Good for Noel Edmunds.
Do we have a champion for the opressed British citizen?
The TV licence is supposed to fund none advertising worthwhile TV broadcasting. It is neither good value nor free from advertising.

Paul Williams, Telford, Shropshire

The low paid salesmen who work for Capita/TVL have as much power as a 17 year old boy working part time on a burger van.

Well done Noel, you have just joined the millions of households who no longer pay the BBC.

Ewan Tait, glasgow, UK

Excellent! Thanks heavens for people like Noel Edmonds. Time to end the licence fee (aka tax). If the BBC is as popular as it claims to be, then it can survive via subscription fees.

Noel, tell us where to send our donations to your cause!

Blue, Maidstone,

I felt the BBC License was excellent value for money however I now no longer think so.

Every 15/20 mins a programme is interrupted with an advert for one of their other programmes.

I willingly paid my licence to enjoy 'Ad Free' Broadcasting.It's irrelevent to me what the ad, advertises!

Anne Kent, Dorset,

I agree with noel edmonds it is about time somebody who works in television has the bottle to stand up and give their honest opinion and not just reflect the opinions of their media bosses.But i suppose it could also be down to how financially secure you are and if you face the wrath and get sacked

MICK, middlesbrough, cleveland

It would be nice to stand up and refuse to pay the licence fee but because of illness we are on benefits and could not afford the possible £1000 fine .But everything noel said even down to immigration i applaud him.If i had the finances i would leave this country in a heartbeat.Well done Noel

Mick, Middlesbrough, Cleveland

The best way to sort this is for the BBC to advertise, as it does on BBC World. then there would be no need for a license, which is a con anyway. I agree with Noel and have not paid a license for 3 years now and will continue not doing so.

Michael, Bournemouth, UK

Watching BBC World, I see they now include adverts for products including alcohol.......so the public pay them fees and they also take money from advertising......best of both worlds !

PR, Manchester,

The BBC does not reflect the views or opinions of the Indigenous peoples of the UK. Their Presenters arent representative either..

PAUL, London,

I had a threatening letter telling me that they knew I'd just bought a telly but not a tv licence. If they can find that out and send me a letter surely they could have been bothered to check that we do indeed have a licence at that address - in my wife's name.

Tim, London,

Having lived in other countries and experienced their TV I have a lot of respect for the BBC, no other country can compare to the quality they provide. Also don't forget the licence fee also pays for the national and local radio stations so I for one am happy to pay it.

Stephen, Cambridge , UK

The TV License funds the creation of BBC content. It then commercialises that content in order to reap maximum monetary benefits, compete with other channels and pay themselves huge salaries. Daylight robbery.

Matthew, Bucks, UK

Sorry, but 79-year-olds DO need TV licences (if they watch or record live TV programmes). They can apply to have them free.

Simon Gesler, Reading, England

Question , I cannot pick up any normal channels BBC 1,2,3,ITV and so I have to have SKY to watch anything , ok so I watch BBC on that but pay £50 a month , I still pay the TV license for fear of prosecution , do I have to ???

andy, chalfont, england

He's quite right ! The BBC is getting steadily worse with its lame period dramas, awful talk shows and reality tv mince - they've got a cheek asking for cash for that rubbish in the first place. Most of it is self-indulgent claptrap -they'd be better off just putting repeats of Morecambe & Wise on

Lorne, Ayr, UK

If Noel Edmonds wants to learn more he should watch this fantastic presentation. It explains so much that is wrong with our society and how deep it goes.

http://www.edgemediatv.com/article001_icke.html

georgia, stockton, uk

Noel Edmunds is a brave man to challenge the big brother organization aka BBC and its bully boy tactics.The outrageous stealth tax aka licence fee takes away peoples right to chose or pay for whatever they want on TV.All channels should be commercial and become self supporting.Barry Buckley .SE2.

Barry Buckley, Sydenham.London, UK

If they ever put Noel Edmonds on again, I too will join this boycott. The amount of utter dross TV that man has been involved with is staggering

Jason, York,

This protest is good but has only financial focus. It is absurd that the BBC can decide its own editorial agenda. This results in censorship, obfuscation & fawning coverage of the Democratic Convention etc. etc. Objective truth is a practical alternative.

Ali Murray, Solihull,

Sally Heywood - Your 79 year old father does not need a TV licence. All he has to do is declare his age - even if he does not have a TV it would get the dreaded licensing authority off his back.

Michael Taylor, Dunbar, Scotland

A producer of second rate programmes and politically left wing biased. Nobody should be forced to pay for this dreadful organisation called the BBC.

chris, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Sally Heywood - You do not need a TV licence if you are 79.

If your father declares his age he will get one free - so even if he does not own a TV he will be freed from persecution by the dreaded TVLA.

Michael Taylor, Dunbar, Scotland

I don't watch any BBC channels so why should I have to pay this tax (that's what it is !).
It's time their channels were encripted for those who want to pay £139 !
People in other countries laugh at us for having to pay this.

Martin Briggs, Heversham, England

Good luck to Noel. He has my support, its about time someone spoke out against the TV licence.
The BBC couldn't even secure highlights from our national football teams game last week.
Its a tax, imposed by the government & has nothing to do with providing good programming. Rubbish is what it is!

Kelly, london, uk

It is time someone stood up to this intimidation!
The BBC assumes all homes must have televisions and treats those who do not as guilty evaders. My 79 year old father with no television was terrorized by their letters -threats of police, and so upset that he nearly bought an unnecessary license

sally heywood, southport, merseyside

just to clarify to some the i player does not work outside the uk.
and can not be accessed

a d, cape town , south africa

Top Gear and Dr Who are the only decent shows on BBC.

Both are on iPlayer within 24 hours of broadcast.

I'd wait 24 hours to save £139. Who wouldn't?

It seems the BBC spends more time watching me than I spend watching the BBC...

matt cassel, Eastbourne,

Let the English Tax Payers pay for Welsh & Scottish tv viewers licences the same as we pay for their upgraded health and education etc. benefits that we English are excluded from - "positive discrimination" no less!

Nick g., woodford, england

Funny how they (a private debt firm) can threaten to smash your door down and put you in jail if the BBC *suspect* you are breaking the law, but when they got caught breaking the law (phone-ins) no BBC exec's door got jack-booted in and nobody ended up in the nick.
Oh how typically modern Britian!

Scott, glasgow, scotland

Does Noel have a television? He hasn't said is is breaking the law, just that he has cancelled his licence. I agree with his stance re BBC tactics, and encryption sounds like a good idea (Sarah, dudley)

Matt S, London, England

Well done Noel. The methods and advertising that they and other labour government organisations use to collect payments are reminiscent of East Germany , NOT a supposed democracy. This is yet another indication of the police state that Labour has built in 11 years of dictatorship.

alan, london, uk

One rarely sees the hand that feeds bitten on such a breathtaking scale.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

What about those who object to the BBC forcing PC rubbish and its left-leaning stance on the world down our throats? (Watched childrens TV recently? Talk about PC propaganda).
It's abandoned the veneer of impartiality, yet a criminal conviction for not paying? Come on!

Roger B, Norwich,

I got rid of my television 2 years ago, and I still get reminders saying someone is going to come and check, well there welcome to come. My house is a TV free zone. Sara is right if the BBC want you to pay then encrypt the channel, Sky do no one complains about paying for that, though they should.

Paul, Manchester, Lancs

"news coverage " theres a joke, the bbc is awfull , they just reapt the same thing every 30 mins and never ever go over 10 mins on a peace, why for the love of god with 24 hours to fill they can not go indepth on something for once, rather than showing hours of nothing here is that fire still burnin

MR Jones, Liverpool, England

I agree totally with Sarah from Dudley, but they must know that this would no longer work with the vast selection available on other channels. The concept is pre-war mentality, when choices were limited. This scenario no longer exists.

Jim, Norwich, UK

In the past seven years when I have had no television reception i.e no need of the of the TV license, I have had 3 visits to my home from the license people to check that what I said was true. The posters we see on the wall smack of big brother "We are watching you" state. Noel Edmunds is right.

John, Motherwell, Scotland

In my opinion the BBC is still some thing to be proud of. Yes it may have is in-efficiencies and yes, perhaps it could do with an over-haul but all-in-all it produces the best material anywhere in the world. The olympic coverage, all the Attenborough stuff, Top Gear, comedies.

Stop whinging.

Mark, Cardiff, Wales

Good on you Noel. The threatening BBC licence warnings are a disgrace. If it was any sector other than quasi-Govt they would be banned. We don't need state broadcasting. Scrap the licence fee and make the BBC operate in the real world. It is just a tax which hits poorer people hardest, as usual.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

The BBC licence fee allows you to possess a television receiver. Nowadays this includes computers and mobile phones, but nobody chases anyone who has them, despite the BBC putting its iplayer online. And any non-Brits who use iplayer abroad don't pay any licence fee. End the licence fee now.

John N Sutherland, Skelmorlie, United Kingdom

Ben is right. I too would never have thought I would agree with anything Noel Edmonds did - but I do with this. The BBC is awful. I am seriously considering following Mr Edmonds' example, And by the way, we should be knocking Lords Lieutenant and all that mediaeval stuff on the head too!

Alec Taylor, Towcester, Northants

I have not had a TV for 7 years. I really don't miss it. But I do VERY strongly object to the bullying and threatening letters I received up until last year from the TV Licensing authority. Thankfully, I am not weak, infirm or old and so could slough off the threats. Others might not be able to do

Julia, London,

The fee is awesome value for money - the news coverage alone is worth the the full amount... add to this documentaries, sports, (just remember how good the Olympic coverage was), and you have the bargain of bargains.

C. Fowler, Wakefield,

I had a `reminder' from the TV licencing authority, although I have a TV licence.
It was crude, bullying and intrusive, they threatened to invade my home and I refused to reply to it.
If this is the price we pay for the BBC it isn't worth it, civil liberties are more important than the telly.

Paul Gooch, Lincoln, England

Here's a simple solution - encrypt the BBC channels. This would allow those not interested in funding the BBC to continue watching television and the multitude of commercial channels that exist, whilst 'protecting' the BBC from those of us who do not believe we should be forced to pay a tv tax.

Sarah, Dudley, UK

Threatening adverts are also theme for the Government (we know where you live). I lost all respect for the BBC when they became so obviously biased in their politics. Scrap the license.

Roger, Surrey.,

It may have been thought at one time that commercial TV could not be trusted to provide unbiased news, hence the need for an accoutable broadcaster's public funding. It's misjudgement s about staff salaries and its PC left leaning shows the BBC is not now needed.

T Martin, Bromley, Kent

Peolpe forget the fantastic documentaries, such as Trials Of Life with David Attenborough and period dramas that our licence fee pays for, coupled with the excellent news reporting, which other channels do not produce. I'd like to see how long those complainers last without watching a BBC programme.

Carol, Oxford,

To correct the quoted spokesman: "he law is clear: anyone caught watching or recording TV programmes AT THE TIME OF BROADCAST without a licence risks prosecution". Waste of money, just like the BBC's output.

John Scott, London,

In this day and age, it is an anachronism for the viewer to pay a fee to the BBC. The BBC no longer has a monopoly on television broadcasting in Britain and undermines itself by providing a free playback service on the internet. Many would agree also, that the fee is no longer value-for-money.

Jonny Rose, Croydon, UK

The BBC has no relevancy in the 21st century Britain, and has become a burden to most Britons in these recessionary times. The time has come to send Auntie packing.

John, London, England

Perhaps he would care to have his massive unmerited salary paid in the form of a series of boxes, all empty except one, from which he had to select and accept only…

Bob Hughes, Wolverhampton, UK

Noel Edmonds is right...I never thought I'd agree with him on anything! The UK is becoming a place where the 'quality of life' is becoming worse every year. This is not something being imagined by a few people on the fringes of society. This is a mainstream reality! The licence fee is doomed.

Ben Hammond, Northampton, UK

They should stop the licence fee as most if not all of there programs are repeats. As there are so many channels now we dont need the BBC anymore, and if they where to make TV's that did not show the BBC i bet most of us out there would buy them and just watch all the other channels.

James, London, England