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Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington
no Less that isn't what I meant.
Maybe I did not explain myself very well(no change there then).
I meant that to stay inside the law we have to pay for what we use....and I was under the impression(from long ago) that the licence was not FOR the BBC...it was to receive ANY telecommunication over the airwaves from which ever broadcaster was sending a signal.
I agree that the BBC should look at the way it funds the programmes that it makes.
Nowhere have I said that restrictions on the internet are a good idea either...they are not.
All freedoms have responsibilities attached to them.......would you feel happier if you thought that the licence fee was divided amongs all the broadcasters regardless of how they made their money(I am not being fly here...I am just asking a question)?
Maybe the paid for subscription services could have some sort of tax levied on them too.
Maybe the BBC should become a subscription only service...or maybe it should become commercial and sell advertising space.
I really don't know what the answer is...but until something better is decided then I will continue to cough up my TV licence money to save me from breaking the law(and that is what I was referring to when I said it was 'simple' - not that the licence fee dilemma was simple).
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You are quite correct, we do pay the licence fee to receive all transmissions, it begs the question...
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Why should we?
It is a restriction on, not a benefit to our freedoms.
As I said in the previous post:-
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If the BBC restriction was buy a licence or else don't watch or listen to BBC broadcasts then fair enough, the licence fee pays for the Beeb.
The problem is, Buy a licence or we (the Governing body) will not allow you to use any broadcasting company no matter how it's funded.
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The whole set up is wrong and when they get their hands on the internet it will get worse.
None of us knew 10 years ago the advances that would sweep through our communications capabilities, they have given us advantages that should be open to us all.
Of course they need to be paid for, it should however be our choice as to how and which services we wish to pay for.
The time is now remove the restrictive practices of the licence fee, put into place a modern system of funding the BBC.
To do that would take a brave and forward thinking Government, unfortunately instead of removing restrictions our Government in partnership with the BBC are no doubt as we speak making plans to have even more restrictive laws covering transmissions and also the internet.
They, like us, don't know where the internet or any other form of communications will be in another 10 years, so the will be relying on the predictions of 'top men', to foresee how our future should be controlled. These men aren't engineers at the cutting edge of technology, they will be legal eagles dedicated to tying everything to what will appear to be new and simplified edicts no doubt designed not just to cover the next 10 years but any future advances that they consider needs control.
Do away with the restrictions and we do away with the need for a licence to be policed, we do away with local courts being tied to prosecute people over a useless piece of paper.
The future has promise of many, many, more fascinated advances being made for the advancement of communications of every kind, China was criticised when it tried to stop it's people using the internet, I think they have since learnt what a big mistake that was!
It's about time our restrictions were recognised and removed, perhaps we should ask Google for help?
Why Google Quit China?and Why It?s Heading Back - The Atlantic