• Replies 14 replies
  • Subscribers 35 subscribers
  • Views 460 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

TV license - should we have to pay it?

Iain

I noticed another news article today about the TV license in the UK and how the government are working to block any way for you to avoid it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom


I see it is going up to £174.50 from April and looking at the services on offer I'm pretty sure this is rubbish value for money as it is the same (give or take about a pound) as a netflix subscription but with a fraction of the selection, never mind that the majority of the BBCs content is getting very old.

It seems it is nearly impossible to avoid the license fee too and the loopholes are being closed all the time.

For example, if you just want to watch Netflix then you still need to pay a license fee for the rights to watch streaming media. Absurd! It means you are spending £350 just to watch netflix.

I used one of the loopholes back in the 1990s (having 2 homes at the time as I lived many hours from where I worked) and I was hounded by the TV licensing people in spite of writing to them pointing out their own rules about why I didn't need one for my flat.

They sent letters implying they would break in with bailiffs (they have no right to do this) and all sorts of other bordeline illegal threats and it was only when I met one "enforcer" face to face on a day off that I had a huge arguement and gave him a printout of their own rules and threatened him with legal action for harassment that they left me alone.

From what I have heard from others this sort of intimidation technique is not uncommon and it is all being paid for by your license fees oddly enough.

Less Aunty Beeb and more Mom from Futurama.

Do you think the BBC is value for money? Should it still be forced on us (to pay for) in this supposed age of freedom of choice?

I think my opinion is clear but what is yours?

  • It seems irrelevant in the world of subscriptions and streaming tech.  One of many relics UK needs to toss on the ash heap.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I watch the BBC loads. On iplayer only because we don't have a broadband TV package and the digital aerial is rubbish. Haven't watched live TV (outside of sporting events) for years though. 

  • in reply to Lotus

    They have worded it ambiguously enough to cover live YouTube videos and anything live that is broadcast live rather than a private video meeting.

    I know Instagram even has live events so watching this at home would technically be in breach of their terms.

    I remember it used to be a case if you have a TV and ariel in your house then you were capable  of watching TV so needed a license so they may well adopt this route, ie if you have an internet connection then you are capable of watching broadcast TV so will need one.

    I'm just basing this off their past record and trends of changing bahaviour, especially with so many people no longer willing to pay even when obligated to by law.

  • in reply to Iain

    I don't watch or record any live TV though so it won't block me from avoiding it.

    When you say "live streaming on your computer" what does that encompass? If someone is live streaming an event from their living room onto the internet, is that included? I thought "TV" just meant TV programmes? (Although I don't watch anything live on any screen, to be clear)

  • in reply to Lotus
    Lotus said:
    I'm not sure how the government are working to block any way for us to avoid it though

    Currently if you watch any live streaming on your computer you have to have a TV license. From:

    https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/tv-licence

    You need a TV Licence if you:

    • watch or record live TV on any channel or service

  • I haven't had a TV licence for years. I completed a "No licence needed" declaration when we stopped watching live TV and every time they contact me to ask if I still don't need a licence I complete the declaration again. I can only remember someone calling at our home once a long time ago, probably shortly after my first declaration: he just politely asked my husband a few questions, didn't even want to come in, and went away satisfied. 

    So no, for me the BBC is not value for money as I don't like most of their programmes, and no it definitely should not be forced on us. If people want to watch it and pay for it that's fine. I've never understood why it's necessary to have a TV licence to watch live TV from other providers either - BBC should be a subscription service in my opinion.I

    I'm not sure how the government are working to block any way for us to avoid it though, as the link you posted just gives an article explaining what you need one for and what you don't need it for. What are they trying to change?

  • in reply to White_Dragon

    Seems like I'm the only one who will 'fess up to watching BBC, although I have two likes, it seems that maybe there are others who maybe to afraid of being shot down in flames if they admit to it? To me, my head is for sticking over parapets!

  • It's about time the license fee went in my view, advertising is perfectly fine or subscription, they spend enough time advertising their own content anyway. 

  • I don't mind paying it as I watch a lot of BBC, I wish they'd spend less on sport though, it seems that a lot of money is being spent on it to the detriment of other programes. I wish they'd all get together and have a terrestial sports channel so that more airtime could be freed up for other programes and then other programes wouldn't get messed about with because of sport or even worse because it's over run.

    I don't have any streaming channels, yes I know I'm weird. I think I probably could get them, although with our humax box I'm not sure how it would work as it has to be plugged into the hub.

    I hate adverts, I always pre-record programes on commercial channels so as I can FFW through the ads. It's also nice to have a whole hour of programe instead of 45-50 mins of one.

  • I wouldn't have an issue with advertising on the BBC, it's everywhere else. 

    If you are exclusively streaming a none-bbc product why should you pay extra for something you don't consume. I think the issue is that if you have a device that is capable of receiving TV you could possibly watch a BBC product, how can they possibly police it, would your TV licence have a pin number or qr code. I have discovery+ and every now and again you have to sign back in using a pin or qr code. This irritates my wife no end when she's trying to watch the cycling.

    I rarely watch the BBC and never listen to BBC radio. I don't watch soaps or light entertainment and reality TV makes my skin crawl.

    Then you get into the issue of pirating. There are so many streaming services and it'll cost a "few bob" to have all of them and even then they might not have the show or film you want.

  • I think it's a matter of time for it to go , almost just another tax.

    I only watch Netflix or prime.  So I would personally get rid, but partner watches some bbc programmes and so she pays for the licence. 

    I believe you only need a bbc licence for watching BBC TV /Iplayer or any live streaming (including other TV channels & streaming services) but you dont need a licence for BBC website or BBC Radio or BBC sounds.

    BBC content is poor compared to what I like to watch, often repeated countless times and also flog old formats to death = I mean if the best weekend TV is Strictly Come Dancing or Michael McIntyre then I rest my case, it's cr*p.