tele licence - Page 5

grannyclaret · 06-02-2006, 22:24

well i paid it today...

so now i can watch all the rubbish they put on.... for another year

jambutty · 06-02-2006, 22:25

There is no unfair competition with the BBC and it certainly isn’t a monopoly. BBC TV and radio used to be a monopoly but Radio Caroline broke that mould as did ITV when that came on air.

There are myriads of TV channels to watch some for free and most for a fee. Although even the free commercial ones are not really free. We, the general public pay for the adverts in the cost of the goods that we buy that are being advertised.

On reflection the BBC gets the thin end of the stick as far as competition is concerned. The commercial channels and in particular Sky constantly outbids the BBC for programmes and sport.

The commercial channels might compete with each other for viewers but the BBC supplies a public service free to the public and independent of government influence.

The government, Neil, doesn’t charge a TV licence just so it can fund the BBC. It charges a viewing licence because the government has decreed that in order to view TV programmes we have to have a licence. You need a licence for CB radio or Ham radio. What do they fund? We are required to buy a Road Fund licence if we intend to use a motor vehicle on the public highway. The money raised does not fund road repairs and new roads, only some of it. The government creams off a lot for other things. If there were no TV licence but the government still wanted to run a public service broadcasting organisation they would still have to fund it from our taxes.

Whilst there is some company broadcasting TV programmes there will always be a licence.

Many years ago when there was only the ‘wireless’ and the only stations to listen to were the Home Service, the Light Programme and the Third Programme yet wirelesses were capable of receiving overseas programmes these same arguments raged.

grannyclaret · 06-02-2006, 22:28

ooh the days of radio luxembourg.....(HEAVEN)

jambutty · 06-02-2006, 22:41

Which rubbish is that grannyclaret? All the dross that they show on the commercial channels? It might be rubbish to you but to someone else it might be great television.

Try using the off switch or if that is too drastic use the remote control to find something to your liking. If you have a digibox there are at least a dozen other channels two of which are from the BBC.

Have you forgotten how to read a book? Maybe a listen to the wireless in the evenings would catch your fancy? There are plenty of good programmes on Radio 2 in the evenings. Then there are the digital radio channels that you can listen to through the digibox. It's not just for digital TV you know.

Remember The Navy Lark, Beyond Our Ken, Round The Horn, The Goon Show, Educating Archie (the only radio show that featured a ventriloquist’s dummy), Take It From Here, Hancock’s Half Hour to mention just a few on Radio 7.

There’s a whole world out there to watch and listen to if you can be bothered to look for it. Sadly no Radio Luxembourg as we knew it.

grannyclaret · 06-02-2006, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

Remember The Navy Lark, Beyond Our Ken, Round The Horn, The Goon Show, Educating Archie (the only radio show that featured a ventriloquist’s dummy), Take It From Here, Hancock’s Half Hour to mention just a few on Radio 7.

There’s a whole world out there to watch and listen to if you can be bothered to look for it. Sadly no Radio Luxembourg as we knew it.

i loved all those programmes

jambutty · 06-02-2006, 22:55

They are on at noon weekdays on digital Radio 7.

Get the Radio Times for a full programme list. Funny name for a TV programme magazine.

Neil · 06-02-2006, 23:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

The government, Neil, doesn’t charge a TV licence just so it can fund the BBC. It charges a viewing licence because the government has decreed that in order to view TV programmes we have to have a licence.

True but if the Government took out the equivalent charge for the BBC the license would be a lot smaller

harwood red · 07-02-2006, 01:21

I don't care what anyone says as far as I'm concerned the licence fee is for the BBC and the BBC alone

Bring on the adverts!!!!!

garinda · 07-02-2006, 01:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

There is no unfair competition with the BBC and it certainly isn’t a monopoly.

How many other companies are funded like the BBC?

None.

chav1 · 07-02-2006, 01:58

yes it is a monopoly

people actualy in govenment say so themselves

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate....1550.4&m=1703

MITZY · 07-02-2006, 08:00

wrong posting

entwisi · 07-02-2006, 08:25

OK< response from TV licensing people

Quote:

Tel: 0870 243 0229
Fax: 0870 240 1187
E-Mail: [email protected]

Our Ref: EMAIL/ /laptop

Dear Mr Entwistle

Thank you for contacting us.

A television licence is required if you use television receiving equipment to record and/or receive television programme services. Television receiving equipment could be a television, video recorder, DVD recorder/player, PCTV (computer with facility to receive television programmes), or a television card for a computer. If your lap top computer is capable of receiving live broadcasts, whether on-line, or through an aerial or satellite dish, then it is classed as television receiving equipment. This means a licence is needed to receive BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, digital television, other terrestrial services, satellite television and cable television.

If you receive programme services (as defined above), live via the Internet, BBC Online for example (Newsnight is one such broadcast), then a television licence is required. If you are using the Internet to browse archived programme services websites, then a television licence is not required.

If you are using your laptop powered solely by its own internal batteries to receive programmes, a licence held for your main address will cover its use in other places. However, if you use an external power source then a separate licence will be required.

If your equipment is not used to receive or record television programmes, please let me know your address. I will then make sure our records are changed to show you do not need a television licence.

I hope this information is helpful.

Yours sincerely
Ian Coghlan
Customer Services

So it seems that if you watch archived programmes you don't, if its live even if it comes over the net and NOT a broadcasted(although that term could be applied to a Netcast) signal you do.

The bit that surprises me is the bit about if I am using a laptop somewhere away from home, on batteries I am covered by my home license, if I plug it in I'm not!

Neil · 07-02-2006, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

The bit that surprises me is the bit about if I am using a laptop somewhere away from home, on batteries I am covered by my home license, if I plug it in I'm not!

That has always been the case with TV's Ian. Your license covers att the TV's in your home and any you own that use batteries outside your home. This was to cover you if you had a handheld TV or in your caravan. If you are being technical they could argue that when you plug your caravan into mains on a site then you need a seperate TV license for your caravan because it is not longer on batteries. The reason for this is that I could have a license and you could say your TV belonged to me so my license covered it. This would be true if it ran only on batteries but not when plugged into the mains. Yes I know my explanation is naff but I am sure you will understand.

jambutty · 07-02-2006, 12:22

I find it hard to understand why some people still carp about the TV licence fee. At soon to be 36 pence per day (from 34p per day) we can legitimately view whatever there is being broadcast with at least 30 channels for free. Plus we get more radio stations to listen to than you can shake a stick at.

We can have a TV set in every room in the house for that same single licence fee so for 36p four members of a family can all be watching different programmes. Try taking a family of four to the cinema for 36p.

Some people may stubbornly stick their heads in the sand, insist that the licence fee is for the BBC and look forward to advertising funding the BBC in the hope that the TV licence will be discontinued. They should get real. No chancellor would ever give up a revenue of over one billion pounds per year even if some of it is paid out to fund the BBC. If the BBC did go down the funding by advertising road the quality of programmes would drop, as would the diversity. The advertising market is saturated already.

In short the TV licence fee is exceptionally good value for what we get for it.

I have no idea if there are any other companies funded like the BBC garinda but if there are we still pay for them in our exorbitant taxes. What about Learn Direct? That’s funded by the government isn’t it? The various railway companies are still being subsidised by the government. For subsidised read partially funded.

How can the BBC be a monopoly when there are other TV and radio broadcasters chav1? Surely monopoly means on its own or one of a kind, no competition.

I agree that the licence does have some strange conditions especially with regard to laptops and portables. But did you know that if you pop in next door to watch the TV there and it is not licensed and the detector van comes round and catches you out, everyone watching is liable to be prosecuted even if they have a licence for the TV in their own house. The licence covers the domicile not the householder although the householder’s name and address is on the licence. But someone without a TV licence for their own home can watch your licensed TV legally.

You can legally use a mains connected TV away from your house Neil but the TV at your home cannot be used at the same time by anyone. How that could be policed is a mystery to me. It’s all there on the back of the licence.

If you assume that there are at least 10 million homes in Britain (and there are probably many more) and they all have a TV licence that is an income of one and a quarter BILLION pounds per year. Then there are all the commercial licenses for pubs, clubs, hotels, guest houses etc. I doubt very much if the level of funding for the BBC is anywhere near that total. Gordon Brown will have his sticky fingers in the revenue.

pendy · 07-02-2006, 12:36

I don't object so much to the licence fee, what I object to is the Big Brother attitude of the Licensing people. London is peppered with ads on buses and tube stations saying virtually "We know where you live". "Get in touch with us. If you don't - fine". Nice play on the word "fine" there.

We have had endless trouble with these people. We do not have a TV licence because we do not have a TV. However, when David wrote to tell them this, they wrote back saying "Fine, thank you, but we want access to your home to check" - i.e. we think you're lying. We refused access, and the whole process of letters, visits, etc, started again. THIS IS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!!! Big Brother says that he can park his detector van outside your property and tell you which room your TV is in, even if it is switched off. Fine. Do that. It wastes less money. It might be interesting to see how much of the licence fee is wasted on pursuing people who choose not to have TVs.