BROADBAND IS LICENCE TO BILL SAY BBC
TV licence fees could become linked to household bills such as broadband or council tax.
BBC bosses believe a new payment system could prevent people dodging the fee, although they say their current fine system remains “fair, effective and good value for money”.
The public broadcaster said: “In some countries the TV licence, or equivalent, is linked directly to an existing common household bill.
“For example, it is collected through electricity bills in Italy and the equivalent of council tax bills in France.” The Beeb said it is “open to exploring further” the idea of linking the fee to broadband bills, adding that “we are not, at this stage, advocating it.”
A BBC report to MPS said evasion rates would rise from 6.6% to 10% if the threat of court action or jail was lifted.
It said fixed penalties will not be considered because they would be unfair on poorer people. Last month, the BBC postponed plans to charge over-75s for the £154.50-a-year licence fee.
THE BBC just don’t get it, do they?
Most of us baulk at paying through the nose for the licence fee.
But despite growing calls to scrap it, bigwigs at the Beeb just won’t listen.
They refuse to come up with a sensible alternative.
Instead, their latest daft idea is to add the fee to our monthly broadband bills. We’re sure that will go down well.
Here’s another idea – make the BBC a subscription service instead.
That way viewers who really want it can pay for it in the same way as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
But crucially, it means the rest of us won’t have to continue shelling out for something we don’t want – or use.
With viewers switching off in droves, now is the time to get this sorted.
And if Auntie really is still as valuable and relevant as its bosses claim it is, then they have nothing to worry about.