The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

If you want to hear hyperbolic overdrive, try Marherita Taylor on Classic FM. It's quite amusing for a few minutes. After that it becomes annoying. ("ohhhh. how. blissfull")

The R3 producers' station of choice! Yes, welcome to the fray .

[HARRIET HAVARD]

According to a news item this morning, 100,000 people are being chased for not paying their TV licence. While no one can condone breaking the law, can anyone really be surprised? In my own case for instance I have long since given up on any BBC television services. Was finding that, even if a documentary was of some interest, it was completely overshadowed by overpowering background Musak. But, there was always Radio 3 that, to my mind, was alone worth the licence fee. (And yes, I do realise that I do not need a licence to listen to the radio).

However, with the demise of Radio3, it is difficult to justify the 145 quid a year fee. I must admit I would never have thought I would hear myself say it, but, surely, it is more than time that this tax was abolished.

[Old Grumpy]

I must admit I would never have thought I would hear myself say it, but, surely, it is more than time that this tax was abolished.

And replaced with what, exactly? Paid advertising perhaps...

[french frank]

And replaced with what, exactly? Paid advertising perhaps...

Hypothecated (genuinely!) general taxation.

[Don Petter]

You missed an important point, without which the 100,000 is rather meaningless. This is apparently the number of letters sent per day!

46 million letters sent in the last two years (and the PO still can't make a profit?).

[french frank]

46 million letters sent in the last two years (and the PO still can't make a profit?).

One per household?

[Don Petter]

One per household?

I quote from the front page of today's Times. In fact it says 'more than 46 million'. I've no idea what the population is - never needed to know!

[HARRIET HAVARD]

And replaced with what, exactly? Paid advertising perhaps...

As far as I am concerned the BBC no longer exists, so, what would replace it is of no consequence to me.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I quote from the front page of today's Times. In fact it says 'more than 46 million'. I've no idea what the population is - never needed to know!

About 63.5 million.

[Don Petter]

About 63.5 million.

I suppose these letters could include second and third (... seventh?) reminders.

[Sir Velo]

And replaced with what, exactly? Paid advertising perhaps...

Subscription.

[alycidon]

As far as I am concerned the BBC no longer exists, so, what would replace it is of no consequence to me.

Ooh! You really have a downer on the beeb, haven't you? But you are quite right, of course - IMHO the BBC exists just to please itself and the ego of its presenters, both on TV and radio. Otherwise, when people say that they have difficulty hearing speech over the intrusive background music, if they really cared, they would stop doing it.

We have lived at our present address for exactly eleven years this week, and because there was a mix up with the house numbers, the licence people bombarded us with letters every month for eight years, saying that we did not have a licence, and that action would be taken against us, despite our having held a licence continuously since 1966, and despite our having sent them a copy of our current licence.

What is the point of all such letters if no action is going to be taken?

[french frank]

I quote from the front page of today's Times. In fact it says 'more than 46 million'. I've no idea what the population is - never needed to know!

But letters don't go to every member of the population because most of them get their television free anyway - only one member per household is obliged to pay, regardless of how many - or few - live at the address. This is just one more unfairness of the licence fee.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We have lived at our present address for exactly eleven years this week, and because there was a mix up with the house numbers, the licence people bombarded us with letters every month for eight years, saying that we did not have a licence, and that action would be taken against us, despite our having held a licence continuously since 1966, and despite our having sent them a copy of our current licence.

My parents' house lay empty and unsold for about two years after my father died and my mother moved to be with us. I used to check the house periodically and pick up the post, most of which was threatening letters about the TV licence. I was really looking forward to that day in court, but it never materialised.

[clive heath]

The contribution the one before the last sounds remarkably like the argument for the unfairness of council tax i.e. per house rather than per residents therein !!!