BBC licence fee should be optional?

The BBC licence fee is essentially an entertainment"Poll tax". Even Gary Lineker thinks that we shouldn't have to pay it.
If they privatised it then people could pay if they want to watch stuff like Eastenders. There should still be some public service broadcasting like the Proms and the news, but this can be paid by taxation.
Tory MP Andrew Bridger is against it too.

BBC raking more in

So too right those who watch TV online have to have a TV Licence soon like the rest of us. BUT, why a tax on entertainment in the 21st Century? Privatise the BBC and abolish the Licence I say. Where does SKY get its money from?

Letter to Simon Heffer Daily Mail.

Hello Mr Heffer,

I have so say that I largely agree with your comments about the BBC, I do like it, but I have to point out that an organisation spending £3.7billion of Taxpayers money, completely on entertainment, not accountable to anyone is a scandal in the 21^st Century.

I suggest that the Government should reform the BBC by privatising it. Save the £3.7billion and spend it on something worthwhile like the NHS.

For people like us, given today’s varied media , the Licence fee is an anachronism without comparison. People should be allowed the free choice to spend their money as they wish on entertainment if that is their choice.

I have mentioned that the BBC are losing sight or their reponsibilities with inappropiate content broadcast before the watershed. Parents should be able to trust the BBC, what does the BBC trust say to that? Again Amanda Platell agrees with me and good old Julie Walters does too.

Many people without earnings choose to spend their income in strange ways, in my opinion. On the one hand the Worlds Fattest man has just died. Where did he get his money to buy all that excessive food that killed him, surely he wasn’t working as was bedridden. We are told people are starving yet these same people will not give up their Sky TV, Broadband, or mobile phones.

Amada Platell reported that a family of four with one wage earner on the Minimum wage gets a total income of £25k! I do not earn that yet my wife and I live on less than that and pay our income tax, NI, Pension, Council Tax and TV Licence. Our Choice. I would love to earn £25k but would need a salary of around £30k before I took that home.

My answer to inflated benefits – TAX IT! It is after all income. We all have our personal tax allowance designed to ensure we can earn a fair amount before paying tax, so why do these people qualify for so much tax free handouts? It just doesn’t makes sense.

Perhaps we should go back to the 1930’s at least then the poor people knew exactly what they needed to do to survive. No handouts for them. They had to make ends meet. It’s about time we ALL understood that in 21^st Century Britain. Labour won’t cure the situation didn’t they get us into it in the first place?

Monty.

daily mail likes claudia ?

Claudia Winkleman is not brilliant like Jan Moir says. What is going on-am i the only one who can see through the Emporers clothes ? Dare i criticise her? She seems be dumbing down Strictly with her "pants" (if she thought of it, if not then someone is sending her up) and daft "jokes ", even Tess grits her teeth and has to smile! Yes she is clever, too clever. Some remarks are not understood especially by non English dancers and i find them insulting not funny. Claudia is acting like a bad version of Bobby Ball to Tess's  Canon. Yes Sooty and Sweep have more rapport and after all they ARE for children.
Is this what the BBC wants. Perhaps i am wrong?

Privatise the BBC - £1000 bounty to catch dodgers

TV on the Taxpayers? Ludicrous in the 21st Century. Why put people in prison for watching TV. When there are all the alternatives to the BBC - all Private and they can make money WHY do we have to pay the Licence fee? Its a TAX on entertainment.

They could save all the money in the courts hounding people and making criminals out of them and in this time of austerity we can't afford a £145 a year tax. I've had no pay-rise for 5 years yet MPs are to get 10% whether they want it or not.

Privatise the BBC and do away with the Licence fee. Public service TV can be paid for out of levy on all of the TV channel providers SKY can afford  bit.

End of the TV Licence?

Is this really the beginning of the end for Taxed Entertainment? At last it seems someone is listening to me.

PRIVATISE THE BBC!

Making not paying your TV Licence a non-criminal offence is a start. Then we just won't be locking up TV dodgers. Why do we all have to pay it?

£32 BILLION the BBC gets from us for TV and Radio - now THAT's CRIMINAL!

I wonder what SKY's turnover/income is? bet they PAY tax too!

Yes Simon Heffer in the Daily Mail has it almost right - let the BBC become subscription (pay per channel) with one or 2 free Public information /news services and a radio channel.