A BBC spokesman said: “At just £2.80 a week the BBC licence fee is excellent value for money; only this weekend newspapers have been reporting the rising costs of subscription services.

    “It’s vital that programmes like EastEnders, Strictly, Sherlock, Doctor Who and Match of the Day can been watched by everyone, not a select few. Support for the licence fee has actually risen by 22 per cent since 2004 and remains the most ¬popular way of funding the BBC.”

    >>Source<<

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Important information missing here - How do the tories plan to make money out of this?

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  3. #3
    DF Super Moderator Rick Sanchez's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    TVL isn't mandatory, you pay by choice
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    DF Probation H4ss4n's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by hilljd00 View Post
    TVL isn't mandatory, you pay by choice
    Thought it was if you are watching a live broadcast?

  5. #5
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Mule View Post
    Important information missing here - How do the tories plan to make money out of this?
    Easy.

    Once the TV license is abolised because the BBC no longer need the money, introduce a TV tax half the price of the license. That way they can pocket yet claim to save us all.

    Once that is out of the way it is pretty obvious the BBC will be unable to sustain itself for long. Once that's happened, carve up the BBC and split it up into groups of assets, then the ludicrous amount pumped into the BBC by the public and the state will be sold for pennies to mates of the cunts.

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  6. #6
    DF Super Moderator Rick Sanchez's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by H4ss4n View Post
    Thought it was if you are watching a live broadcast?
    Yes, but hardly anything is live. I've not had a TVL for years
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    DF VIP Member Ginnerfreak's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Mule View Post
    Important information missing here - How do the tories plan to make money out of this?
    Its not about money directly IMO.. but essential we can trace everything back to bank notes. The BBC is a labour / left-wing stronghold and has had a left wing bias since its inception. Even despite the departed Lord Pattern being the conservative party chairman.

    There coverage of EU issues is certainly always on positive spin and the BBC seems IMO to berate big business at every opportunity. The majority of their political commentators are ex labour party members and I cringe when watching newsnight kissing labour arse whilst barracking any conservative opinion. As for question time.. It appears that they get the audience straight from a Unison march! The likes of Panorama and even the one show all seem to tackle left wing socialist topics, not to mention the demonising of UKIP.

    Turning the BBC from another socialist government department stuffed full of elite-est left wing Oxbridge doo gooders and into a cut throat capitol driven profit making big business would remove a media blocker for the Tories.

  8. #8
    DF VIP Member Bald Bouncer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginnerfreak View Post
    Its not about money directly IMO.. but essential we can trace everything back to bank notes. The BBC is a labour / left-wing stronghold and has had a left wing bias since its inception. Even despite the departed Lord Pattern being the conservative party chairman.

    There coverage of EU issues is certainly always on positive spin and the BBC seems IMO to berate big business at every opportunity. The majority of their political commentators are ex labour party members and I cringe when watching newsnight kissing labour arse whilst barracking any conservative opinion. As for question time.. It appears that they get the audience straight from a Unison march! The likes of Panorama and even the one show all seem to tackle left wing socialist topics, not to mention the demonising of UKIP.

    Turning the BBC from another socialist government department stuffed full of elite-est left wing Oxbridge doo gooders and into a cut throat capitol driven profit making big business would remove a media blocker for the Tories.
    Should really have started that with IN MY OPINION as I don't see a left wing bias and it's something the rightwing always wheel out regarding the BBC normally when appointing yet another rightwing director, as for UKIP in my opinion they are just a Tory splinter group almost totally funded by Tory donors or previous Tory donors who are yet the latest in a line of closet racist parties fronting a sanitised version of an underlying prejudice, I will also add since the rise in UKIP my wife has also noticed a rise in racist comments and remarks and even my daughter gets comments at school and as much as people bang on about them not being a racist party they also virtually to to a man in the european vote took the BNP vote, probably your vote as well Ginnerfreak being as you indicated you would be voting BNP in the election poll a few years ago pre UKIP.

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  9. #9
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginnerfreak View Post
    Its not about money directly IMO.. but essential we can trace everything back to bank notes. The BBC is a labour / left-wing stronghold and has had a left wing bias since its inception. Even despite the departed Lord Pattern being the conservative party chairman.

    There coverage of EU issues is certainly always on positive spin and the BBC seems IMO to berate big business at every opportunity. The majority of their political commentators are ex labour party members and I cringe when watching newsnight kissing labour arse whilst barracking any conservative opinion. As for question time.. It appears that they get the audience straight from a Unison march! The likes of Panorama and even the one show all seem to tackle left wing socialist topics, not to mention the demonising of UKIP.

    Turning the BBC from another socialist government department stuffed full of elite-est left wing Oxbridge doo gooders and into a cut throat capitol driven profit making big business would remove a media blocker for the Tories.
    lol, really? If anything the opposite is true!
    Let's look at the one sided coverage of the Israel / Palestine conflict, or the way any workers who dare to strike are demonised for starters.
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  10. #10
    DF VIP Member Ginnerfreak's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Bald Bouncer View Post
    Should really have started that with IN MY OPINION as I don't see a left wing bias and it's something the rightwing always wheel out regarding the BBC normally when appointing yet another rightwing director, as for UKIP in my opinion they are just a Tory splinter group almost totally funded by Tory donors or previous Tory donors who are yet the latest in a line of closet racist parties fronting a sanitised version of an underlying prejudice, I will also add since the rise in UKIP my wife has also noticed a rise in racist comments and remarks and even my daughter gets comments at school and as much as people bang on about them not being a racist party they also virtually to to a man in the european vote took the BNP vote, probably your vote as well Ginnerfreak being as you indicated you would be voting BNP in the election poll a few years ago pre UKIP.
    Did you miss the IOM throughout my comment. As for the BNP comment. I have never and will never vote BNP. I do not share any of their political beliefs. If you have interpreted a comment that I have made in a previous thread to indicate any aspect of BNP allegiance then you interpreted my sentiment incorrectly.

    I think intimating that someone is racist because they think that the BNP and UKIP have a right to freedom of speech in a democratic society is a stretch and I take your comment in the spirit of its intent.. an insult.

  11. #11
    DF VIP Member Bald Bouncer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginnerfreak View Post
    Did you miss the IOM throughout my comment. As for the BNP comment. I have never and will never vote BNP. I do not share any of their political beliefs. If you have interpreted a comment that I have made in a previous thread to indicate any aspect of BNP allegiance then you interpreted my sentiment incorrectly.

    I think intimating that someone is racist because they think that the BNP and UKIP have a right to freedom of speech in a democratic society is a stretch and I take your comment in the spirit of its intent.. an insult.
    No I didn't interpreted your sentiment incorrectly, there was a pre-election poll posted with all the parties at the time and who you were going to vote for and you selected BNP perhaps you pressed the wrong button so it wasn't an insult I was just stating a fact.

  12. #12
    VIP Member CzarJunkie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    The BBC are far from a perfect organisation. But do we really need another corporate sponsored media outlet that is beholden to no one but their wealthy owners?

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  13. #13
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Subscription? we'll end up with a shedload of BBC3 clones, fuck all radio and it'll mean the death of all BBC Arts funding, we've already lost most of the orchestra's, it'll be a feckin' disaster, the licence fee is about way more than 3 or 4 populist Radio and TV services!
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  14. #14
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by blaggard View Post
    Subscription? we'll end up with a shedload of BBC3 clones, fuck all radio and it'll mean the death of all BBC Arts funding, we've already lost most of the orchestra's, it'll be a feckin' disaster, the licence fee is about way more than 3 or 4 populist Radio and TV services!
    The flip side of that is at the moment, Arts are disproprtionaly preferred by the more wealthy compared to the working class, yet the working class are forced to subsidise the interests of the wealthy. (As well as for example ridiculous cab and food bills of BBC staff).

    I do have to agree with you that it would be a shame to lose them especially for reasons mentioned by CJ, but is there any other way to stop the waste?

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Interesting but pretty typical that you should define the Arts as waste.. .. ..
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  16. #16
    DF VIP Member GTI's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    I spent 6 months living in the US and if you want a vision of the post BBC terrestrial TV landscape... that would be it. Wall-to-wall adverts, product placement, celebrity gossip masquerading as news, fucking idiots shouting at each other and zero criticism or introspection on important matters like Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq etc..

    The BBC is certainly not perfect, but its the best out there by a very long shot.
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  17. #17
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by GTI View Post
    I spent 6 months living in the US and if you want a vision of the post BBC terrestrial TV landscape... that would be it. Wall-to-wall adverts, product placement, celebrity gossip masquerading as news, fucking idiots shouting at each other and zero criticism or introspection on important matters like Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq etc..

    The BBC is certainly not perfect, but its the best out there by a very long shot.
    That's right but I feel I need to stress again that it's not just TV, so much more is provided by the Licence fee than TV and Radio!
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  18. #18
    DF VIP Member DavidF's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Left wing bias in the BBC ? What really ? lol.
    Point 1. Question time anyone can get in the audience......you can too if you call the number/email them ect. The audience usually is from people who can be arsed to air their questions....so usually anti the government of the day.
    Point 2. QT again ......Farage/UKIP have been on the show almost as much as dimbleby this last season and a half (Well it feels that way but the are way over represented on the program compared to their vote share.)
    Point 3. Andrew Marr Left Wing ? What about Nick Robinson ? Andrew Neil lol...cmon that is the BBC's 3 biggest political editors ffs.
    Moving on their coverage of anti union propaganda is relentless. They did not even cover the anti austerity marches in london this year that started outside their own building ffs....you had to go on RT to get any tv coverage...which was shameful considering how many people attended these things.
    I think the BBC is actually a little right leaning at this point in time.....but I also think it swings with the winds of change.
    Having said all the above I would still rather have the BBC in its current form than another commercial news entity for the sheep to follow. At least they are accountable albeit in a small way. It does make me laugh when people who are left wing claim that the BBC are right wing and people who are right wing tory cnuts (Sorry my own bit added) claim the BBC is left wing....they must be doing something right to annoy both sides lol.

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  19. #19
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by blaggard View Post
    Interesting but pretty typical that you should define the Arts as waste.. .. ..
    Apologies for mixing two points. I didn't intend to class the Arts as waste.

    When I was referring to waste I was referring to inefficient attitudes and cultures that have developed within the BBC that would never happen in private institutions (like some food and transport bills).

    My point about the Arts was simply that it's very unfair for the expensive tastes of the rich to be subsidised by the poor.

    I love my computer, and I love computers in general, however mine is getting quite old. I would love a new one for free or at a substantial discount, but if I knew the majority of the cost was imposed on poor people with no interest in pc's, that just would not be right however it is dressed up.
    Last edited by Over Carl; 19th November 2014 at 01:42 PM.

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  20. #20
    DF VIP Member GTI's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tory MPs look to tear up BBC licence fee

    Quote Originally Posted by Over carl View Post
    When I was referring to waste I was referring to inefficient attitudes and cultures that have developed within the BBC that would never happen in private institutions (like some food and transport bills).
    I understand where you are coming from, but at the same time salaries at the Beeb are not comparable with Sky for example. You start being too draconian, corporate, performance culture leaning and people will simply leave and you'll be left with the monkies who couldn't make it anywhere but at a publicly funded institution.

    From all my years working in the private sector (mainly Pharma) the one thing I've realised is that one dedicated, conscientious employee is worth ten paid mercenaries. And institutions like the BBC have a lot of these dedicated individuals who practically treat their job as a civic duty.
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