Gary Lineker's tweet

I've been feeling sorry for the BBC for several years now. I think that they are running scared, not just of this extreme right wing govt that we have at the moment but also of the right wing media who would like to see them broken up.

To those people who criticize them, I can only think that they don't look at all the schedules. Recently I watched an episode of Clive James in Paris. it was rather old but I enjoyed it first time around. Repeats of Fry and Laurie at the moment. Very funny. BBC 3 and 4 show a wide range of music and foreign films and Shakespeare. Many of their ideas are taken over by other channels, Bake Off being a good example.

With regard to the licence fee, here in France, if we have a television set we had to pay a monthly fee of 13 euros. No getting around that because it was added to either fonciere or habitation bills. I forget which, it's not important. I think that it's been scrapped this year but may have been added to whichever of the aforementioned bill we still have to pay.

Maudi ''If you don't watch live TV you don't need a TV Licence.''

so you never watch the News, or any programmes at all. And how do you prove that?!?

You don’t need a TV Licence if you never watch live on any channel, TV service or streaming service, or use BBC iPlayer.
This applies to any device, including a TV, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box. You can inform TV Licensing of this - but they can follow up with a visit to your home to confirm it.

How would they know if you have or have not ever watched any???

Galaxy

That was my fault for not being clear and then being snappy

No problem, Galaxy. It's a tendency I have, too (snappiness, I mean)

Just checking out the podcasts produced by Gary Linekers company and surprised to see he presents one jointly with Danny Baker.Only saying be sure after that vile 'joke' he made about Archie leaving hospital it seems at odds with GLs principles.

Fleurpepper

How would they know if you have or have not ever watched any???

You can't.

That's why I think it should be abolished and a sales levy made on every device that can receive live TV.

Or just fund the BBC from public money, as a public service, without pretending that the money has to be gathered in first.

A reason for the BBC not showing the 6th episode of the new Attenborough series -

Senior sources at the BBC told the Guardian that the decision not to show the sixth episode was made to fend off potential critique from the political right. This week the Telegraph newspaper attacked the BBC for creating the series and for taking funding from “two charities previously criticised for their political lobbying” – the WWF and RSPB.

One source at the broadcaster, who asked not to be named, said “lobbying groups that are desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways” such as the farming and game industry would “kick off” if the show had too political a message

They still use detector vans and other methods which can show if you are watching live TV.

Yes, I get that. But how do they prove, or how do you prove, that you never ever watch live TV?

Of course I will take someone's word for it, but I do find it surprising that someone never ever watches any live programmes- I have to say.

Mil’s house was unlived in for a few years. I told TV licensing but still they kept sending reminders and threats which I ended up ignoring. They kept giving days when they were coming, then a final red letter to go to court, then nothing and the roundabout of letters started all over again! Obviously they rely on fear.

I think BBC radio 4 alone is worth the licence fee.

I've just finished listening to "Any Questions" and "Any Answers" where quite a lot of time on both programmes was spent discussing Gary Linacre.

The four panelists on AQ were predictably divided with a Tory MP and Richard Tice on one side and a Labour MP and Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council on the other.

I thought that the discussion on Any Answers was much better with two outstanding contributers who were both knowledgeable.

One was a Jewish lady in her seventies whose parents had escaped from Germany where their parents were murdered by the Nazis. Her parents had told her how the anti-Jewish rhetoric had built up gradually to the horrors they'd seen and she totally agreed with GL seeing the parallels in this country now.

The other was a GP working with refugees in Birmingham. She made the point that many might look like young healthy men but were suffering PTSD as a result of their horrific experiences.

MaizieD

GrannyGravy13

More thinking

GL is followed by thousands if not millions of football followers who may or may not be politically savvy

He could be influencing their votes come election day, not sure that following a football pundits views is how I wish U.K. elections to be won/lost.

I'd rather they followed a football pundit than Suella Braverman and the rest of the fascist crew.

Or, as reality is; be told how to vote by the Daily Mail, Express, Telegraph and their non domiciled, Tory party donating owners?

Washerwoman

Just checking out the podcasts produced by Gary Linekers company and surprised to see he presents one jointly with Danny Baker.Only saying be sure after that vile 'joke' he made about Archie leaving hospital it seems at odds with GLs principles.

As a long time fan of Danny Baker, I can, hand in heart, say that he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.

That ‘joke’ was a running gag that he had about ‘monkeys dressed as famous people’ (you’d only know that if you were a listener to his R5 show or followed him on Twitter)

It was more a comment on the tradition of parading royal babies.

Baker is so un racist that he really did not equate monkeys with mixed race children, or imagine that others would.

If he did, he would not have tweeted it, as he would have fore seen the controversy and consequences.

He may have been incredibly stupid and naive, but he is not a racist

Fleurpepper

Yes, I get that. But how do they prove, or how do you prove, that you never ever watch live TV?

Of course I will take someone's word for it, but I do find it surprising that someone never ever watches any live programmes- I have to say.

I honestly didn't watch live TV for a few years. My TV broke and I couldn't afford a new one. I realised after a couple of months that I didn't miss it because I hadn't been watching much anyway, so I cancelled my licence.

I guess that's when I got into the habit of reading so much news online and relying on iplayer on my PC. I only bought a new TV when my partner said he missed watching it when he stayed with me. I have Freeview, but nothing else. I still go for days without switching it on.

Well FannyCornforth I must admit I was sorry DB let himself down with that episode.I read his autobiography some years ago and loved it.But admit have never followed him on the radio.Plenty on GN at the time were happy to declare him racist and zenophobic.Just shows how easily those labels are bandied around without full knowledge of a person.

I think DB's comment, if quoted correctly, is deeply offensive.

Thank you so much for your reply Washerwoman

I wasn’t on GN at the time, just as well, I was really upset at what happened to Danny.

I read his autobiographies too, the first one is probably the funniest book that I’ve ever read.
His dad, Spud, and ‘the bunce’!
And the doctor/ docker misunderstanding at the hospital
It was turned into a series with Peter Kay as Spud.

Another book I recommend that goes some way to how this sort of thing can happen to anyone is John Ronson’s ‘So you’ve been publicly shamed’

growstuff

Fleurpepper

Yes, I get that. But how do they prove, or how do you prove, that you never ever watch live TV?

Of course I will take someone's word for it, but I do find it surprising that someone never ever watches any live programmes- I have to say.

I honestly didn't watch live TV for a few years. My TV broke and I couldn't afford a new one. I realised after a couple of months that I didn't miss it because I hadn't been watching much anyway, so I cancelled my licence.

I guess that's when I got into the habit of reading so much news online and relying on iplayer on my PC. I only bought a new TV when my partner said he missed watching it when he stayed with me. I have Freeview, but nothing else. I still go for days without switching it on.

Interesting. I must say I'd mis watching the news and a few other programmes.

Meanwhile

''Sky TV crackdown will see around 500,000 viewers blocked

Four arrests made during police operation to stop viewers watching subscription content without paying''

Blondiescot

They still use detector vans and other methods which can show if you are watching live TV.

Weren't detector vans a PR stunt to fool people into thinking they could be found out and fined for not having a TV licence?

One point about the so-called "fighting age" healthy young men from Syria is that they are escaping being conscripted by their own government to join in with the bombing and poisoning of their communities.

I’ve got the book that Danny Baker wrote with Gary Lineker but haven’t got round to reading it yet. I bought it because I saw some exerts from it that were very good. It’s odd how some people can make vile comments throughout their lives and people just get used to it and other decent people make one mistake and get ostracised for it.

growstuff
Do you ever sleep!? 😂
‘How about accepting the original offer from France to allow people to apply for asylum from France? Those who are accepted could then be given a visa and travel on any of the ferries crossing the Channel.’
Sounds like a good idea, but I still want to know why so many people are so desperate to reach the UK when France is a perfectly safe country (in comparison with many places). 🤔

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Callistemon21

Blondiescot

They still use detector vans and other methods which can show if you are watching live TV.

Weren't detector vans a PR stunt to fool people into thinking they could be found out and fined for not having a TV licence?

No, they definitely did use them and as far as I know, still do - along with other methods.