Licence For Your Pc??

Mick · 17-03-2005, 09:09

Trust the BBC
If you cant read it in the pic :
Computer users could find themselves paying double for their annual TV licence fee under current Government proposals.

This is the plan put forward by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in a recently published green paper on the review of the BBC's royal charter. The proposals include not only retaining the licence fee but extending it to those who watch TV programmes via a broadband connection.

The DCMS concluded this would make it easier to collect licence fees, which are only based on television ownership at the moment. It claimed large numbers of people are downloading BBC media over the internet, making it increasingly difficult to enforce the licence fee. In effect, the change could see people paying twice, with a fee for a PC as well as their TV.

The paper says: "The means of collecting the fee may have to be changed, so that it became, for example, either a compulsory levy on all households or on ownership of PCs as well as TVs."

The Government says it has no plans as to how the licence fee will be collected from PC owners, saying the proposals refer to when the BBC's charter is renewed in 2006. "By that time," a representative of the Department told us, "it might be necessary to look at extending the licence fee to computers."

Neil · 17-03-2005, 10:21

The TV licence needs scrapping. The BBC should contains adverts like the hundreds of other channels. If they cant hack it in the real word then shut down.

vorlon24 · 17-03-2005, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by weeble

The BBC should contains adverts like the hundreds of other channels.

It is exactly why the BBC doesn't have adverts that it is better to watch.

I would much rather watch a film or programme on the BBC than on 3, 4 or 5 because you don't get the constant irritating interruptions, and that includes Formula 1.

I understand that adverts are the source of the commercial channels' income, but if they actually spent the money on things other than crap prizes for any Tom Dick or chav that happens to appear on the programmes, they could actually get away with showing less adverts and more decent tv

Neil · 17-03-2005, 10:47

The BBC is just another typical goverment funded, over managed and under achieving waste of tax payers money. Who do you think will be paying for the analog switch off? You and I with our licence fee. And who will be making all the money? Goverment, when they sell of the analog air space to commercial TV companies.

Less · 17-03-2005, 12:41

The BBC Surely should not force people to pay a licence fee for their web services?
When they started putting things out over the net they were financing it with the monies already provided by the licence payers & those people provided those funds so that they could watch television not so that the Beeb could play with cool new toys!
Also are they going to get some sort of mandate that will enable them to claim licence fees worldwide? After all, although the Beeb's website is an excellent site it can be accessed from anywhere by anyone! If they are going to just claim this tax (because thats what it is), only from u.k. citizens are they not infringing on our human rights? If the rest of the world can download & watch T.V. programmes over the net without being penalised then why should we be penalised for using what is a modern technology that is open to all nations?

Neil · 17-03-2005, 12:45

Most of europe can watch BBC for free now it is not encoded on sky anymore. Pull out your sky card and watch BBC1 2 3 4 and others.

MUMMIBOO · 17-03-2005, 13:24

I like having adverts when would i be able to nip to the loo during the film and miss none! or tell the kids i will get you a drink when the adverts come on? at least that way i never miss any of it. The kids dont have to keep bugging til the end of the film or programme whatever. More adverts less license i say, is it not that we pay enough to have a pc in the first place expense to buy one in the first place, expense to run one (broad band) expense for the printer and software and paper and ink and digital camera and disks and pens and little plastic things to keep disks in and the electric to run the thing on, and all those wonderful things you see on Ebay that you think wow a bargin got to have that and then bid like crazy.

Makes you think if its all worth it,

Will the elderly get a discount on the licence?

vorlon24 · 17-03-2005, 14:02

Probably - about £200 OK?

Plus free bus travel to PC World to buy their new computer!!!

WillowTheWhisp · 17-03-2005, 14:19

I think they've a bloomin cheek to suggest a licence fee for the PC. If you have a TV and don't even watch the BBC you still have to pay the licence fee so what are they going to do tax all PCs even if you don't access their website? And like Less said what about the people who access it from abroad? Busman has been threatened with prosecution for not having a TV licence in spite of repeatedly telling them that the reason he hasn't got a licence is because he hasn't got a TV!

vorlon24 · 17-03-2005, 14:23

If I would him I would take it to the local press - that would give them something to do, instead of talking about the Panopticon!

WillowTheWhisp · 17-03-2005, 14:27

I would have loved the scene:

Busman before the bench

Q. Now my good man can you give me one good reason why you have failed to purchase the obligatory television licence?

A. Yes your effervessence. I ain't got no TV like.

Less · 17-03-2005, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I would have loved the scene:

Busman before the bench

Q. Now my good man can you give me one good reason why you have failed to purchase the obligatory television licence?

A. Yes your effervessence. I ain't got no TV like.

Well then my good man did you tell them you haven't got a T.V.?

Many times yer worshipful being I even e-mailed them.

You e-mailed them? Then you have a P.C.! Send him down!

MichiganRed · 18-03-2005, 03:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

If you have a TV and don't even watch the BBC you still have to pay the licence fee so what are they going to do tax all PCs even if you don't access their website?

Help! I must confess that I am confused about this. If I am reading your statement correctly you are saying that a license fee is incurred by ownership of a television set. Whatever for? Are they afraid you might endanger other people with it? I know that like us you are required to pass a driving test to obtain a operating license so must you also prove your competency with a remote control in order to own a television set?

WillowTheWhisp · 18-03-2005, 08:00

Not sure that actual ownership requires a TV licence MichiganRed but once it's plugged in and receiving a signal we are breaking the law if we don't have a licence. The licence is theoretically a permit to view the BBC programs so why can't those of us who object to paying have a way of simply opting out of watching the BBC?

I usually watch Sky anyway. When analogue is abandoned and we are left with digital can't they work out a way of making BBC subscription only and scrap the licence? At least then those of us who don't want to watch it won't have to pay for it.

Less · 18-03-2005, 08:26

This site gives a brief description:-

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/index.jsp