Behind the times or worth the money? What you think of the BBC licence fee

We asked readers to share the BBC services they use most following renewed calls from the The TaxPayers’ Alliance to get rid of the licence fee, and scale back the corporation’s channels, ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget announcement on Wednesday, October 27.

The campaign group proposed that the BBC should consist of one television channel, radio station and online service – paid for by a Government grand as opposed to by the taxpayer.

Their proposals also called for the sale of Channel 4, which is owned by the Government but funded by advertising.

Readers both backed and criticised the corporation’s output, highlighting BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Newcastle, BBC One and the BBC News website as some of their most frequently-used services.

Some called for the BBC to switch to a subscription-only model, as with streaming services, while others hailed it as “behind the times”.

A TV Licence covers you to watch or record TV programmes live on any channel or TV service. This includes watching TV live online.

Its current cost is £159.

This is what you had to say on our social media pages:

Alison Fish: “Happy to keep paying, but would like people who appear once a week to not get paid millions.”

David Richardson: “The licence fee is for modern time' obsolete, out of date and behind the times and should be abolished!”

Margaret Liddle: “Don’t watch any BBC, but still paying the licence.”

Amanda Carey: “The BBC news is the best in the world. I can unequivocally confirm this living in America!"

Michelle Roug’e: “It should be a pay per view channel and do away with licence.”

Tom Taylor: “Plenty of free content out there. We shouldn’t be forced to pay for any of it.”

Philip Grieveson: “TV licence must be given as an option, just like Netflix or Sky etc.”

Tim Brown: “Make it subscription only. If you want to watch the BBC you pay. If you don't, save yourself £160.”

Paul Davis: “It’s a seriously brilliant service for what it costs and even most who complain will use the service.”

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