Yearly TV Licence? ...Really?

[Goddlefrood]

> Steve:
> It seems you are required to pay a £139 ($279) annual fee for 
> the privilege of watching Television in the UK. And, all that 
> money goes to non-profit 'public' television.

Goddlefrood:

It goes to the BBC, which also makes money on other projects. 
It means there are NO advertisements on the channel. Many in 
the UK grumble about the licence fee, but it's a small price 
to pay for what is a quality service (BBC). Or rather was a 
quality service.

There are no doubt sites that show how much revenue is collected 
and to what use it is put. There has been a licence fee for a 
very long time. Without it, the TV in the UK would be more 
useless than it is, and possibly as bad as commercial TV.

> Steve:
> Sound more like a tax scam than any actual legitimate need.

Goddlefrood:

You like advertisements interrupting your programming every 10 
minutes? The BBC is not strictly a Government institution, thus 
the licence fee is not a tax. The BBC has to account for the 
spending of the revenue collected. Look around the net to find 
such accounts if interested.

> Steve:
> Sorry, but does public television in the UK really need TWO
> BILLION POUNDS a year? (over US$4 Billion) 

Goddlefrood:

It also funds the radio services provided by the BBC.

> Steve:
> Further the idea that if you have a TV, you pay whether you 
> watch or not.

Goddlefrood:

You could always switch it off when the detector vans are around 
(they have to now tell the local area where they will be when 
they would be there). The majority of the population has no real 
problem with the licence fee and needs little indignation from 
other nations on its behalf.

I'll bet you've watched a great many programmes funded by the UK 
licence payers, so why complain?