[me283]

I think the problem is that we don't have an option. Many people would pay the licence fee if it were optional, but it's not, it's compulsory. If we were able to say "no thanks, I'll go without", then we would effectively be making a choice, as we do with cable channels etc. If you don't want it, or can't afford it, you don't have it. The licence fee is just imposed and enforced. It's hardly democratic, is it?

I personally don't agree with the licence fee, because I don't have a choice. Sure, I occasionally watch TV, and I may well watch BBC (not sure - I don't watch it often enough), but if the BBC were not available I wouldn't lose sleep.

One other thing that amuses me is the enforcement side of it. I remember the ads years ago showing the detector vans, which they claimed knew which house and even which room had a TV, and which channel they were watching. Turns out that was a load of rubbish! They sent three letters to a flat I owned which was empty, saying I HAD to tell them if I had a TV or not. Three letters, even though I explained it all in replies to the first two.