TV Licence in the UK

I am always moaning about paying my TV licence I think it's about £175 now I own a Campervan and thought I'd be breaking the law by watching Tv in my Campervan in the UK only to search the internet to find to my surprise that I can indeed legally watch television in my Campervan, providing I have a home licence which isn't being simultaneously used, providing my Campervan isn't static/permanent.

I've always thought the BBC should show adverts and save everybody the problem of paying for a Tv licence, if other Television channels can make a profit why can't the BBC,.

I suppose there are many of you out there who will jump out of your chairs and say well the BBC provides iPlayer and Ceefax as well as on-line news, I accept some of that but isn't it too expensive £175.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

peterlee · M

Making that Panorama programme where they reconstructed a Trump speech is unforgivable. The channel lacks credibility. It allowed Saville to continue unabated for years. Time it went.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@peterlee The word 'unforgivable' in this context seems rather strong to me. The BBC has more credibility than any newspaper or other source of news. To pick on the BBC alone of all those who failed in the Saville case, again seems to burden them with all the blame. The Corporation is a sprawling organisation which covers a multitude of cutural and news outlet. To condemn it in its entirety for errors (for which it has apologised - unlike some other outlets) in one, admittedly hugely important division, is perhaps pushing things a bit far. I write as I listen to music on Radio 3 which no other organisation would broadcast, with or without ads, because it does not have mass appeal.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@FreddieUK When I had a TV, I don't any more. I would sometimes tune into BBC world service. It was so biased I rarely watched it for a few moments. Many years ago I used to listen to shortwave radio and loved the way the BBC presented its information. Sadly that never translated to TV. I don't trust any news service anymore. Especially those here in Canada which are paid by the government and should they say anything against the government they will lose their funding. Of course TV viewership is way down. Radio listenership is way down. People are finding alternative sources of information that seemingly better reflects reality than that which the MSM present.

peterlee · M

@FreddieUK We are capable of making our mind up about Donald Trump without putting words in his mouth. If the BBC is prepared to do this with Trump, how can it say it is objective?

As for Saville, the macho culture contributed to him being able to go undetected, according to the 2016 report.

Further the BBC has an age policy against female presenters. This is well known, and not completely addressed. Out of course settlements use mask the issue.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@peterlee Aren't these somewhat old arguments about Saville and older women presenters. Have they not been addressed? The present tense (the BBC [bhas[/b] an age policy) cannot be right as it has been shown to be illegal and dealt with. It's interesting you should talk about a macho culture in the BBC since the exact opposite is true in what I've seen for many years: women are at least equal in terms of prominence these days. Look at how many expert academics who are rolled out for comment are nowadays female. Not a criticism, but rather, I contend, an observation of fact.