TV license

[jambutty]

Oh! No! Not this old chestnut again!

Those who object to the license seem to think that the BBC should stand on its own two feet and not be funded by the TV License.

The real truth of the matter is that the BBC doesn’t get the license money and whether the BBC should stand on its own two feet or not does not come into the issue. That is a separate argument and has no place in the license debate.

The government gets that money because the government has decreed by law that anyone who wants to use a TV has to have a license to do so. Much in the same way that hams need a license to chat over the airways. Or CB enthusiasts, if there are any left, need a license to do their thing. Drivers need a license to be able to drive on the public highway or armed forces property and if they want to take their vehicle on the public highway or armed forces property they need a Road Fund License. There was a time when people needed a Dog License to own and keep a dog.

The government funds the BBC from government funds. Government funds are made up from all sorts of taxation, which also include the TV license fee. Whether the BBC gets more or less than the fee raised is open to conjecture. But the BBC also makes money over and above the government handout. They make first rate TV and Radio programmes and sell them all over the world and then there is the marketing side with records, CD’s, DVD’s etc. Of course they also buy a load of tripe from the states but then that is what most people want to watch over here. American dross.

If there were no BBC we would still need a TV License. The license does not guarantee that you can receive TV programmes so those people complaining that they cannot receive channel five and deserve a cheaper license fee haven’t got a case.

That all said the fee of £135.50 pa (that’s just £2.61 per week or a fraction over 37p per day) is exceptionally good value. Even when it rises to £150 pa it will still be terrific value. If you and your family watch just one film per week it is still a mile cheaper than going to a cinema and more comfortable.

So for just 37p per day and a one off fee of about £50 for a digibox most people in the UK can have over 30 channels to choose from for no extra cost.

I am very discerning about what I watch on TV and consider much of what is shown as drivel but I can usually find something that is to my liking.

Dons anti flack jacket, steel helmet and crouches down inside an armoured car.

chav1 if you have a TV set in the house that is CAPABLE of receiving TV signals either through an aerial, cable or satellite dish you have to have a license for it. If your computer or any other equipment can do the same you have to have a TV license. But you are right it is none of the BBC’s business and it never has been directly. It is government business and the law.

It’s not what you are using your TV for sarah but what it is CAPABLE of being used for. If the detector van comes a calling and your TV set is not in use or you are watching video and you don’t have a TV license you will still get done. To get away with it you would have to prove that you do not watch TV programmes by any means and the only way you can do that is to prove that your TV is not CAPABLE of receiving and showing TV programmes.

It would also appear that if your phone can receive and show TV you still need a licence

That too is being argued about ***Mr D*** but I cannot see how they will be able to police it.

[chav1]

thankyou for the long explination

heres the short one

BBC IS BOLLOX

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by jambutty

Oh! No! Not this old chestnut again!

If you and your family watch just one film per week it is still a mile cheaper than going to a cinema and more comfortable.

That may be true but the ones at the cinema are in colour

[***Mr D***]

Originally Posted by jambutty

Oh! That too is being argued about ***Mr D*** but I cannot see how they will be able to police it.

The only real way is the old 'you get a phone on contract which supports TV techno, then they kindly inform the TV licence People that you have a TV phone'.

I have heard this is what happens when you buy a new TV.

[jambutty]

If you don’t like the BBC then don’t watch it chav1. It’s not rocket science. But whatever you do watch on your TV receiving equipment you will need a license to do so. If you don’t like that lobby your MP.

Most of the films on TV are in colour lancsdave. However if the black and white ones were also shown in cinemas they would still be black and white. Except possibly African Queen. The clever people have managed to turn the black and white film into colour but then the colour version has been shown on telly not too long ago.

I’m afraid that is correct ***Mr D***. When you buy a new TV the seller informs the TV licensing authority. Try buying one without giving your name and address. You might be able to if you pay cash and insist on not telling them. I’m not sure what would happen then because I’ve never seen any notice in places like Comet informing customers that they must give their name and address when buying a TV. Of course you could always give a false name and address.

[chav1]

Originally Posted by jambutty

If you don’t like the BBC then don’t watch it chav1. It’s not rocket science. .

err i dont , i will watch it at other peoples houses if its on but thats about it but to be honest most my friends watch satelite tv stations like sky one etc

as for lobbying local mps people have been petitioning against it for years but every govenment has ignored the people

like peopel say it is a tax and nothing else

if not watching the bbc got you off the licence fee 99% of teh country woudnt be paying it

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by garinda

Do you have to pay to watch PBS?

no , its partly funded by the Govt. think it was set up in the early days to serve areas out of reach of regular services , most of the funding these days is raised in each local community by pledge drives about twice a year , generally each station reflects the area where it is based , for example the San Francisco station is a bit more urban in its programing than the San Jose (Silicon Valley) station which has a 'better' educated viewership and therefore tends to show more BBC programs.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by steeljack

no , its partly funded by the Govt. think it was set up in the early days to serve areas out of reach of regular services , most of the funding these days is raised in each local community by pledge drives about twice a year , generally each station reflects the area where it is based , for example the San Francisco station is a bit more urban in its programing than the San Jose (Silicon Valley) station which has a 'better' educated viewership and therefore tends to show more BBC programs.

So you don't directly pay to watch it.

It fills me with joy then, that my licence fee here in the UK helps to provide you with 'quality' programmes c/o the BBC, in the States.

[chav1]

on the bbc news tonight it said that the bbc asked the govenment to raise the fee to just under £200 so that they could expand and open up a new site

the govenment capped them at £150 i think it said saying that the bbc could still acheive it goals with that money

so as said on bbc news yes the bbc do get the money

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by garinda

So you don't directly pay to watch it.

It fills me with joy then, that my licence fee here in the UK helps to provide you with 'quality' programmes c/o the BBC, in the States.

According to the credits on some programs many are joint ventures , which I suppose means we supply the financing and you supply the talent ,
I'm sure the stations pay for any programs they obtain from the BBC they do not get them for free ,thats why they have pledge drives to pay for them , plus there is a bit of a time lag , e.g. on Eastenders , we are up to the incest thing with the cab drivers family , they are also re-running the 1st series of Last of the Summer Wine

[chav1]

oooh just remembered somthing

i once got a porno that had been recorded on a foreighn tv adult station and guess whos logo was in the top left hand corner

yep the BBC'S logo and it was pretty sick stuff too

makes you wonder where our money is been spent dosnt it

ps:

i posted a screenshot of the movie in the 18 section a long time ago, i dont have teh movie no more because ime not into gimp masks etc

definatly the bbc logo and it wasnt photoshoped in either it wa there all the way through the movie

[grannyclaret]

My licence is not due until the end of February ,and i got a reminder BEFORE xmas , saying to pay it by direct debit,,
you are going to need a morgage soon..

[Acrylic-bob]

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Raised to 151 of your hard earned english crowns.

At the risk of appearing to be pedantic can I just point out that, in the days when we still had such things, a Crown was defined as Five Shillings which equates to 25 pence in current coinage. With that in mind, 151 Crowns would be the decimal equivalent of £37.75. Which, I must say, is about all that the current output from the BBC is worth.

[shakermaker]

There's always one...

[panther]

Originally Posted by grannyclaret

My licence is not due until the end of February ,and i got a reminder BEFORE xmas , saying to pay it by direct debit,,

me too due in febraury but not the reminder, i havent got that yet! hey with a bit off luck they forgot about me (yeh right)

they should bloody scrap it!! and advertise like the rest do