Recently it was announced that the BBC plans to scrap some of its services. Yet the TV licence, irrelevant as it already is and still forced on people in the UK, is set to add itself to YouTube and make Netflix, Amazon and every other streaming service part of how you’ll have to pay your licence fee.
It was said a long time ago that the BBC needed to become a subscription. If we look back at the shows we used to have via the BBC — Only Fools and Horses — the programming hasn’t been the same, and recently they decided to do a promo about how everyone in the UK benefits from this. The vast majority will probably only use these services when a World Cup or Euros is on.
It’s been a long time since the people of the UK asked what they’re actually paying for, and whether a TV licence is still needed or viable in an economy facing a cost-of-living crisis. I’m all for entertainment services getting better, and I think it’s long past time the BBC assessed not only its programming and level of ambition, but put the people who have stood by it over the years by paying it first — and represented itself in a way that would let the vast majority stop paying something that has become an extra monthly burden to so many. Money that could go towards gas and electricity, or towards how expensive food is getting.
Whatever side of this debate you’re on, there needs to be some clarity on the situation. Because no matter which side of the political divide you sit on, or whether you enjoy the services on offer and are willing to pay, why should others have to shoulder the burden of an entire corporation that just isn’t giving as much as it once used to?
If the BBC TV Licence became a mandatory surcharge on all streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, etc.), which reaction best describes you?
Written by Craig
From gaming industry headlines and entertainment, Craig covers the stories everyone's talking about — alongside his own published works.