Do you think it's fair that we have to pay for a TV licence in order to (legally) receive television broadcasts?
A large amount of the TV licence fee goes towards supporting the BBC and its various TV and radio channels. This means that the BBC doesn't have to use advertisements to fund its programs. While the lack of advertisement within broadcasts is definitely convenient for the viewer, for people who don't make use of the BBC's services, it's a very unnecessary tax. After all, there are plenty of alternatives to the BBC.
Of course, you don't have to pay for a TV licence; but if you don't, you won't be able to legally watch live television broadcasts and could be prosecuted if you attempt to. For this reason, it's a bit of a catch 22 for the people who, for whatever reason, don't want to support the BBC. Additionally, it seems pretty harsh to prosecute someone for refusing to support the BBC, even if the licence fee is a tax.
Having said that, I'm not sure about what would happen to the BBC if it were forced to fund its projects without the help of the public.
So, do you mind paying for a TV licence? If so/not, why?