The license fee (which I support) funds all of BBC content that is not funded by the arms of the BBC which make profit (BBC worldwide, for example). The basis is generally, around the British Isles, you can obtain BBC broadcast & interactive services free of charge at the point of use. British subjects (which includes IOM & CI residents) pay a license fee in order to be permitted to use equipment that is capable of receiving television broadcasts. This is compulsory, whether or not they use that equipment to receive or view BBC content, or indeed any broadcast content. No difference if they receive the signal through terrestrial broadcast, satellite broadcast or cable, and even if you pay a subscription to the provider of the broadcast, you still pay a license fee. There is no veriation between analogue, standard digital or HD services, but I think you can get a discounted license if your TV is monochrome (black & white for those of us who had one once!) The fee is charged for use of TV kit, but funds TV, radio, web/interactive, Ceefax and many public services run by the BBC. It is perfectly legitimate to complain about spending on iPhone apps rather than web apps - as legitimate to complain about 6Music and the Asian network (DAB-only BBC radio stations) However, that's what the BBC trust is about... I think the phrase might be "there are other closed-access mobile application stores available" Now, if the rest of the world can understand the issues at stake when many license fee payers seem unaware, fine. I suspect though, that TFA's author doesn't understand them as I see them. for what it's worth, I love the BBC, despite 90% being a bit crap. I support the license fee, but would like it to be lower. I'd like 6Music on FM, I won't get DAB for my car! BBC1 is a bit crap, and regional BBC radio/TV for my area is rubbish and NEVER GET THE WEATHER RIGHT! but to abolish or curtail the BBC would be a disaster for the whole world. The freedom from advertising alone is worth £120/year and I would never listen to commercial radio, even if they abolished the BBC. A few hundred grand on iphone app development does not overly bother me.

This is the first original opinion on immigration I've heard for ages.

Er, it's Domicilium's domain. Private company, so you don't get to decide who gets a domain and who doesn't.

Unless, of course, you're proposing that the Isle of Man nationalises the .im domain? It would have to be run by a government department and I can't wait for the facebook comments on that!

Some of us saw this one coming. The UK has been a police state for approaching 25 years and all we do is go shopping. To be quite honest, when the random ravers marched in 1994 and everybody ignored us (thanks BBC, we marched right past the back of your studio!), I began to feel that the apathetic man and woman in the street were deserving of what they were going to get.

Back then, I was worried that police would have the power to stop, turn back, detain and arrest people for spurious public order offences. Now the police can shoot immigrants dead in the underground, kill bystanders at protests and get away with it. The BBC coverage (constant indignation anyone?) is a bit late.

Imagine a jackboot, stamping on a human face. Forever . Do you still need a motto for the 2012 olympics?

>>How do evolutionists explain this?

How do YOU explain it? Do you have any theory, other than "a shiny, beardy man who lives in the clouds made it that way"?