Free Licence Fee For All Over 75's Scrapped

[ladybirder]

What do you think of that?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

[ladybirder]

^ I know.

[Dodger666]

Signed the petition a couple of hours ago and emailed all my contacts to sign it too.

[ladybirder]

Thank you Dodger.
I see //Broadcaster Ben Fogle today said he will donate his entire salary for this year's Animal Park to help pay for pensioners' TV licences - as a WWII prisoner of war blasted the BBC's decision. \\

[hereIam]

Good for Ben ..

[Old_Geezer]

"There will always be losers"

Not really. Scrap the licence altogether, save the collection/policing costs. If the country sees the BBC as an asset then the nation can fund it out of existing taxation. If it's not seen as something worth funding then let the BBC either fold, or fund itself through either subscription, donation, sponsorship or advertising. Win/win.

[leafyschroder]

But the BBC still have the funds to pay well over £1millon salary to the likes of Gary Lineker and Claudia Winkleman.If they are withdrawing the free licence maybe they should give some thought to not having so much utter rubbish on BBC. and providing value for money ( if they know what that means)

[ladybirder]

Welcome to Answerbank Leafy. I hope you enjoy yourself here.
I wonder if the BBC would be happy to lose the 3.7m over 75's viewers if we all called their bluff and said OK we won't watch TV anymore.

[Rockrose]

I hope that you are all giving to the charity set up to help the poor pensioners pay for the TV licence

[jno]

why would you do that, ladybirder? If you don't like a programme, don't watch it, by all means. Nobody likes, let alone watches, every BBC programme. But to boycott ones you do like isn't going to help anyone. There's no way I'd refuse to watch David Attenborough or Mary Beard.

[dannyk13]

Bit cynical Rockrose.

[ladybirder]

jno I think we are at cross purposes. What I mean is not pay and don't watch anything you need a licence to watch. Of course 3.8m people won't do that but I can dream can't I?
It is what I am seriously thinking of doing. If we hadn't been given the free licence in the first place I don't think I would be so annoyed.

[vulcan42]

The BBC could perhaps explain why the budget for the new Eastenders set has exceeded the original cost by 27 million and the new set, which is for one programme only will now cost at least 86 million by the time it's completed. Or justify the one billion spent on a new wing to broadcasting house in London.

[shoota]

They can't Vulcan - I would happily see the whole institution scrapped. If the Government wants to retain some form of world service then set it up afresh.

[SparklyKid]

Poor pensioners won't be paying the licence fee anyway. Pension credits and all that.

[Chloe55]

Just signed the petition on Age UK website.

EVERYONE SHOULD SIGN IT !!!!!!

[hereIam]

I think several of us have chloe ..

[ladybirder]

Sparkly, Pensioner 1 has income of X so is entitled to PC and will get licence for free.
Pensioner 2 has income of X + 1p so is not entitled to PC and will have to pay for licence.
Which one is the poorest?

[SparklyKid]

pensioner 2

[teacake44]

Can't stop now to join in, on my way down to the off licence to get my pop bottle filled with a pint of bitter, and a packet off pork scratchings.

[-SharonA-]

Sparkly, not every pensioner is on pension credit!! What about those pensioners who just miss the criteria to claim credit and have to manage on their meagre pension and try to find £150.