I read that in a few years 25% of the BBC budget will go on paying for the free pensioner license. Whatever you think of the BBC's output, that's completely unsustainable.

edit it's 20% not 25%. Some interesting figures in this article.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48583487

I may be wrong. My understanding of the T.V. licence is a charge for having a television receiver in your home. So whether you watch B.B.C. or not, you still have to pay it. So the simplest thing would be that B.B.C. becomes a pay to view channel. With this, B.B.C. viewing figures would go into Freefall. Then they would realise that they have had it too easy for too long. Perhaps that would make them change to a commercial channel. That would, may be, generate enough income to take on the likes of SKY with their exorbitant prices.

This new modern generation that use the likes of Amazon and Netflix, its only a matter of time until the BBC will be forced to shred its old skin. ;)

Very much so, how many people under 30 watch tv as it's broadcast? Very few i would think.

The simple answer is to Not Pay the fee. And when the goons come round and ask"Do you have a television" you do not answer that or any other question they ask. They have NO power of entry into your property and you are well within your rights to tell them to "Go Away" or words to that effect.

But the problem is the sheep will always abide and conform.:shrug:

That won't work!
Believe it not, it is actually a Criminal offence not to have a TV licence, so your best bet is to rob a bank to pay for it. :D

For some paying this fee is a bid issue, I'm afraid as we head towards being a US type of society, we will all have to get used to putting our hands in our pockets. Free bus passes and winter fuel payments will no doubt follow shortly. My hope is that free prescriptions will be maintained for as long as possible. The poor are definitely getting poorer, what a country, the rest of the world used to look up to us! Look at all the silly promises the PM candidates are making.

Only if you receive live broadcast or record live broadcast. If you have a TV in your house but only use it for DVD’s for example then no licence is required.

And as previously said above - as most younger guys today stream what they watch when they want to see it not when it is broadcast - the whole concept of the old TV licence becomes obsolete.

How? it is an Act, Not a Law.

Some people don't have a television.