Just got a letter trying to get me to move to direct debit. No discount for doing so and an 0870 number to call to do it.

So to make life easy for them we pay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also see an 0870 number is given for those who need to get discount for being blind or old or you are moving. Cynical!

Note alternative is available here but it isn't for the number given (0870 850 0218) of for the deaf 0870 575 8604 (let's exploit another disadvantaged group)

I don't have a problem with the TV licence and have no intention of taking out a DD a) because there is no financial benefit and b) because they use 0870. My point really was just highlighting another example of explotation by using the 0870 number and in particular picking on groups that can least afford it or are disadvantaged (blind and elderly) both of which are also less likely to know about or be able to access this web site for an alternative number.

trubster wrote on Nov 19^th, 2006 at 1:22pm:

A TV Licence at £130 a year is about £11 per month.

Your two Telewest boxes cost £840 per year! The TV Licence is a drop in the ocean compared to your cable TV.

Sky costs £30 or £40 per month, that's £360 to £480 per year and for that you have to sit through adverts. Was it not Sky that started with three commercial breaks every hour before ITV and Channel 4 did?

The BBC has no adverts and you can have as many TVs as you like. With Sky or cable you need to buy another box/subscription.

Dave wrote on Nov 19^th, 2006 at 1:53pm:


Sorry, my post was a bit misleading, I pay £27.50 for the 2 tv boxes on the top package... pretty good deal, but then I have a bundle with bb and phone... I have a TVDrive (Better than sky+) and I always fast forward all adverts

bbb_uk wrote on Nov 19^th, 2006 at 8:21pm:

And when you are watching channels other than bbc, just fastforward adverts

Dave wrote on Nov 19^th, 2006 at 1:53pm:


The difference is, you make a choice to pay for cable, the choice is made for you re the licence fee, (whether you watch the BBC or not), under penalty of a criminal prosecution. The licence fee should be abolished and the BBC made a fully commercial,( it is part commercial now as it sells prorammes all over the world), business and join the real world.

TV Licences are going up again next year 

And they will go up every year until,(if), they abolish it.

NGMsGhost wrote on Nov 20^th, 2006 at 4:44pm:
Weird, as I think their programming is just the same as commercial TV channels.  I and everyone I know very rarely watch it except for Eastenders.

A general taxation depending on income would probably not help much same as the rules now governing income tax as it always seems to be the 'normal' people that are worse off with tax increases because the government seems too afraid to increase the tax on those very high earners (probably because they contribute to their party   ).

BBC already has adverts for which they don't have to abide by ASA guidelines so having them funded by advertising I assume would also mean their adverts would then come under the remit of the ASA.


Dave wrote on Nov 19^th, 2006 at 1:53pm:
Sky can cost less (depending on channels chosen).  It's unfair to compare BBC TV licence fee to the monthly cost of Sky simply because with the license fee you have no choice to pay it (as mentioned earlier) and that BBC only have a few channels whereas Sky have a lot more channels albeit most of them you probably don't watch but the same could be said of the other few BBC channels there are.

Don't get me wrong, I know Sky are expensive but as they have a monopoly they can pretty much do what they like (and have done so).

For example, I pay £20 odd pound a month for all the channels except premium but yet just the few BBC channels on their own cost £11 for the license fee.  I realise Sky have adverts some of the shows on Sky's channels cost them an arm and a leg like 24, etc whereas I don't believe BBC have anything worth watching - including Eastenders (I'll be in trouble for saying that  )

Out of the terrestrial channels, I watch channel 5 then ITV more than I watch any BBC channel.