Comments on: Official: The BBC is owned by Blair

By: What makes you happy ? » Fee : a definition for the BBC

What makes you happy ? » Fee : a definition for the BBC — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 22:12:22 +0000

[...] No, there is no quote because on that BBC page the word ‘fee’ does not appear. The word ‘licence’ does though - quite a few times. But the word ‘fee’ does not accompany it. Why ? Because as I posted in January the licence fee is now a tax. However, in that story at the bottom it says ““We have a database of 28 million addresses that shows us who does and does not have a current TV licence,” the TV Licensing spokesman said.” Okay… so the line is still being followed. Until you go to the home of TV Licensing and check their ‘About Us’ page. The word ‘Fee’ is mentioned 6 times. The word ‘Tax’ is missing. [...]

By: Gregory

Gregory — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:42:25 +0000

lol

Hmmm maybe that’s why I keep blogging so sporadically. Must shoot from the hip more often! ;)

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:35:46 +0000

Gregory - If I took the time to think everything out that I write I’d have nothing to blog about :)

By: Gregory

Gregory — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:25:09 +0000

Ah, well that is something seperate really.

I agree the BBC should mention it (though I’ve not been watching News 24, so they might have). However we’ll see what the coverage is in other outlets as well.

I don’t think the change fundamentally makes anyone suffer - however if something like the situation you describe happens, well then THAT is what is making people suffer, taxing twice. Not the BBC’s relationship with the government.

However as that hasn’t happened, and there is no indication it will (the government having already said the BBC’s proposed increases were too much), I think you are leaping to conclusions.

Not unreasonable ones, but still leaping.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:06:45 +0000

I disagree (as i do :) )
If this was a change abroad then the BBC would make noise about this. They will not. I think that though the change may be subtle on some levels it’s fundamentally quite different and that as a result both parties suffer.
It also makes the ‘license fee’ term completely redundant. GB will now increase tax to “pay for the BBC” while also increasing the license “fee” to “pay for the BBC”. It may all be spin but it’s another bad spin.

By: Gregory

Gregory — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 20:00:47 +0000

Of course that is actually no different to how it was before. Yes the term has changed, so the link is more obvious, but in a practical sense it is exactly the same.

It was a service charge from a service that was set up, subsised, partially funded by and enforced by the government.

Sorry Mark - lot of fuss over nothing. Any pressure that might be brought to bear now could have (and probably was) before. The wording just makes it more explicit - and basically, more honest.