Time to scrap the TV licence fee ?

[joe_bloggs*]

Plans to decriminalise the non-payment of the TV licence fee are being considered by government departments in a move designed to ease pressure on the courts,

Offenders at present face a £1,000 fine and a criminal record, as well as the prospect of jail if fines are not paid. More than 180,000 people appeared in court last year after being accused of not paying the £145.50 fee – accounting for over one in 10 of all criminal prosecutions. Of those, 155,000 were convicted and fined.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who is spearheading Commons efforts to change the law, said for some cash-strapped families the current law was "criminalising them for being poor".

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/08/tv-licence-fee-decriminalise-miller-bbc

Of course if you do not watch or record Live tv you don't need a licence

[dr-whos-assistant]

The £1000 fine is just to scare people very few end up paying that for some people [students oaps ] its worth the risk.

[queenelsa83]

If only it would get scrapped for good! Wishful thinking indeed! 😛

[jean2579]

I realise that this is an old thread, and I apologise in advance for bringing it back, but I thought that you might like to know that in Australia we haven't paid license fees for decades.

All of our programmes are "free to air" and we have about 15 free channels plus another 4 direct shopping ones.

After midnight we can get the BBC world news and other news programmes for a few hours, and the Govt owned channel SBS is 12 hours of foreign news and programmes in all languages.

Apart from the government one the ABC all of the others fo show ads but they are strictly controlled by the government. I am in a regional area about 800kms away from Sydney so am not sure what they get in Sydney.

The attitude is that it is up to the channels to stay profitable.

[rose2008-2008]

OOhhhher well!!!!. Thats interesting. I paid some more of mine this morning. The C**P they put on telly and repeat,,i just dont know what im paying it for. Its disgusting!!!.

[merehazle]

Perhaps YOU should eat more Rose?  Next time they call say your waiting for the undertaker. Somehow I think they will believe you.

Now don't disturb me for an hour. going to watch my favourite show 'The Chace'.

[upthecreekyetagain]

The TV licence fee in Switzerland is more than twice that of the UK

Wonder what the quality of their state TV programmes is like

[spawnjohnuk]

wonders if switzerland wages are double uks as well