RESEARCH published earlier today suggest that Scots are more likely than those in other parts of the UK to not pay for a licence fee.
It found that the "evasion rate" north of the Border was 10%, while the figure sat at 6% in England and Wales.
It is unclear from the report whether or not these figures include just those who should be paying for a licence fee, or whether it encompasses those who do not use any BBC services.
READ MORE: Scots are more likely to not pay BBC licence fee than rest of the UK
National readers and beyond were quick to explain their reasons, with some taking issue with the way the study and some of the headlines were worded.
Below are some of the responses.
The tweets
I will never watch BBC again. I stopped years ago.
— Nikki Dragontwins 🏴 ♊ (@nikkidragontwin) January 22, 2019
"Avoid"? paying the licence fee. What, like I "avoid" paying Tesco for Liver because I think it's shit and have no reason to buy it?
— Rab (@rb2003) January 22, 2019
Scotland is short changed by BBC.
— Stanley Hardy 🇪🇺🌍 (@StanleyHardy16) January 22, 2019
If you don’t have a TV and don’t stream the iplayer, you are not a license dodger, you are exercising consumer choice.
— Paul K Johnson (@pjmelonman) January 22, 2019
Why has this been framed as evasion there is nothing within the article to suggest any illegality. Viewing habits are changing so there is a legitimate reason that revenue will fall.
— Darth MiK (@dunleavy138) January 22, 2019
Dodgers? No evidence for that slur. Scots are free to exercise consumer choice in this area and many appear to have concluded that the BBC offering is no longer attractive.
— Catherine Kearney (@kearneycath) January 22, 2019
National readers comments
Gordon Keane: "There is a common belief, that in watching anything other than BBC, you don't need to pay the License. That is false.
"Any live streaming direct to you, regardless what channel it is from, requires the TV License. That is the rules.
"However, those who don't have television, and don't watch live feeds on computer (also needing the License), were asked to let TV Licensing folks know.
I used to do that. It was for every 2 years, when they'd update it.
"But after 2014, and the appalling BBC news coverage of the Indy debates, and it's gotten much , much worse since (Radio Scotland, being the exception at times), I decided not to bother telling the dudes in Bristol anything. Now I get a constant stream of letters from them, with dire warnings!
"Not that it matters to me, but if BBC insist on being so anti Scottish, it can't complain at the reaction, coming from Scotland, against it."
John Dickson: "Licence fee? Tax you mean."
Jonathan Musgrave: "I do not pay the TV licence fee, I do not "evade" it as I do not own a TV. Not having a TV licence is not illegal – it is a perfectly logical approach the the sh*t that the BBC forcefeeds to Scotland."
Ruiseart Alcorn: "I haven't paid a tv license since the 2014 referendum! I'm not "evading" anything! Why should I pay the BBC if I don't watch the BBC? Why should the BBC get paid, regardless of which channel one watches? I get all my news from other legal sources and will never pay a tv license again!!!"
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