Refuse to pay your TV licence fee - UK Agriculture Fight back

[Drillman]

when we were students at ag college i recall them coming around. They asked if they could come in, we said no, that was the end of it

Iirc there was usually a warning and word soon got out of a detector van was spotted and Telly’s quickly switched off. I never bothered with a license at college.

I don’t recall anyone getting into bother over it either.

 

[DrWazzock]

I would be very surprised if the detector van can detect anything particularly in a street where there are dozens of electronic devices operating and TV is now often digital and cable. All they have is a list of premises that don't have a licence.

 

[Clive]

when we were students at ag college i recall them coming around. They asked if they could come in, we said no, that was the end of it

actually ......... maybe this is were the BBC’s deep hate of farmers began ? don’t think many at HAUC were paying their licence !

did that detector van man one day become director general ? !

 

[farmerm]

So what can the BBC actually do if they catch you watching BBC1 or 2 without a licence?

Any examples of prosecutions?

And what can they do if they catch you sat happily. Watching say Dave, quest ITV4 or amazon without a telly licence?

As far as the law is concerned watching Dave, or BBC2 are all equal, it covers watching any live tv not just BBC content, it also covers viewing of iPlayer. So for gawd sake don’t try use that as a defence! You can watch other catchup services without licence.

Apparently 130,000 (weirdly 2/3s being women!) prosecuted in 2018.. BBC have outsourced enforcement to Capita who's staff are paid significant bonus for results. 1 in 10 cases in the criminal courts are for no payment of TV licence!

If taken to court it’s £1000 and a criminal record (which can make overseas trips rather difficult I believe). But for those who buy a licence before their court date the case is usually dropped..

At least all according to the Express 2017...

if the above story is true I would suggest Capita are pretty good at finding and prosecuting none payers!

 

[farmerm]

I would be very surprised if the detector van can detect anything particularly in a street where there are dozens of electronic devices operating and TV is now often digital and cable. All they have is a list of premises that don't have a licence.

There has never been a detector van, not a real one at least! Detector van is just a man with a camera looking though windows of properties with no licence... his job gets easier each year as TVs get bigger!!

 

[Dman2]

Absolutely. I have never seen TV outside of the UK, so am glad that someone with a wider perspective has pointed out the virtues of the BBC. For me BBC radio alone is worth the licence fee. As have said before, it's not the BBC at fault it is agriculture in being so sh!te at telling its story.

My beef is that it is no more than a tax
Why should we be forced by law to pay for a broadcasting service??
I would quite happily pay for something worthwhile, how many subscribe to Sky or Netflix, Amazon Etc
Personally don`t watch a lot of telly
Certainly not enough to justify the licence fee

 

[renewablejohn]

There has never been a detector van, not a real one at least! Detector van is just a man with a camera looking though windows of properties with no licence... his job gets easier each year as TVs get bigger!!

Will be disappointed at our house then being grade 2 listed

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Absolutely. I have never seen TV outside of the UK, so am glad that someone with a wider perspective has pointed out the virtues of the BBC. For me BBC radio alone is worth the licence fee. As have said before, it's not the BBC at fault it is agriculture in being so sh!te at telling its story.

Never been to the Netherlands? Their programmes especially with regard to politics and or government would be a lot more in depth and critical than what you have in the UK?

 

[ollie989898]

Just watched a programme onbbc2 called the Windermere children.
I doubt this programme would have been made if the BBC was either audience or profit driven.
I’ll never understand in a democracy that just because you disagree with an organisation you could want it removed or changed beyond recognition.
History will not thank you.

Im not against the BBC. Im against mandatory payments for their carp. I pay to watch Amazon. Quality stuff when i want to watch it. Not a threat of legal action if I dont subscribe.

 

[Lowland1]

Is n't there a whuff of hypocrisy in all of this a group of society heavily funded by the taxpayer complaining about being forced to fund another body heavily funded by the taxpayer. Why should you pay if you only watch netflix or sky or whatever. Why should the taxpayer fund the farmer if he or she can buy his beef from Argentina or Uganda or get his frozen chips from Belgium. You are unlikely to get the week long farming 'love in' that was on BBC breakfast in August or see the attention that was given to farming especially during these wet times by BBC North on Netflix or Amazon. There are definitely alternatives but it works both ways.

 

[Clive]

Im not against the BBC. Im against mandatory payments for their carp. I pay to watch Amazon. Quality stuff when i want to watch it. Not a threat of legal action if I dont subscribe.

No idea why the BBC don‘t adopt the same Amazon / Netflix model - I think they would take more revenue doing so

 

[Lowland1]

It

No idea why the BBC don‘t adopt the same Amazon / Netflix model - I think they would take more revenue doing so

It's the national broadcaster. The whole point is it should be independent. The fact that it is state funded allows it to do things other broadcasters cannot because they are unpopular or unlikely to generate sufficient advertising or direct revenue. Get rid of question time and replace it with Jeremy Kyle it's only worth watching for most people if there is going to be a punch up. We could have the World Service sponsored by the CIA or some other vested interest. The BBC isn't perfect so improve it don't abolish it. Remember those other terrible institutions such as the MMB and PMB look how everything has improved with their abolition.

 

[Drillman]

actually ......... maybe this is were the BBC’s deep hate of farmers began ? don’t think many at HAUC were paying their licence !

did that detector van man one day become director general ? !

I only knew of one person with a licence! The rest of us in our Hall considered that to be plenty good enough??

 

[Hfd Cattle]

No idea why the BBC don‘t adopt the same Amazon / Netflix model - I think they would take more revenue doing so

I think the BBC know that if they were to do a 'pay to view' policy like other channels they would be very short of subscribers.
On another note .... I Cant ever see a detector can come down our long lane .....can't see it ever happening and that probably accounts for many many farms .

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Is n't there a whuff of hypocrisy in all of this a group of society heavily funded by the taxpayer complaining about being forced to fund another body heavily funded by the taxpayer. Why should you pay if you only watch netflix or sky or whatever. Why should the taxpayer fund the farmer if he or she can buy his beef from Argentina or Uganda or get his frozen chips from Belgium. You are unlikely to get the week long farming 'love in' that was on BBC breakfast in August or see the attention that was given to farming especially during these wet times by BBC North on Netflix or Amazon. There are definitely alternatives but it works both ways.

Mate, some of us get nothing from the taxpayer and absolutely fudge all from the government, so absolutely no chance of hypocrisy here, eh!!!

 

[Danllan]

Mate, some of us get nothing from the taxpayer and absolutely fudge all from the government, so absolutely no chance of hypocrisy here, eh!!!

Same for some of us here in the UK too.

 

[manhill]

We don't eat badgers.....or lynx.....and there's plenty of them about!

Beavers?

 

[Lowland1]

But a lot of people making comments here do get a lot from the taxpayer. Good for you then it's great that you can exist without the taxpayers help. However it doesn't alter what i believe which is that all countries need a state media agency that is independent of both government and vested interests

 

[Gong Farmer]

all countries need a state media agency that is independent of both government and vested interests

Yes, we do indeed.

 

[michael N123]

Should take on a amazon/Netflix style payment system