United Kingdom

steve2470

(37,457 posts) Tue May 30, 2017, 01:50 PM May 2017

question about BBC fees

I love the BBC. That said, why has the UK opted to only charge people for usage, instead of just including it in general usage taxes ? Did the UK right wing force that ? Honest sincere non-trollish questions.

Thanks and kind regards,

Steve

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

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question about BBC fees (Original Post) steve2470 May 2017 OP

I assume you mean the Licence fee ? OnDoutside May 2017 #1

yes the licence fee steve2470 May 2017 #2

Well it was a Labour government that brought it in, OnDoutside May 2017 #3

I would guess that when introduced (1922 for radio, 1946 for TV) it was seen as a luxury muriel_volestrangler May 2017 #4

OnDoutside

(19,953 posts)

1. I assume you mean the Licence fee ?

Reply to steve2470 (Original post)

Tue May 30, 2017, 02:23 PM

May 2017

That goes back to 1946, to pay for programming, as the main BBC TV and radio channels do not carry advertising. The Conservatives want to get rid of the licence fee, and the BBC if they could. They see the BBC as a hotbed of lefties. That's why they have been working to emasculate the BBC.

steve2470

(37,457 posts)

2. yes the licence fee

Reply to OnDoutside (Reply #1)

Tue May 30, 2017, 02:28 PM

May 2017

Was the rationale in 1946 that they did not want to burden the other taxpayers ?

OnDoutside

(19,953 posts)

3. Well it was a Labour government that brought it in,

Reply to steve2470 (Reply #2)

Tue May 30, 2017, 02:36 PM

May 2017

so I think it was just an addition to the earlier radio licence fee. I guess it's similar to the dog licence fee, paying to own something.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,306 posts)

4. I would guess that when introduced (1922 for radio, 1946 for TV) it was seen as a luxury