Forum Topic

BBC Licence Increase

From April:How much the TV licence going up?The new £180 fee is up £5.50 from its 2025/26 cost of £174.50.It's also a £34.50 increase from the £145.50 it cost 10 years ago in 2016.Diabolical rip-off.But not for me, fortunately!

Sue Hammond ● 51d28 Comments

Ms Grant'Absolutely agree Jonathan. Journalists used to report news but now that is overtaken by opinions in many cases.'The Guardian is a case in point.Dozens of contributors telling what they think about any issue though pretty much always from a left wing perspective such that you soon get to know in advance what you are going to read.Jones, Toynbee, Malik....Which in turn generates the predictability of their news coverage particularly relating to Trump and Israel.

John Hawkes ● 47d

I guess this stated happening a couple of decades - or even more -  ago? Newspapers needed a role . Their news was becoming out of date in the morning or evening because real-time electronic distribution had become the norm - a gradual revolution of radio, TV, teletext, Preston, Internet expanding almost instantaneous news delivery. (As telecommunications improved traditional radion and TV reduced time from reported incident to broadcast. ) So newspapers shifted the emphasis to opinion from straight news, but as time has gone on paper and electronic media have blurred with most (all?) "papers" being distributed primarily on websites and apps?Interestingly, I get most of my news online or via broadcast media, but science and technology information - New Scientist, astronomy mags,  etc - I like to read in hard copy; the pictures and diagrams always seem clearer ... Some marketing person is probably going to say I'm completely wrong!

Michael Ixer ● 48d

Absolutely agree Jonathan. Journalists used to report news but now that is overtaken by opinions in many cases.

Lucille Grant ● 48d

Generally agree, but opinion does, at least, beat gossip.

David Ainsworth ● 48d

Bit like the Democrats (blue) and the Republicans (red).  The Independent and the I News are relatively non-partisan organs though I’m sure bias can be found if you go looking for it. Where things seem to be heading in both print and broadcast media is that there is less factual reporting of the news and more “opinion” pieces, the colour of which naturally reflect editorial or proprietors’ preferences. Some outlets more or less focus just on opinion which does make them more like propaganda megaphones than news media per se. Absolutely not healthy in my view.

Jonathan Callaway ● 48d

Confusing that the Guardian has a blue banner, and the Sun a red one :-)

Michael Ixer ● 48d

Ms Holliday'You compare them with The Telegraph, The Guardian, the Independent, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Le Monde, Le Figaro among others and the BBC is very good.'I tend to agree.The Telegraph, Guardian and Independent should be printed in  blue, red and Farrow and Ball's "Slipper Satin" respectively so one can deduce their opinions without having to read them !

John Hawkes ● 48d

Hello Jonathan,The famous bias....  I wonder...On the whole, I find them very good at reporting news.  You compare them with The Telegraph, The Guardian, the Independent, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Le Monde, Le Figaro among others and the BBC is very good.  It is not perfect, there again we are not, are we?As far as I am concerned, the BBC is very good indeed.  And no, I am no leftie....

Ivonne Holliday ● 49d

Like literally everybody else in this world!

Jonathan Callaway ● 49d

But, but, but ....... the bias!

Jonathan Callaway ● 49d

Absolutely, Michael!  BBC World is incredibly respected abroad.

Ivonne Holliday ● 49d

And sitting in the audience at the Proms it appears to attract a number of Europeans and the occasional American and Australian,  etc; so it and other BBC music events are obviously good for the tourist trade. (Last year we were sat near an elderly Australian woman, it sounded like the Proms had been on her bucket list.) And the BBC foreign news services seem to have a good reputation for objectivity compared with other news services.

Michael Ixer ● 50d

Hello Richard,I wholeheartedly agree with you!  It would be an awful, unforgivable and inconceivable act of cultural vandalism to abandon the licence fee.We must not forget the outstanding programmes on nature, archeology, history, to name a few, that the BBC produces.  It is shocking and devastating that some people wish to give this up.

Ivonne Holliday ● 50d

Indeed: the BBC licence fee supports a huge range of musical groups and events: it's  one of the largest employers of musicians in the UK, supporting five full-time orchestras and two professional choirs.BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO):ased in London, it is the flagship orchestra, known for its role in the Proms.BBC Philharmonic: Based in SalfordBBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBC NOW): Based in Cardiff.BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO): Based in Glasgow.BBC Concert Orchestra: Based in London, known for a wider repertoire, including light music and crossover.BBC Singers: A professional chamber choir.BBC Big Band: Specialising in jazz and swing. Major Music Festivals and EventsBBC Proms: The licence fee directly funds the world's largest classical music festival, held annually at the Royal Albert Hall.Glastonbury Festival: The BBC uses licence fee funding to provide extensive live coverage of this and other major music festivals.Abandoning the licence fee would be an awful act of cultural vandalism. 

Richard Carter ● 50d

Well it was still wrong as the Met Police said he hadn't been arrested, a prerequisite for being taken into custody? :-)

Michael Ixer ● 50d

@ Michael Ixer 06/02/26 21:07:00I heard it on LBC actually.

Sue Hammond ● 50d

the licence fee also pays for the orchestras and the Proms

Elizabeth Balsom ● 50d

…you get a visit from the men in the ven!

Gerry Boyce ● 51d

You cannot legally watch GB News live without a TV licence in the UK. A TV licence is required to watch any channel as it is being broadcast live, including via streaming services like YouTube, GB News, or on-demand apps. Better pay up Sue, before

Gerry Boyce ● 51d

Unlike the Pope, the BBC is fallible, thank god!It’s messy, makes lots of mistakes and wrong calls, but who doesn’t? As long as they strive to get to ‘a balanced view’ and act as a platform for a plurality of views and opinions, they have my support.But leaving tetchy politics aside for a sec, the recent David Attenborough show on London was mighty stuff indeed. Many of the drama series continue to be excellent.You are missing out on a lot of good stuff, Sue. It’s good bang for your buck! Do yourself a favour!

Gerry Boyce ● 51d

😂 classic.

Freddie Francis ● 51d

But, sadly, you can no longer legally watch an live TV, including GB News ... perhaps that's why you were misinformed about a 72 yo man being arrested?

Michael Ixer ● 51d

Well, Sue, I think the BBC's licence fee is brilliant value!The BBC has incredibly good programmes (be they on TV or on radio)!The greatest thing of it all is that there are no commercial ads!  Perfect!!!

Ivonne Holliday ● 51d

@JonathanThey only own up and apologise when they get caught out!

Sue Hammond ● 51d

Thank you for this, Sue, that's really helpful.Using the Bank of England Inflation Calculator (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator), we can see that £145.50 in 2016 would cost today (well, Dec 2025) the sum of £202.21, miles more than the BBC 's proposed £180.So you see, you've really done us a favour in pointing out what absolute bargain the BBC licence fee is!

Richard Carter ● 51d

Contrary to Sue’s long held and oft repeated views, I don’t think the BBC is irredeemably biased either to the left or the right. Their reporting is often first rate, they cover the main stories fairly and in depth, and - crucially and unlike some other broadcasters - own up to and apologise for their mistakes. They’re far from perfect but just look at their output in the round, beyond the news reporting and excellent documentaries such as the Panorama programmes, the Attenborough wildlife programmes and the David Olusoga history series.  Then there are dramas such as the brilliant Blue Rights but also the recent Night Manager second series, Line of Duty, Happy Valley, Sherlock, all top rate productions. And no adverts!

Jonathan Callaway ● 51d

Well Michael we agree on something at 50p a day its excellent value.

Andy Pike ● 51d

There's been some cracking shows on BBC recently, Blue lights springs to mind!Very happy to pay for quality entertainment, advert free :)

Michael Brigo ● 51d