TV Licence a.k.a. the BBC tax - no, not again.
- Thread starter Danllan
- Start date
well i haven't paid for a Licence in 20 years, the letters go straight in the bin, don't even open them. I've had one call from a real life person. told him i didn't need one and shut the door. remember they are a Private company and have no right to enter your house. haven't seen anyone else in 7 years now. never let them in and never SIGN anything.
Last edited:
- Location
- South Wales UK
Even old people received tv licence bills again now???
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
But do you watch BBC. If not watching any BBC output live or iplayer, nor any live ITV viewing, then a licence is not required.
So are you telling us that is the situation. Or that you are watching live ITV and / or BBC or iplayer catch up without a licence, in which case it is illegal.
I can infer from your post one or the other. My hunch, as your make reference to a practise going back 20 years, though may be wrong. Clarification helpful JimAndy.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Eventually a different funding mechanism will have to be devised. But to debate it on here, I fear that could lead to a thread to rival the AHDB blood sucking thread. If it does then I favour the turnover method, so them rich buggers pay more than me for same viewing!!!
Chopsy Varmint
Member
Not necessarily. I ditched my tv licence when it was due for renewal at the end of Feb this year and so far I've not heard a thing, no letters, no emails, no bloke on the doorstep, despite them having a reputation for hounding women in particular.
Maybe they have a lockdown backlog to clear and I'm on a list but if they do show up I shall be asking to see their evidence that anyone at my address has been watching tv.
I've not watched live tv for a couple of years now, and wondered if I'd miss BBC iplayer but, nope, there's enough to keep me amused on Prime, Youtube and assorted podcasts without even resorting to the other channels' catch-up services.
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
It is now, but needn't be; even now it could return to political neutrality, but it won't. The management are 'woke', and like all faiths its adherents just won't settle for anything less than everyone else joining them.
It can, in that it is able to do so; but it won't because it can't survive as it wants to if it does.
Sack the Beeb gang and recruit Al Jazera reporters.
I don't watch BBC or ITV in any form. i get ALL my content via the internet. in the early days i played a lot of online games watch youtube a lot. now i have netflix, nowtv (which i swap around 6 months of each) amazon prime, and disney+. i also have a number of subs to mags and paper that have been moved to online were possible.
should say i've always been a big user of the internet. i had ISDN installed when most were still using dial up. i was one of the first to have ADSL (engineer told me i was the second one he done) swapped to Fttc as soon as i could and i'm now on ftth(god it fast)
edit
should also say it not that i don't watch any BBC stuff. i just wait till i can buy it in BluRay
Last edited:
wanton dwarf
Member
I had harrassment for years including them turning up at my door and saying they wanted to see my equipment.
I told them they have no legal right to look at anything and removed their implied right of access to my property - they can get a legal document to enter my property .. god knows what they are looking for other than an excuse to fine you IMHO.
IMHO they can't be bothered with facts .. such as use of the internet for entertainment.
Chopsy Varmint
Member
I'm waiting for it.
The law (and their own website) says you can own a tv and 'receiving equipment' (which of course these days includes a mobile phone), but you can't use it for any live tv and iplayer. In law, the burden of proof is on the prosecution so they will have to request my internet usage from my ISP (for which there are GDPR implications as they are not the police), and spend fruitless hours peeping through the window to see if they can catch my tv turning itself on, even though as you say, they have no legal right of entry of access to anyone's home.
I'm very fed-up on a daily basis these days so I'm looking forward to the fight. I've already researched a lady lawyer to go to court with me if necessary. Did you know that 72% of prosecutions are against women? Easy target, huh? Bring it on.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
The reason most prosecutions are against women is more women tend to be at home during the day when these guys call, also very possibly they are more honest.
I do worry that we are as a society losing all access to daily news from all sources. It may be fair to accuse the BBC of bias in some cases, and giving undue air time to others. However internet news services will tend to stream those stories which they know appeal to you and this means your news will become very restricted. Its an increasing problem right across the political spectrum.
I worry particularly that children are having no access to news at all, they are becoming increasingly insular in a world which is ever more global. They are living in a disneyfied world, and we in agriculture will pay for it!
YorkshireAndrew
Member
- Location
- West / North Yorks border
I don’t watch much tv at all but listen to the radio a lot , there’s a lot of deadwood in the BBC which needs thinning out but for all their faults I reckon £3/week is pretty good value .
Last edited:
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Hi - does the radio come out of general taxation?! I thought when the director general of BBC was explaining the impact of paying the over 70s licence some radio stations would be closed to help balance the books. Do not know of top of my head so genuine question.
Cheers.
PS - was impressed with you online use of media in reply to my previous post. Now I am the opposite. I spend most of my time listening to Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Asian network, World Service and local radio - Lincolnshire. And BBC4 and 2 primarily. So I am a BBC junkie. My hope is the funding arrangements are updated as I expect to have to pay more - do not subscribe to any other media. My concern is the Government - Tory Party really - will destroy it first, rather than let those of us who like it pay for it. Tories are ideologically opposed to the BBC. hey ho.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
No, the TV licence , covers the cost of the radio service. The simple fact was the cost of Charging for it cost to much on its own. At one time youneeded a licence for a car radio
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Looking how it compares to sky and Netflix And BT I find it stunning value.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
More than stunning. I am disappointed folk do not listen to the radio more - so many excellent researched programmes. The World Service projects such an excellent soft power face to the world.
- Location
- S E Glos
Once you've ditched the licence they check up on you every two years. Just with a letter asking you to confirm you don't need a licence, no great sweat.
Chopsy Varmint
Member
That's what I figured but I'm still expecting them to hassle me at some point. Be prepared and all that.