We’ve heard from academics. We’ve heard from the politicians. We’ve heard from the broadcasters, but what about the real experts…the Nans of the UK.
One of the main reasons the government have given to freeze the TV licence, was to protect older people from a sudden rise in their living costs.
This week the Culture Secretary Nadine Dorrie announced a two-year freeze to the licence – and a review of how the BBC should be funded in the future.
But what do pensioners really think of it all?
In many aspects of our lives we turn to our Grannies for wisdom and advice – and when it comes to the licence fees, they have a lot to say for themselves.
Christine Cooper, 75, from Wiltshire, says her favourite TV channel is the BBC because she believes “they offer better quality programmes and the people who are on it I like to believe are honest”.
Like many, Mrs Cooper doesn’t think the TV licence is worthwhile any longer.
“Times have changed now, people don’t need the BBC any more.”
“I would continue to pay for the licence as long as I didn’t have to pay any extra for their programmes, however if they do completely get rid of it the BBC are going to have to become more creative with how they get extra funding that they need.”
As for how much the licence costs, she believes it’s “quite a hefty lump” so it will help families with the rising living costs.
She continued: “I think it’s time for the BBC to look for different types of income.”
Similarly, Carole Bevan, 72 from Totnes, thinks it’s “time to scrap the licence now and cut the salaries of the likes of Gary Lineker who’s earning £1.36m.”
She added: “It’s just wrong making us buy a TV licence, the BBC should make their money through advertising and cut their salaries which are far too high, some are on more than our Boris who runs the country.”
But Barbara Hingley from Leamington Spa, a retired lawyer’s secretary, believes the TV license is worthwhile.
“I think it’s quite expensive, but if you analyse what you actually get, it’s worth it”, she added.
Like Mrs Cooper, the 85-year-old says her favourite channel is BBC 1 because she feels they have the best news coverage and reporters, and in her mind, the best dramas – “I don’t think anyone can come up to them with the dramas they produce”.
When asked on her opinion on the two-year freeze of the licence, Mrs Hingley agrees they’ve made the right decision due to the rising living costs at the moment – “It’s brilliant”. However, she has fears that this could cause the BBC to disappear and hopes the lack of funding won’t “water down their programmes”, which she thinks might happen if they can’t get funding from other resources.
Christine Davies from Brixham, Devon, says she enjoys the BBC for their dramas such as Call the Midwife – “it’s one of my favourites at the moment” but thinks the licence should be abolished because it’s “extremely expensive”.
