Time running out for the TV license

Out of all the bills that land on the doorstep each month, the TV licence is one of the most frustrating. One reason for this is that the TV licence funds a dinosaur of an organisation that is utterly lacking in transparency, spreads political deceit, overpays cronies, and is run by an untouchable elite with little experience of real-world employment.

If we put aside the fact that individuals like Jimmy Savile, Gary Glitter, and Stuart Hall were employed by the BBC despite warnings from others, and also set aside the fact that the BBC is a leading promoter of the narrative on man-made global warming while showing little interest in questioning why energy bills are soaring because of it, you’re still left with an organisation that seems to cause more harm than good.

Then consider how much we all pay for such an organisation each year and what we receive in return. The elite sporting packages have nearly all disappeared – the FA Cup, The Ashes, international football – all gone, yet the price of the licence keeps increasing. Meanwhile, the BBC airs repeat after repeat after repeat.

It’s hard to see why the BBC is still allowed to demand money from anyone with a TV, even if they have no desire to watch its programmes. With so much TV now available online and truly on-demand, more and more people are rejecting this outdated tax. Even those who cancel their TV licence can still watch programmes streamed via the internet. You don’t need a TV licence to watch TV anymore.

Internet channels such as Project Free TV offer programmes from across the globe, often available just hours after airing in their host country. Even BT’s Premier League football packages will be streamed over the internet next season.