#34

I don’t really view things as “MY taxes go to THIS”, but if I did want to start thinking like that then I’d already have a lot of pretty awful shit to get aggy about paying for before I get to the BBC. In the grand scheme of rotten British institutions they’re pretty low on the totem.

2 Likes
#35

The only thing I can think is that maybe way more men are charged and acquitted and that’s what the first para is alluding to? And the second para is just a breakdown of total convictions?

Haha you edited just after I posted :smiley:

#36

Yeah, I got there in the end.

1 Like
#37

yep, not good value for money considering absolutely nobody listens to the radio anymore.
My netflix and nowtv come to less a month than the beeb
Only use it for cbeebies really. Don’t even watch match of the day anymore.

#38

Men are less likely to admit to the crime of illegally watching telly in court.

There is no “detector van”, and no evidence unless you admit to watching telly.

The only people who get convicted of not having a TV licence are the people who admit to watching TV.

Without meaning to generalise, women tend to be more passive and honest, whereas men will threaten the TV licence man with a broom and hear no more of it.

#39

The good people of popular music forum Drowned In Sound dot com disagree:

#40

Do you need it to listen to radio? Hope I don’t get put in licence fee jail for sometimes having radio 3 on in the car. It’s only for short local trips when it’s not worth putting a CD in, and that’s only about once a month, even less these days, your honour. Please be lenient, all I did was turn the car on, I can’t remember the last time I touched the radio itself.

#41

No. The clue is in the name.

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#42

i like some of radio 1. i always have radio 4 on and i think the only thing i don’t hate is clive james. don’t have a digital radio. who makes don’t tell the bride?

#43

You don’t need it for radio

#44

Well that’s me told then.

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#45

Think I need it to watch hollyoaks otherwise I’d get rid

#46

Just following on from what @pervo says in the original post, and without wishing to out myself in any way, I do know prosecutions against women for tv licence nonpayment has something to do with protecting the breadwinner (usually a man, in a traditional nuclear family) from receiving a conviction that would affect employment prospects

#47

If they bring Robot Wars back again then all is forgiven in my eyes, I’ll pay the fee. Shunt would probably sort out the transphobes and far right cranks given the chance.

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#48

yeah the current set up seems really archaic

#49

If you had told me that stat about a third of all female convictions were due to this to my face i would have said,

you fucking what bab?!

That’s nuts.

#50

BBC and license fee are far from perfect, but I suspect it’s better than the alternative. Happy to pay it tbh.

4 Likes
#51

Nah. Kuenssberg giving Prince Andrew a grilling for example. Or the fella on the One Show asking David Cameron “how do you sleep?”. Or Gary Lineker’s pro-refugee stance.

I agree with you that the right tend to moan about its cultural/arts programming. Most of the panel shows are left-leaning, but they wouldn’t really be funny if they were right-wing.

#52

I do not have a TV license. Keep getting letters from people saying they’re going to come around our house and they never do.

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#53

If they do, do not give them permission to enter the premises, and threaten them with a broom. Works a treat.

1 Like