BBC to try and charge pensioners for TV Licence Fee

Andy From Sligo · 26-01-2016 01:59AM #1

BBC in the UK is to try and charge pensioners for TV Licence Fee (for those who can afford it. BBC says the extra revenue will provide better programming and be better for their finances (and most probably BBC held parties lol) Should RTE be doing the same in Ireland do you think?

MilesMorales1 · 26-01-2016 02:02AM

Whats your opinion on it OP? Any links?

The Backwards Man · 26-01-2016 02:13AM

Aye, should be means tested definitely.

People give out about the benefits here, Britain is crazy. My oul lad gets a fuel allowance from the UK, he doesn't need it and he hasn't lived there since 1978, but he's entitled to it.

ongarite · 26-01-2016 02:18AM

Cant blame them to be honest
The Tories have screwed the BBC by forcing them to not just give free TV licence to OAPs but the means to receive it for free, as in provide a TV and Freesat box.
It's a huge cost of 700 Million to the BBC I think.

Andy From Sligo · 26-01-2016 02:22AM

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Whats your opinion on it OP? Any links?

http://www.google.ie/?gws_rd=ssl#q=bbc+could+ask+pensioners+for+licence+fee&btnK=Google+Search

I dont really know myself - but a very big part of me thinks yes, why not if they are well off and can well afford it .

kneemos · 26-01-2016 03:02AM

More money for RTE to throw away on their incompetent relations and crap serial documentaries.

You know how things work here,a new body will be needed to means test pensioners that will cost slightly more than it takes in but will be seen as necessary and once created can never be undone.

Graces7 · 26-01-2016 09:17AM

TV? who need it! Ditched it way back before I even came to Ireland and would not have it in the house now. Amazed at how folk grumble when the answer is so simple..NB They still send me a free licence every year.

Slutmonkey57b · 26-01-2016 09:21AM

The title of this thread should be "BBC forced to publicly discuss cuts and financial changes it doesn't need or want to make by a government which is forcing it to do so in order to undermine the institution so it can advance the interests of its media baron patrons"

The_Valeyard · 26-01-2016 09:54AM

Fire me? I made the BBC!

Permabear · 26-01-2016 10:26AM

This post has been deleted.

26-01-2016 10:32AM

Without a source, the OP has told us two different things.

1) The BBC will bring it in for pensioners.

2) The BBC will bring it in for pensioners that can afford it.

One says it'll affect all pensioners, the second says that it'll affect some. I'm in favour of the latter. If you can afford to do so, you should most certainly pay more.

Duggy747 · 26-01-2016 11:54AM

They should put that money into figuring out how preserve David Attenborough

marcbrophy · 26-01-2016 12:00PM

I'm going to miss BBC ll!

Skylinehead · 26-01-2016 12:06PM

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

The BBC is great though. No Sky channel comes even slightly close to it for quality, so I'd rather not.

SEPT 23 1989 · 26-01-2016 12:32PM

BBC TV and Radio would be worth paying for

not like our excuse for state TV and Radio

Caliden · 26-01-2016 12:36PM

Charge scaled on your income/pension.

That way you don't get it for free but you pay less than someone on 50k

Caliden · 26-01-2016 12:36PM

Charge scaled on your income/pension.

That way you don't get it for free but you pay less than someone on 50k

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 26-01-2016 12:40PM

I'd have no problem with all payments and allowances being means tested.

purplepanda · 26-01-2016 03:05PM

BBC is nothing more than an establishment propaganda channel & the bulwark of the British class system. :mad:

Just watch RT News for a few days which is very obviously a Russian state propaganda broadcaster, turn back to BBC News & you'll soon notice the obvious similarities between them. :pac:

Throw your TV away & throw the TV licence letters & demands in the rubbish.

Amazing that so many people can't occupy themselves without a TV, there's a whole world of hobbies, interests & pastimes out there to discover!

Andy From Sligo · 26-01-2016 03:38PM

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

The title of this thread should be "BBC forced to publicly discuss cuts and financial changes it doesn't need or want to make by a government which is forcing it to do so in order to undermine the institution so it can advance the interests of its media baron patrons"

nope - thats all too hi-brow for me, you've lost me fella

etoughguy · 26-01-2016 04:11PM

.

Andy From Sligo · 26-01-2016 04:15PM

you imagine, if RTE started charging pensioners for licence (the ones that can afford it) they wouldnt have to get that cathyrine thomas girl on operation transformation, The voice, the travel show, the lotto and all the other shows she presents across the who of RTE - they could afford to get different presenters for different shows!:D

cowboyBuilder · 26-01-2016 04:31PM

For those amazing BBC documentaries alone ? YES definetely,

Old Larry can sacrifice a few packs of werthers originals a year ...

mikeym · 26-01-2016 05:36PM

You can own a TV over in the UK and not pay for a TV Licence but if its capable of receiving Live TV you must pay up.

While over here if you own a TV and its not capable of receiving a Live Feed you pay regardless.

JackieBauer · 26-01-2016 05:50PM

Thank god our national broadcasters aren't such kunts....

Cienciano · 26-01-2016 05:54PM

RTE shouldn't do the same. RTE should be optional. Whoever pays the €160 a year should have it available.

TallGlass · 26-01-2016 06:03PM

RTE and state broadcasters are no longer needed, in fact two things would have happened without government intervention they would be either very good at what they do or non existent.

They should go private and slim down to size, way to much going on with RTE for a population the size of Ireland, they must operate about 4/5 radio services, spanning Ireland, that's a serious cost to run all them transmitters, audio processors and link equipment.

As for the fee, 160/180€ that is absolelty way over priced for what you are getting. The bloody service isn't even ad free needs a good slimming down and that's before I get started on the over paid staff.

RTE should become a production company and let a third party like TV3 take care of the broadcasting side of things.

kneemos · 26-01-2016 06:18PM

TallGlass wrote: »

RTE and state broadcasters are no longer needed, in fact two things would have happened without government intervention they would be either very good at what they do or non existent.

They should go private and slim down to size, way to much going on with RTE for a population the size of Ireland, they must operate about 4/5 radio services, spanning Ireland, that's a serious cost to run all them transmitters, audio processors and link equipment.

As for the fee, 160/180€ that is absolelty way over priced for what you are getting. The bloody service isn't even ad free needs a good slimming down and that's before I get started on the over paid staff.

RTE should become a production company and let a third party like TV3 take care of the broadcasting side of things.

The radio stations in theory should be able to pay their way,but does anybody listen to Radio na Gaelteachta?
They also have five or six interweb stations that I'd never heard of till I saw them on the Tune In app.No idea if these are economically viable or if they even have a listener base.
I know others had given up on the kids channel as a loss maker,but RTE seem to be sticking with it.

monkeynuz · 26-01-2016 06:25PM

Why should it be means tested? Why should some scumbag who has never saved over their lifetime get it free and someone who has been careful or more successful have to pay, bugger that I'll take the free one if it's still available when I retire.

anothernight · 26-01-2016 06:33PM

mikeym wrote: »

You can own a TV over in the UK and not pay for a TV Licence but if its capable of receiving Live TV you must pay up.

While over here if you own a TV and its not capable of receiving a Live Feed you pay regardless.

Actually, even if it's capable of receiving live TV, you still don't need to pay the licence if you never ever use it to watch or record something as it's being broadcast. You can declare that you only use it for videogames and streaming services, for example.

Slutmonkey57b · 26-01-2016 06:37PM

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Hundreds of junk channels.

The BBC is without a doubt the best broadcaster in the world, bar none. And as for being an establishment bastion, you only have to look at the attacks it's endured from the Tories, Murdoch, Rothermere et al to see just how frightened the establishment are of a broadcaster who isn't tied to commercial interests.

Without the BBC, and its ilk, there likely wouldn't be such a concept as liberal at all.

BBC to try and charge pensioners for TV Licence Fee

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