Free speech

[JBR]

I tried to post a comment on the GB News web-site just now, which was deleted.
I suspect that the reason may have been my use of one or two words: 'Khan't' and 'Londonistan'.
I thought that GB News was a company that respected freedom of speech, although swearing would understandably be unacceptable.
I am beginning to doubt, now, whether that particular company is becoming an online service worth following.

[Dextrous63]

I'd imagine that they have to abide by broadcasting standards like the other channels.  Your terms no doubt breached those codes.

[Michael Rolls]

like speaking the truth

[Dextrous63]

😬😬

[JBR]

I'd imagine that they have to abide by broadcasting standards like the other channels.  Your terms no doubt breached those codes.

Broadcasting?  This was an online comment, and I have seen much worse comments there.  I suppose it's probably just a matter of who is 'on duty' at the time!

[Alex]

There was a young woman on Farage tonight, I've never heard anything like it.  She was Shami Shakrabarti on speed.  GB News say they're the people's station I'm not so sure now.  I prefer to listen to Mike Graham on Talk Radio in the morning, he's on from 6 - 10 am

[Dextrous63]

Broadcasting?  This was an online comment, and I have seen much worse comments there.  I suppose it's probably just a matter of who is 'on duty' at the time!

Ah.  My apologies then.

[JBR]

There was a young woman on Farage tonight, I've never heard anything like it.  She was Shami Shakrabarti on speed.  GB News say they're the people's station I'm not so sure now.  

I have always watched GB News on the telly in preference to other news programmes, especially the BBC.  However, I am now becoming tired of the prevalence of the many advert breaks.

Of course, I realise that they are obliged to finance themselves and that, on the other hand, the BBC benefits from compulsory 'taxation' of anyone who watches not only the BBC but also any live-broadcast programmes.

Having said that, it looks like fewer and fewer people are paying them now, despite the roving 'TV licence police'.
Many people just ignore them or send them on their way by slamming the door in their face.

[klondike]

There are still many that do pay....

From ChatGPT

Here's the most up‑to‑date picture of UK TV licence‑fee payers and how that figure has changed over the past five years:

📊 Number of licences in force (at ~1 April each year)

According to official data from History of television licensing in the UK:

2021: ~ 25.208 million licences

2022: ~ 24.906 million licences

2023: ~ 24.372 million licences

2024: ~ 23.888 million licences

2025: ~ 23.792 million licences 


🧾 Current total

As of early April 2025, there are approximately 23.8 million licences in force, representing the number of licences paid and active in UK homes  .

📉 Decline over the last five years

From ~25.21 million in 2021 to ~23.79 million in 2025, that's a decline of about 1.42 million licences (around a 5.6% drop).

Year‑by‑year changes:

2021 → 2022: –0.30 million

2022 → 2023: –0.53 million

2023 → 2024: –0.48 million

2024 → 2025: –0.10 million
In total, licences have steadily decreased each year over the five-year period  .




---

✅ Summary Table

Year Licences in Force (million) Year‑on‑Year Change (million)

2021 25.208 —
2022 24.906 –0.302
2023 24.372 –0.534
2024 23.888 –0.484
2025 23.792 –0.096



---

Why the decline?

The peak in 2018 was about 26.24 million licences; since then the number has fallen each year  .

Viewers are shifting to on‑demand streaming services and younger audiences are increasingly disengaged from live broadcast content  .

Licence‑fee evasion is rising, with estimated evasion rates growing from ~7% in 2019–20 to over 11% in 2023–24  .


Let me know if you'd like a breakdown by revenue, evasion trends, or demographic details.

[Alex]

Be careful JB

.