People coming to live in the UK from elsewhere, particularly Americans, are often astounded by the TV Licence, which is how we fund the BBC. For some it confirms their idea that we’re all submissive, unimaginative and just a bit dim when it comes to commercial opportunities, for others it looks like yet another communistic bit of state-sponsored theft.
So, just putting aside for a moment the fact that I hear a lot of Americans saying that they’d do anything to have TV and Radio without pushy advertising (but presumably, like Meatloaf, they wouldn’t do *that*) and the huge cultural benefit and joy I’ve had from BBC productions all through my life, here’s one example of why I don’t mind paying for my TV licence one bit; and here’s another
Tags: BBC & podcasting & Creative Archive
Perfect Path 
We Yanks are duped these days by the possability of free TV. Sure when I first lived in Britan I thought it was a bit stupid to pay for TV, with detector vans ready to hone in on your illegal viewing. However, most Americans pay tons of money for Cable or Digital Satellite because the shows on “free” TV are shite. And what are they paying $50 a month for–88% shite. I’d, now, gladly pay a fee which went directly to support programming like the Beeb. I listen to, and support Public Radio, Public Television, Read BBC News over the Net, and the only reason I pay for Satellite TV was the allure of getting quality programming–not that we actually get any–on BBC America. The problem with that is the programming is dumbed down for middle America and we end up with the chaff, once again, while the wheat goes untasted. Now, let’s all sing the BBC song from Austing Powers. . . .
Of course we’re not immune to the cable/digital thing here either – the cable I watch tends to be the digital BBC ones anyway, and the kids just flick from Nickelodeon to MTV to Kerranggg!! to Cartoon Network and back again. Doh! (oh yeah, I occasionally watch Sky One for brand new Simpsons).