When will BBC licence fee end?

[Callithrix]

The licence fee keeps on creeping up and up, and I think this needs to stop, because it's gotten out of hand now. Will the BBC keep on increasing the fee until it gets to �200 a year? �1000? �2000? Seriously, there needs to be a better way of funding the BBC, because surely this continual rise can't be justified can it? It's not as if the BBC's output quality rises with the fee. And no director general is worth �600 grand a year. Damned pigs.

[kempie]

The Television Licence Fee is not set by the BBC; it is set by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport i.e. the Government.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Pr ess_notices/archive_2006/dcms010_06.htm

[Callithrix]

Ok, without the BBC, would the commercial channels require TV owners to have a licence to watch them? If not, then it's a BBC licence instead of a general TV one. It'd be nice if BBC TV went pay-per-view or something.

[imd123]

In these days of cable and sky tv I totally begrudge paying for a couple of channels I very rarely watch. I know you should have one for radio but when you have 40 plus channels to choose from it is unlikely you will watch much BBC is it? I knew I was wasting my time but I contacted the license office to ask if my tv could be doctored not to receive BBC and they said I would still need to buy one!!!

[Le Chat]

If you read the back of the licence, you will find that you are actually paying for the privilege of owning the television equipment. Whereas years ago it was commonly thought to be funding for the BBC, I think the goal post have now been moved and you have to pay even if you somehow managed to remove the BBC channel from your set, as you are not now paying for that alone!
On a final note, it would be wonderful if other goverment bodies like the CSA were as effecient as the TV licence policing! At one point in time, the largest majority of women in prision, were in for non payment of TV licence!!!