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Top 10 reasons given for not having a UK TV Licence

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by PeteC, 2009/09/21.

  1. 2009/09/21
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Posted today ....

    TV Licensing's top 10 excuses:

    1. "A pigeon fell down the chimney and broke the aerial so I have bad reception. "

    2. "My 11-year-old son must have bought the TV during the night. It wasn't there when I went to bed. "

    3. "My payment card's been stuck in the washing machine so I can't pay. "

    4. "I've not paid due to my shop only accepting £5 and £10 notes and I haven't got any of those. "

    5. "I've not been making payments as a baby magpie flew into my house and I had to stay in and feed it until it was ok. "

    6. "I only use the TV to keep the horses company and one of them is blind so I should only pay half if I have to pay at all. "

    7. "I can't get the TV out of the box - can you help me? "

    8. "My dog watches it when I'm at work to keep him company - not me. "

    9. "My mum told me to tell you she's not in. "

    10. "I've not bought a licence as I dreamt I didn't have to and the saying is you've to follow your dreams. "
     
    PeteC,
    #1
  2. 2009/09/21
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Enlighten us, what's an UK TV Licence?
     
    TonyT,
    #2


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  4. 2009/09/21
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    My Guess:

    You must be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. It makes no difference what equipment you use - whether it’s a laptop, PC, mobile phone, digital box, DVD recorder or a TV set - you still need a licence.

    You do not need a TV Licence to view video clips on the internet, as long as what you are viewing is not being shown on TV at the same time as you are viewing it.

    If you use a digital box with a hi-fi system, or another device that can only be used to produce sounds and can't display TV programmes, and you don't install or use any other TV receiving equipment, you don't need a TV Licence.
    http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/index.jsp
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #3
  5. 2009/09/21
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Correct :)

    The BBC is financed by the licence - there is NO ADVERTISING on the Beeb :cool:
     
    PeteC,
    #4
  6. 2009/09/21
    wildfire

    wildfire Getting Old

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    But unlike other subscription/advertised funded channels you are legally obliged to buy a licence whether you watch BBC channels or not. (not :cool: ;))
     
    wildfire,
    #5
  7. 2009/09/21
    ephemarial

    ephemarial Well-Known Member

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    Still laughing "“ the link was even better.
    Especially liked the part where if you’re blind you qualify for ½ off.

    Guess every country has it’s peculiarities.
    BTW: License is spelled funny. :p
     
    ephemarial,
    #6
  8. 2009/09/21
    fdamp

    fdamp Well-Known Member

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    The real gotcha is that it costs £145 (around $260) a year and you're officially licensing your house as a "receiving station" for TV signals.
     
    fdamp,
    #7
  9. 2009/09/21
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    So does the BBC control ALL channels on TV or just most of them?
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #8
  10. 2009/09/21
    wildfire

    wildfire Getting Old

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    Yep you guys brought the language over here and we mucked around with it :p

    Just don't start talking about colour TV licences. :D
     
    wildfire,
    #9
  11. 2009/09/21
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    No - just the 2 terrestrial channels BBC 1, BBC 2 and 6 Digital Channels BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, BBC 4 ......

    The independents - ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 supply analogue & digital and control their channels + Sky (subscription) offers only digital via satellite.

    Regardless of what you watch a licence is requires to receive TV signals, digital or analogue.
     
    PeteC,
    #10
  12. 2009/09/21
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Oh yes - Wildfire reminds me - a B & W licence is less than a Colour licence - if you can convince TV Licensing that you still have only a steam powered B & W set.
     
    PeteC,
    #11
  13. 2009/09/21
    wildfire

    wildfire Getting Old

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    None of them :p The BBC can't even control their own stations (and before PeteC steps in do you remember the Blue Peter incident)?

    It's an outdated law (not too long ago we needed the same licence for radio) that in my opinion should be abolished and Auntie Beeb be comercialised. Even if I decide not to watch in my opnion inferior BBC channels I must buy the licence if I have any TV reception equipment (for SKY/Virgin etc).

    Don't get me wrong I do rate some BBC programs but not enough to pay for 7 channels when the other 60+ are only twice as much, particulary when those 60+ show the same programs a few month later.
     
    wildfire,
    #12
  14. 2009/09/22
    retiredlearner

    retiredlearner SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Thank goodness we saw the light in NZ. We pay for Sky (Digital-Satellite) and the Government supplies our Radio and TV for free. I can remember B&W TV and I think some of those excuses were used then. We only paid $100.00 for the license which included colour when that started in 1974. Neil.:D
     
    retiredlearner,
    #13
  15. 2009/09/30
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, Pete - a great post! I think no. 8 applies to me...

    Here in Italy you also have to pay a licence fee, although RAI (the state broadcaster financed by the licence fee, 3 terrestrial channels) also runs paid ads! Berlusconi's "Mediaset" company operates the other 3 terrestrial channels (I'm leaving the small fry out of the calculations: RAI and Mediaset together account for 95% of audience), and they are financed exclusively by advertising (or, as some suggest, partly by the mafia).

    But, as wildfire wrote, here too you have to pay the licence fee whether you watch it or not. Sone guy tried recently to claim he never watched RAI, only Mediaset, so he didn't need to pay the licence fee, but the courts threw that one out.

    And try to persuade them you don't have a TV... My mother-in-law passed away three years ago, and RAI is still hassling "Mrs *** or heirs" for the fee, and don't reply to my protestations. I think I'm going to have to send them a photocopy of the death certificate.

    And in case anybody non-Italian is wondering about the reason we're all going out to Piazza del Popolo on Saturday to demonstrate for a free press: Berlusconi owns the 3 Mediaset channels; as Prime Minister he has a weighty say in the nomination of top management of the three RAI channels; and only about 10% of Italians read dailies, the rest get all their information fronm TV. And today he had the chutzpa to state that "Italy has the freest press in the world. "

    Sorry, got carried away: that was a little off topic, but it's top of the agenda for a lot of us these days.
     
    g.watson,
    #14

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