7 ms·

Got to do something to win public appeal I guess (as for those reading outside the UK the BBC is publicly funded and it is a criminal not civil offence not to p

by nonuby 12y ago

Got to do something to win public appeal I guess (as for those reading outside the UK the BBC is publicly funded and it is a criminal not civil offence not to pay TV license http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_Uni...), this isn't an area the BBC should be spending. How about we skip the BBC, let schools purchase Raspberry Pi's as they desire and claim directly from a government fund (this I would certainly support) If its anything like their contract IT spending they probably paid more than market rate too...

arethuza 12y ago
"How about we skip the BBC" But that would imply the funds come from the Treasury from general taxation/borrowing - which seems unlikely in this age of austerity. The BBC arguably has a lot more freedom to do this kind of thing given its main revenue source is its own hypothecated tax in the form of the license fee. Good on them I say - at least they are doing something interesting rather than the usual nonsense we hear about education directly from politicians.
- pjc50 12y ago
  While I generally support the BBC, the TV license is the most regressive of UK taxes^ and people are jailed for non-payment of comparatively very small amounts. ^(The "bedroom tax" is much worse in impact but not technically a tax)
  - arethuza 12y ago
    I agree that the collection of the license fee is often heavy handed - but wasn't that outsourced a while back?
    - pjc50 12y ago
      It's outsourced to Capita, yes. If anything that makes it slightly more objectionable. Outsourcing is not a way of avoiding your moral responsibilities.
jamespo 12y ago
Reith summarised the BBC's purpose in three words: educate, inform, entertain
teh_klev 12y ago
In the UK you can own a television and legally decline to pay the TV license provided you don't watch or record live to air broadcasts. You don't have to pay for a license to watch catchup/previously broadcast programmes on iPlayer, DVD's, Netflix etc.

by nonuby 12y ago

arethuza 12y ago

"How about we skip the BBC" But that would imply the funds come from the Treasury from general taxation/borrowing - which seems unlikely in this age of austerity. The BBC arguably has a lot more freedom to do this kind of thing given its main revenue source is its own hypothecated tax in the form of the license fee. Good on them I say - at least they are doing something interesting rather than the usual nonsense we hear about education directly from politicians.

pjc50 12y ago
While I generally support the BBC, the TV license is the most regressive of UK taxes^ and people are jailed for non-payment of comparatively very small amounts. ^(The "bedroom tax" is much worse in impact but not technically a tax)
- arethuza 12y ago
  I agree that the collection of the license fee is often heavy handed - but wasn't that outsourced a while back?
  - pjc50 12y ago
    It's outsourced to Capita, yes. If anything that makes it slightly more objectionable. Outsourcing is not a way of avoiding your moral responsibilities.

jamespo 12y ago

Reith summarised the BBC's purpose in three words: educate, inform, entertain

teh_klev 12y ago

In the UK you can own a television and legally decline to pay the TV license provided you don't watch or record live to air broadcasts. You don't have to pay for a license to watch catchup/previously broadcast programmes on iPlayer, DVD's, Netflix etc.