3 ms·

The idea is that the BBC maintains its independence by being financed through its own separately collected tax. The alternative is a system like they have in Au

The idea is that the BBC maintains its independence by being financed through its own separately collected tax. The alternative is a system like they have in Australia where the state broadcasting company is a mouthpiece for the party in power, or like in the U.S. where commercial television speaks mainly for corporate interests. Out of all the taxes in the U.K., this is the one I resent least (especially because it's optional in the sense that you're entitled not to pay it if you don't want to have a tv).

twelvechairs 14y ago
> The alternative is a system like they have in Australia where the state broadcasting company is a mouthpiece for the party in power What? I live in Australia and this just isn't true. The only thing even coming close to this I can think of is that the government runs (paid) ads at times (but they also do on commercial stations). The ABC is certainly not a 'mouthpiece'...
jiggy2011 14y ago
The issue is that they will keep sending you very aggressive letters if you don't pay. Regardless of whether you own a TV or not. I remember receiving one letter that said something to the effect of: "Right now, we're off to the magistrates to get an order for the police to come to your house, interview you under caution and potentially arrest you". This was a house that I had only just moved into and didn't have a TV.
- _delirium 14y ago
  That's one reason I'd rather just move to funding through a normal tax. The license-fee is a bit of an anachronism from when only better-off people had televisions, so it was to exempt the poorer people who couldn't afford one. In Denmark it's more or less moved that way, except it's still annoyingly collected separately: you have to pay it if you have: 1) a television; or 2) an internet-accessible screen of any sort, including ownership of a laptop or smartphone. Since that includes just about everyone, it's basically historical baggage that it's not a regular tax. They're not at all aggressive in collecting, though—perhaps because Danes tend to follow the rules without much trouble, so there's not much need to be aggressive. I didn't realize I was supposed to pay it until I'd lived here for a year, and eventually signed up online after getting a friendly letter explaining what DR is, what they do, and what I should do.

twelvechairs 14y ago

> The alternative is a system like they have in Australia where the state broadcasting company is a mouthpiece for the party in power What? I live in Australia and this just isn't true. The only thing even coming close to this I can think of is that the government runs (paid) ads at times (but they also do on commercial stations). The ABC is certainly not a 'mouthpiece'...

jiggy2011 14y ago

The issue is that they will keep sending you very aggressive letters if you don't pay. Regardless of whether you own a TV or not. I remember receiving one letter that said something to the effect of: "Right now, we're off to the magistrates to get an order for the police to come to your house, interview you under caution and potentially arrest you". This was a house that I had only just moved into and didn't have a TV.

_delirium 14y ago
That's one reason I'd rather just move to funding through a normal tax. The license-fee is a bit of an anachronism from when only better-off people had televisions, so it was to exempt the poorer people who couldn't afford one. In Denmark it's more or less moved that way, except it's still annoyingly collected separately: you have to pay it if you have: 1) a television; or 2) an internet-accessible screen of any sort, including ownership of a laptop or smartphone. Since that includes just about everyone, it's basically historical baggage that it's not a regular tax. They're not at all aggressive in collecting, though—perhaps because Danes tend to follow the rules without much trouble, so there's not much need to be aggressive. I didn't realize I was supposed to pay it until I'd lived here for a year, and eventually signed up online after getting a friendly letter explaining what DR is, what they do, and what I should do.