gloworm558 . <...> said:

I do feel the fee itself though, as a method of supporting the Beeb must

be well past its sell-by date. The Beeb make a fortune from selling
programmes abroad etc and even advertising (on BBC World for example).
To set up this enormous beaurocratic apparatus to collect £90 or
whatever it is (unless you're blind and you get a small discount- I love
that) each year off every house in the country with a telly just seems
bizzare. And I detest those threatening ads they run on BBC1 that
suggest if you don't pay your fee.

I broadly agree with Gile's sentiments. The entertainment tax is an anachronism from the days of the two telly channnels and only BBC radio services. The problem is the no one wants to pay hard earned cash to what they perceive is 'free' out of the ether. The BBC in my opinion has lost the plot. They are top heavy in useless middle management positions, promoting ' on message' policies like 'safeguarding trust'. To the non initiated this means thou shalt not tell porkies to the audience. I was informed as a freelance, I could not be continued to be employed until a had attended a brainwash course of this nonsense. I had no option but to waste a morning absorbing the f**ing obvious. All production and operational staff have to comply.

The Beeb can do great shows but a major cull in non-productive career jobsworths would be a good reform to start with

 I have a pal who owns a remote hideaway on the west coast of Scotland. The previous owner had a telly, he does not. He is being persued by the licencing people , hereafter called the 'videots' to pay his fee. You Know where this is going. He told them he doesn't have televison apparatus at this address. They don't believe him. He says prove to the contrary. They say they will prosecute if he is found operating a telly. He says be my guest. They say we will require entry. He says please make an apointment but not without a warrrant and a copper present . They say ...... well they say nothing, they are in Bristol and the nearest policeman to my friend is 60 miles away. As Jack Lemmon once said 'It's all piss and wind'. The videots presumably have gone back to consider their next plan of civil harrassment.

To be fair to the Beeb the videots are a government agency not theirs.