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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Comment
Cal Byrne

Talking Point: Are you happy to pay for a TV licensing fee?

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (Steve Parsons/PA)

(Picture: PA Wire)

The news that the government is looking to scrap the license fee didn’t come as a surprise to many, nor did the timing of the announcement given the recent turmoil Boris Johnson’s premiership has found itself in, but it did cause an outpouring of emotion on social media for what might be lost if the move goes ahead. Many people took to Twitter to share the graphic of all the radio and TV channels offered by the broadcaster, including former footballer Gary Lineker and comedian Armando Iannucci.

Lineker played on a famous advert for the BBC, saying: “Yes the BBC brings you the best in news, in sport, in drama, in music, in children’s, in science, in history, in entertainment, in current affairs and Sir David bloody Attenborough….but apart from that what has the BBC ever done for us?”

Iannucci was similarly upset, quote tweeting Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweet announcing the move, saying it was more likely to be the minister’s last announcement on the license fee than the last one for the corporation altogether.

However, most who tweeted their support of the icon of broadcasting around the world did suggest that there were improvements that were needed to the service in light of recent events where people feel the BBC has come up short.

What are your thoughts on the matter of the BBC’s license fee? Are you happy to continue paying for the service, or would you rather see an alternative model introduced? Let us know your thoughts in the comments for the chance to be featured on the ES website tomorrow.

Friday’s Talking Point: Should Djokovic be allowed play in the Australian Open?

AnonEMouse wrote: “Send this arrogant man back to his home country and don’t let him out until he has learned that we all have to obey the law.”

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