Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I have come to the conclusion that TV license fee should be scrapped. Yes I pay for it and I find that it makes me want to watch more TV and if I got rid of the TV and told them so, they would still make me pay it because they wouldn't believe I had totally stopped watching it and still had access to it on computer or other devices.

These days you can watch TV in most library's on their computers - so why should we keep paying for it?

The alternative is that they scrap it and the BBC start having advertising. What they could do is keep BBC 1 as it is - with no ads and then have another channel like BBC 2 which has ad breaks or have all ad breaks and have private subscription channel kept as it is now with no ads.

I just think the license has had it's day - what does anyone here think?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I think i may go to jail, then i can watch it all day n not pay for it.:D

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I do pay my TV License, but I do feel that it is outdated and should be axed.
There are lots of websites out there regarding this: Letters from BBC Television Licensing/intro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lzS8yW8INA

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Haven't paid for a tv licence in almost 48 years ... which just happens to be the amount of time I've been in Canada.:D

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

We can decide whether we pay for other channels why not bbc?

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I think the BBC should pay us to watch it, especially as nearly every other programme seems to feature Clare Balding.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

The licence is to receive TV transmissions not just BBC. There are many free channels, you only pay for premium TV.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Does "live" programming include all the repeats?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

We've got the satellite dish set for the Astra 2d sat, so we get the UK telly channels without the extortionate licence fee. That said though we still pay the "GEZ", the German equivalent even though we don't use their services,

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Anything that is being broadcast, whether a live show or a repeat is classed as a live transmission.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

We had the same in France, used Sky which was registered as being in UK, didn't use French TV but the "licence" is included in their version of Council Tax

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I think most of the British military posted to Germany were using sky because BFBS/SSVC telly was crap. It's amazing how many troops didn't have a "house phone" & had to use a phone box on the corner to get the signal released while they could watch & wave to the Missus as she jiggled the dish to get a picture. ;)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

You do not have to pay for a TV license here in oz. We have been here over 40years and never had to pay for one.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

[QUOTE=Aussie Irene;1147941]For the past 3yrs or so i've not watched TV and had no need for a license.Yet even after I've informed them of this they still send me letters (pictured above) which is a total waste of money as i don't even open them anymore (I'll spare you the rant about the oppressive presumption of guilt etc :D).they even pay capita to do the license processing now...another waste of money....

...like you say,it has had its day :)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

IMO if your going to not pay for the license and still watch TV as it is broadcast and are naive (or stupid) enough to let the TVLI into your house or sign their documents or sya you have been watching live tv - then a fine is needed as a kick up the bum.

If your going to not pay for it then at least stick to not using it or learn whats what!

I have a license, maybe next year I won't bother as I'll likely only be watching downloaded stuff then, put the cost of the license into paying for a good VPN.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

The only snag is that if TV License goes then the BBC will probably have to start having ad breaks and that would spoil BBC 1 - so perhaps keep one channel ad free and have BBC2 with advertisements.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I watch some German TV here in England because I bought a dongle for about £20. And when I visit Germany I take a telly with me and watch some on that.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

As usual,there are plenty of folk being charged with having no licence in "before the bench" in the observer...some even being more severally punished than what I'd described as 'real criminals' :rolleyes:

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

once saw this in a paper (some time ago)
man fined for not having TV license £200 fine
then another man charged with assault and littering fined £150

note: its cheaper to ram your bus ticket down someone's throat:D

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

another problem would be that the adverts would be repeated less than teh tv shows

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

The BBC is already full of adverts, albeit for BBC programs.

This is why we use Sky boxes etc, so we can record stuff and fast fwd through any adverts.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Yes but this is why BBC relies on TV License fees to maintain ad free zones. Take that away and they'll have to have 4 mins ad breaks in the middle of Eastenders and Springwatch etc.

I pay for TV license - fact is if everybody paid it - then the amount could come down, there are loads people who avoid paying and get away with it which is why they keep it high.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

No mate, they keep it high so they can give themselves outrageous pay packets & perks.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I think it's wrong that they name and shame people for the 'crime' of not having a TV license. It's only money, not beating someone to a pulp.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

What other crimes would you pick and choose as not being important enough to bother reporting? A crime is a crime

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

A very simple solution - pay for a licence like the majority of others do

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

well maybe more people should not pay it and force the bbc either into advertising or bankruptcy

we dont need the bbc anymore if it vanished over night theres plenty of networks more than willing to shovel the same sort of mindless crap onto our screens such as eastenders for free

i am a proud non payer of the tv license and have not paid for one for the past 10 years.I watch very few bbc shows and those i watch i watch legally without a tv licence

even had the knock on the door from their goon squad who couldn't do squat because despite knowing what i am doing is legal i still dont have to answer to them or let them into my property

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

With your use of the term goon squad, are you one of those who posts those abusive You Tube doorstep confrontation videos?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

wow thats a big leap

thank god i didnt say nazis you would think i was hitler

although i have seen those videos and well done to the people who send the tv licence men legally away from their property

just beacuse you dont like that i dont have to pay for a tv licence dont start insinuating im a thug and abusive i had my setup examined once by the bbc and they were happy with it i just dont let them keep coming back.If they want to enter my house again they will need to get a warrant and if they manage to do so they will find that i still dont need a tv licence

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I wasn't insinuating anything. Just asking a question because of your use of the term goon squad, a term used by those people who post those videos. I have seen those videos too. It's not a job I would like, what with the amount of abuse they have to take. Why did you call them goon squads?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

because they lie to gain access to peoples property and trick people into signing admissions of guilt

until they gain access to your house the only information they have about you is that you havnt purchased a tv licence for that property they have no idea and no way of proving you are using a tv until they see it with their own eyes so use lies to gain access to your home

even the police have to have a warrant these people just claim they have the super power of entering peoples homes which puts them above the police if true.

they dont get too abusive to men they do like to throw their weight around with people such as young single mums though and see poverty stricken areas as a good source to keep their fine rates up

thats my opinion of them and its not just formed from youtube clips iv seen their shady and bullying tactics up close and boy did his attitude change when he realised there was a man in the house

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I don't pay for a TV licence either.Im 84,so I get it free,but I would still pay for my licence as I prefer the crap on the Beeb to the crap on ITV.I have a system where I can record all the programmes I am interested in and fast forward through all the adverts.Its the adverts that are the problem, not the TV licence.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

the internet has made the bbc irrelevant you can get access to tv shows from all over the world for free

older folk may not be bothered or fussed but the new generation and upcoming generations dont need the BBC.The bbc know this and it is why they tried also getting a internett licence enforced as well as a tv licence a few years back on the grounds that amongst the billions of websites in the world someone british might click on theirs

they lost that one but they keep tweaking it in the hopes of getting their own way

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

The beeb does not have adverts due to the license but ITV do? - so this tells me that IOTV and all other channels that have adverts should be license free.
However they are not, they are all covered by the license, so it is only the beeb that "does not have adverts" which is actually wrong - it does but all beeb adverts, adverts for whats on the beeb.

Again this is why shy+ (or tivo) is a boon so that they can all be ff through.

I'm shortly going completely broadcast free and will be cancelling my license if everything works right, the savings will enable me to get a decent media player and vpn to stream tv instead.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

trust me on this is your thinking of buying one of those boxes that say you can watch hundreds of movies and tv shows dont buy one they all use kodi which is free.Theres even a simple user ready vesion you install to android or pc called tvmc that has channels preloaded

once you get used to it you can add more tv plugins with thehlp of free online tutorials on youtube and websites with forums like this that will answer questions and help

you can even watch live uk tv on kodi with a time delay so your not watching a live broadcast

that of course is if you are buying one of those rip off boxes

ps: the ones that plug into your hdmi port and look like a usb stick can blow your tv AV board up they have very poor quality power supplies

extra ps:

before you buy a vpn have you tried simply changing your dns to open dns in your router it dosnt get around all blocks but has worked on a a lot of sites that my internet provider says they dont want me to see


dont mean to sound patronizing i have no idea of your skill level or age etc just offering some advice that you may or may not need or want lol

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Cheers, it looks like it will be an Amazon fire stick and I'll be putting Kodi & blackbox on for now.
The only problem is getting one, everywhere seems to be out of stock so it will have to be Amazon themselves I think.
And next year we will upgrade top a full media box with more bells & whistles, led's & sockets lol

I didn't know you could do that with the TV, sounds a good idea and I bet the licensing will be after me if I forego the license - but I'm not going to openly discuss not having one on here if\when I scrap it.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

if you run kodi from your laptop or pc to your tv you dont need a tv licence just pull the arial out the back and they cant do jack.Just dont renew and wait for the letter they send saying you dont seem to have bought another license and sign the bit saying you no longer need one

they will then send a letter saying they may send a person round to check

last time i checked you are under no obligation to let them enter your home

i let them in once and the time after that i slammed the door in his face



i dont need the BBC and im not breaking any current laws but please check for yourself i dont want you getting caught out over something minor :-)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Not questioning your motives, but according to the TV Licensing website, that is not true.
If your going to give advice about breaking a law, regardless of views about it, better to get the facts.

Although I pay my license fee, i do sometimes wonder why:eek:

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Maybe because you're honest?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

i did say ;)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

bbc say im not crooked as far as tv licence goes but you seem to know better

next time they call i might just let them in to see if they want to run things by you before giving me the all clear

the world is changing in fact it has and in a big way regarding media.If the BBC want to insist on keeping their current system they are going to have to get government to make new laws for them or they could always earn their money like every other tv company has to

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I was responding to Boeing Guy's comment about sometimes wondering why he paid for his TV licence. You weren't even in my thoughts when I did so. Don't be touchy. It's not all about you, you know.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

From the TV licencing website:
So if you're watching or recording something that is being shown simultaneously on terrestrial freeview, regardless of where the signal is coming from, you need a licence.

In order

• not relevant
• yes you are
• I did

:)
The government's use of the licence fee income is not relevant - if you watch or record any of the freeview channels, including the +1 and +24 channels, as they are being broadcast (either live or time shift) you should have a TV licence.

If you go onto the BBC iPlayer website and browse through the old programs that are available, you won't have any questions raised. As soon as you click on a "watch live" link, you get a popup asking if you have a tv licence.

I've been campaigning in the family to get rid of our TV licence because we watch about three hours of live TV per week, and it's all dross. My son watches youtube channels, I watch archived shows from back when TV was worth watching (c**p - I've turned into my dad), my wife watches some daytime TV if she's trying to wind down after a bad shift at the hospital and my stepson just has rubbish on for the background noise. I reckon we could get all that off the internet.

Incidentally, if anyone is planning to try to circumvent the licence requirement by using the internet as the source for live TV, you should probably take steps to anonymise your connection. The way the licensing team "get" you is if you grant them access to your premises, or if they can see your TV through a window. The so-called detector vans don't work. However, using your internet connection leaves a data trail that can be used as proof of what you were watching. I've no idea if they would actually go to such lengths to prove their case, but it's worth noting.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

There must be easier ways of saving £2.80/week.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Yep - having one less Guinness on a Wednesday saves way more than that.

But at least I'm getting value for money from my Guinness...

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Ooeer missus, something we should know about you two?:D

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Took me a minute (and a half-typed reply) to realise what you were getting at... :p

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

As previously said - the license is required only when watching TV at the same time as it is broadcast.
So if it's streamed AND the stream is delayed then a license is not required, there is no definition of the requirement for how long a delay.

The only way the TVLI (who are a private company and not a government body - hence have no legal rights to enter you property) get you is if your stupid enough to let them in or sign their documentation - or allow your TV to be watched while you are watching broadcast tv without a license - we see enough of these people in the paper every week that are up before the bench.

I have a license, I now have a firestick that has enough TV to keep me going for a very long time without the need to watch UK broadcast TV so I may well not renew my license when it next comes up.

I can't afford Guiness, perhaps if I didn't have such high tv license & Vm bills I may be able to :)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

What's your source for that? Every other method of timeshifting a broadcast, such as pausing live TV or VCR recording a broadcast to watch later, requires a licence. If watching a live stream of a terrestrial broadcast needs a licence (and it does), then watching a time shift of that live stream also needs a licence.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I'm a bit confused. See post 39 about streaming.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

My source is the law (ISTR communications act 2003), not the TVLI.

The license is required to watch broadcast tv at the time it is broadcast, if you use a VCR to record it you also need the license as you are receiving it at the time it is broadcast.

However if you stream it from another site that is not showing it at the same time that it is broadcast then the license is not required.
I'm not talking about a couple of seconds delay, a couple of minutes streamed TV is outside of the license requirements.

Whatever the TVLI website says is often misleading and designed to fool you into buying a license when you do not need one.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

i think bbc america has adverts because they cant enforce a tv licence there

this probably wont be believed but i once posted in the adult section a clip of a movie broadcast on a european bbc broadcast but it was lost when the site got upgraded a few years back

the screen shot was from a hardcore bondage porn movie and had the then BBC logo in the top corner

seems to me that the BBC are everywhere but were the only ones subject to a tv licence

some may object that other countries are getting free hardcore porn and we dont lol... and the porn stars were of legal age so bravo to the bbc eh ;)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Any chance you could post the section of Communications Act with the appropriate section. I could not find it myself.

Cheers

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Your not safe from these leeches even when your dead according to this article:-
Portsmouth murder victim fined £200 for not having TV licence - four months after her death - Portsmouth News

She must have signed the 178 'grass yourself up form' before she was murdered.

It's well known that they prey on the vulnerable,the elderly and women seem to be their favourites.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

someone i knew a single mum at the time had just moved in to her house with a new born baby.There was a knock at the door and she answered it to a pleasant enough bloke who politely asked if she would take a quick survey.Been polite she said yes but it would have to be quick as she was trying to unpack and sort out a baby

here are the questions or as close as i can remember as it was quite a while ago

MAN - what brand washing powder do you use

WOMAN - daz

MAN - how much do you spend on food shopping each week

WOMAN - around £30

MAN - whats your favourite TV show

WOMAN - coronation street

MAN - do you own a TV

WOMAN - yes

MAN - im from the bbc licensing and our records say you dont have a tv license

could argue she should have got one before moving into the house or that damn unlucky to get a knock day 1 of moving in but thats the sort of underhand tricks they employ

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I have no doubt how cunning they can be,it takes a certain kind of folk to seek out and create misery on the venerable.
I hear there are no such thing as a tv detector van,they are just myth, and these TVL rats rely mainly on folk grassing themselves up :confused:

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

BG what section do you want?

Perhaps you can post the bit on the law that says you need a license to watch streamed services at times when they are not also being broadcast?

If you look around the web there are a great many sites that explain to you the actual legal standpoint, which is contrary to what TVLI try to make you think it is.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I asked first!
Seriously though, I would be very careful believing what you read on the internet regarding TV Licence and Streaming. The Communications Act 2003, was pre Streaming, I am sure it will be amended soon, just because it does not say Stream as opposed to TV this has yet to be proven in court.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

someone said to me they can check your internet history to see if you have watched a live stream on iplayer

i havnt really looked into that claim as it dosnt apply to me personally but i think the term when hell freezes over applies to anyone who thinks they can look into my computer without a court order

i think the bbc like to say they have a lot more power than what they actually have

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I don't know why you're confused - the TVLI quote BG mentions says quite clearly that you need a licence if you are watching or delaying live TV, which is what I said in my post.

That law states in section 368 paragraph 1 that the definitions it covers are subject to the regulations made by the secretary of state. In other words a TV is whatever the government decides it is. It also goes on to give a non-exhaustive list of what qualifies as a TV device. Have you actually read it?

I think you're kidding yourself. Most government departments that are trying to get money from pretty much every household in the country are more interested in what's fair than in how much they get. Especially national ones like DVLA, HMRC and TVLI. If the government needed more money from one of these, they wouldn't lie about the qualifying criteria, they'd just put the price up. Because they can.

TVLI appear to be heavy-handed because they work on the assumption that everyone watches some TV in their home at some point. It follows that people who say they don't need a licence either

1. really don't need one or
2. are lying

The first category are a complete minority and they have to go through all the aggro because there are more people in the second category.

You might disagree with my interpretation of what qualifies as licensable TV, but I can bet that if ever you're caught, the district judge who hands out the fine will disagree with you too.

It's worse than you think. There are some services that the BBC produces for the rest of the world that people in the UK aren't allowed to access - because although it's made by an organisation funded by UK citizens, we're not the intended audience.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

It does quote digital TV, and it doesn't specify broadcast over radio waves, so I think streaming is already covered.

No need for them to look at your computer. TV companies can easily provide a list of IP addresses receiving streamed live broadcasts. If the government issued a court order to ISPs to provide the home addresses associated with those IPs at that time and date, they would. They already do it for people who share copyrighted films and music.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

you mean like that hardcore porn bbc put out i referred to lol

with how easy governments of both parties are bribed it wouldnt surprise me if the BBC got handed down even more rights/powers at some point to counter alternatives to the bbc

its a complete joke that every household in the UK with a tv is expected to give money to one company just because government says so

mind you im not too keen on sky either you pay a subscription so you can have shows with adverts and pay a tv licence as well..

but sky wont try to throw you in prison or make you a criminal if you dont have one of their boxes plugged into your tv

i think my stance on this is more than clear i dont think i have owt further of worth adding so the channel i refer to as Broadcasters Buggering Children can whistle dixie and i wish it a speedy demise

the bbc maybe an institution but it not one we should be proud of and willing to keep infact recent events have made it a national embarrassment to the entire world

sometimes sorry just dosnt cut it infact i dont think they have apologized to the millions of people they betrayed and let down yet although if an apology was broadcast i wouldnt have seen it ;)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I can categorically state that "if you are watching streaming TV that is not live (at the same time as it is broadcast) then you do NOT need a license."

So if it is delayed or catch,up then it does not need a license.

Can you point to a section of the act that says you do?

Streaming TV is only covered by the license when broadcast TV is being watched "at the same time it is being broadcast".
This is nothing to do with where the source is, it is the timing of it.

For instance, if someone records TV then plays it back so that you can watch it - you do not need a license because it is not being watched at the same time it was broadcast.

STudio25 - you seem to be confusing what I have said, I said nothing about what constitutes a TV?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

According to this: https://www.gov.uk/government/upload..._Text-L-PB.pdf

It is an offence.
On the first page.

Written by a QC, so good luck if you ever go to court.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

my son has just started university and he is using the student accommodation which is around a hundred or so rooms within a building which are just about big enough for a single bed , a small desk and a single upright wardrobe

each room no bigger than a prison cell has to have its own tv licence they cant share one throughout the building

left my son with KODI and instructions not to open his door to anyone he dosnt know and to keep the tv ariel out of his tv

i would have cut it off at the wall but that would probably get him in trouble but he dosnt watch live tv and like me dosnt rate UK tv shows that much either so all his viewing is either not avialable in the UK yet or has already aired

hes doing a media degree in film and advertising by coincidence a course that the bbc should think of sending its employees on so they can earn their money instead of relying on the bbc tax system

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Can you define "nearly live" ??

A few seconds delay and your likely still within that, but several minutes away and it's not "nearly live".

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I don't have to, I am not your defense lawyer. As I said earlier, if you find yourself in court, good luck

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Well if I was defining it - it would be defined as:
An analogue or digital audio visual feed which is produced from the same source as a UHF broadcast.

That means that any of the channels broadcast to be received by a TV, any recordings (digital or analogue) made of the same, any streams sourced from the same, any recordings of streams (digital or analogue) sourced from the same.

As far as I can tell, that covers everything that the government says meets the requirement for owning a licence.

...and I'm sure you know that only too well. Otherwise you wouldn't be factoring the cost of a VPN into the alternatives to owning a TV licence.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

But that definition is wrong.

The source is of no issue, it is the timing of it.
It is a common known fact that you do not need a TV license to watch TV unless it is being broadcast at the same time, or in other words - watch the TV that is being broadcast.

catch up TV is excluded from the license fee, the content is irrelevent.

So watching what "was" live tv but it is now not live (because it has been delayed) is excluded from the requirements of needing a license.

But you don't need to believe me on this, perhaps go and ask Martin Lewis - he's clever enough to know the ins & outs and his site agrees with what I have said, if he posted incorrect info then there are thousands of those that are ni the know who put him right and it gets changed the same day.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I haven't mentioned catch up TV anywhere.

You taking a live TV broadcast, offsetting it by 5mins, and then watching the result is not "catch up". Nor is recording "Bake Off" on tape and then watching it at a later date.

So you keep saying - but you never actually get as far as providing a reliable source for that statement. It is just your opinion.

Those who don't agree with you on this thread have provided links to the TV licensing page that tells you that you need one, and the legislation that states whatever is asserted on the TVLI website is the legal basis for decisions.

I'm afraid that searching sites to provide evidence to support your argument is your job. We've provided the links supporting our argument. You've provided nothing but an opinion.

However, assuming you mean this article - it also quite categorically states that you are wrong.
And yes, I agree with everything he says in the article and it matches my understanding of whether you need a licence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqG4ysu2ksU

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

My feelings exactly.
Love the younfact ones video. Forgot about that.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

its most repeats on the tv.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

YOu have what I have said wrong, you are interpreting the above wrong.

Is EXACTLY what I have said, "when they are broadcast" - "at the same time as it is broadcast" these are NOT watching streaming services that have been delayed so that they are not watched "at the same time as they are broadcast".

You want links, use the same ones you have given.

The crux of the matter is the watching broadcast TV at the same time as it is being broadcast - if you are doing anything else such as watching a dvd, watching a downloaded film, as downloaded copy of a program, or even a streamed replay of what was live - you do NOT need a license, as long as you are not watching it at the same time as it is broadcast.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

Okay so we will agree to disagree.
As I said before, good luck if you go to court.

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

You're in the position where historically you'd maybe record a Top Gear on tape because you were (say) out on business, and that would need a licence. Yet nowadays, you can watch the same program a few hours after it's broadcast, on catch up over your internet connection and you don't need a licence, and yet if you watch that same episode when it's being broadcast on Dave ten years later (on freeview), you need a licence.

It's no wonder people like RainbowSix think they can cheat the system. it's a farce. However "a farce" does not equal "a defence". Choose whose advice you trust carefully. If you need an indicator as to how much RainbowSix trusts their own advice, read up on VPN and ask yourself why they would need to bring it into this conversation...

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

You wont ever hear of me going to court and no Studio25 - I am not wanting to cheat the system nor will I.

I play by the system however if the system does not require something then I feel no obligation in providing it.

To quote someone else:
If you don't fish, is it cheating not to buy a rod licence?
If you don't shoot, is it cheating not to buy a FAC/SGL?
If you don't holiday abroad, is it cheating not to buy a Passport?
If you don't drive, is it cheating not to buy a Driving Licence, and not pay VED?

Simply put - "no".

And if you actually read what I have said - I do currently have a TV license.
When I am no longer watching TV as it is being broadcast then I will not require one so will be cancelling it. Live TV now is rubbish & not worth watching - I can see everything I want to on catchup or via the internet news etc without having to watch it live.

Which I see that you are agreeing with, that a license is not required to watch catchup TV, so not required to own a TV, just required to watch live TV (as it is being broadcast). ;)

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

If live TV is rubbish, why would you want to watch programmes on Catch Up?

Re: Should the TV License be scrapped?
 

I worded it badly. I should have put "It's no wonder people like RainbowSix think the system can be cheated."

In post 35 you said you were going to watch TV online through a VPN. There's no reason to do that unless you're wanting to hide your identity. It's not unreasonable for us to think that it's to avoid leaving a trail of evidence that would lead TVL to your door.