TV licensing

[supaseagull]

The licence is for the use of a television set that is capable of receiving a broadcast signal.

From Wikipedia if you're interested...(waits for sarcastic comments)...

In the United Kingdom, the current annual cost for a colour television licence (as of 1 April 2008) is £139.50 (approximately €176) and £47.00 (approximately €59) for monochrome TV (black and white).[36] The licence fee is charged on a family unit per household basis, which means there could be multiple licences per household. The majority of UK domestic customers will require one licence per household. The licence fee is used to fund the BBC's radio, television and internet services. A similar licence, mandated by the 1904 Wireless Telegraphy Act, used to exist for radio, but was abolished in 1971.

There are concessions for the elderly (free for over-75s[37]), the licence fee here being paid for by the Department for Work and Pensions. Blind people get a 50% discount on their licence or completely free if only in possession of an audio only receiver. Residents of residential care homes (for the elderly and people with physical/mental disabilities) can apply for a special licence called the licence for Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) which is £7.50 per year.

The licence fee represents approximately 75% of the BBC's income with most of the rest coming from the sale of its programming overseas and other business allied to broadcasting such as publishing.[38] However, the UK's second public broadcaster, Channel 4, has claimed that it may need licence fee income if it is to continue with public broadcasting after the digital switch-over. To this end, on April 25, 2006, it was announced that Channel 4's digital switch-over bill would be paid for from the licence fee.[39] Some of S4C's programmes such as Pobol y Cwm and Newyddion, are made by BBC Wales and provided free of charge to S4C, meaning they are paid for by the licence fee

 

[clippedgull]

big brother theory, related to the ush for digital tv.. if no licence, could they block your viewing, by sending a 'viewing barred' signal to your box, alongside the usual streaming,,.?

I guess it would be technically possible.

But in the near term very unlikely to happen.

 

[Cian]

I guess it would be technically possible.

But in the near term very unlikely to happen.

With the currently deployed system, it is not technically possible. It would require replacing every set top box *again*.

 

[Storer68]

The licence is for the use of a television set that is capable of receiving a broadcast signal.

From Wikipedia if you're interested...(waits for sarcastic comments)...

This sarcastic enough for you?

http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/pdf_documents/BBCAgreement_Cm6872_july06.pdf

BROADCASTING
An Agreement Between
Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport and
the British Broadcasting Corporation
Presented to Parliament by the
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
by Command of Her Majesty
July 2006

The Secretary of State shall pay to the BBC sums equal to the whole of the net licence
revenue or such lesser sums as the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the
Treasury, determine;
My Lords consider the terms of the New Agreement and the financial provisions made therein
to be satisfactory and on those grounds have authorised the Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport

to conclude it.
28th June 2006 Frank Roy
Alan Campbell
Two of the Lords Commissioners
of Her Majesty’s Treasury.
ii



TV Licensing and the law

Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to install or use a television receiver to watch or record any television programmes as they're being shown on television without a valid TV Licence. The Act empowers the BBC to make and amend the terms and conditions of a licence. It allows the government to make regulations to exempt or reduce the licence fee for certain persons in certain circumstances. It also makes it an offence for anyone to have any television receiver in their possession or under their control who intends to install or use it in contravention of the main offence (above), or knows, or has reasonable grounds for believing, that another person intends to install or use a television receiver in contravention of the main offence.

The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 (as amended) requires television dealers to notify TV Licensing of all their sales and rentals of television sets. This includes analogue and digital TV sets, DVD and video recorders, digital boxes and computers (including laptops) with TV cards.

The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 define what is a 'television set' and who is a 'television dealer'. The regulations also set out the various types of TV Licence, the criteria for obtaining them, the fees payable for them (including the frequency and amount of instalments) and the different concessions available, including concessions for people who are blind or severely sight impaired, people who are over 74 years of age, people who live in residential care and people who run hotels, guesthouses or campsites.

 

[manilaseagull]

I had a reply from them within 24 hours....not bad BUT...because I sarcastically told that I found it hard to receive British channels. I Have no idea who answered but they told me that because I left the country without informing them I was still liable for a license until the day I left......where do these people come from?


Polite....not.......... reply along the lines of you are talking shite now come and get me...

Just waiting for the SAS choppers hovering over my house........

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I had a reply from them within 24 hours....not bad BUT...because I sarcastically told that I found it hard to receive British channels. I Have no idea who answered but they told me that because I left the country without informing them I was still liable for a license until the day I left......where do these people come from?


Polite....not.......... reply along the lines of you are talking shite now come and get me...

Just waiting for the SAS choppers hovering over my house........

Really, you have to tell the TV licencing people when you leave the country ? - bloody hell. Maybe we should all ring them up when we go on holiday - you know - just to see if they find it amusing or not

 

[Storer68]

From http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/index.jsp
What if I move home?

When you move home, your TV Licence doesn't automatically move with you, so you need to let us know your new address. This way, we can update your details on our database and ensure that you're correctly licensed in your new home.

Update your contact details

 

[Juan Albion]

I remember one year I bought my license and kept getting demands for me to buy a renewal. Several letters were sent explaining I had one but sure enough anyway I still got a visit one evening. On producing my license I wasn't too polite.

Similar story here when I was living near Nottingham. No letters or anything but one day a nice big 'detector' vehicle pulled into my driveway. It took me about 10 seconds to produce my licence (I'd always had one) - but of course the neighbours didn't know that and the damage was done. All they saw was me getting a visit from the TV police.

 

[NMH]

I have a tv, but don't have to have a license if I only use it to watch videos and DVDs.

Unless I have an ariel, the telly doesn't even get a watchable signal.

BT have been calling me and offering "tv on my computer", but then I'd have to buy a license, and I'll bet that the signal would be dodgy anyway, unless either the broadband improved or/and I expanded my p/c hardware.

 

[drew]

Not sure what all the fuss is about. BBC are the best broadcasters and I believe this is generally accepted around the world. If you don't agree, suggest you go to USA and watch their tv.

Licence fee is a strange set up but whilst like everyone else I would rather pay nothing I think it is worth it just to keep the standards up. If the BBC were to become commercial then the standard would drop to the lowest common denominator and you only have to look at some of the crap on satellite to know what that is?

I would suggest that the BBC set the benchmark.

As for the amount, the last time I paid for the sky package it was about £45 per month, that's over £500 a year and most of it is crap especially since they started charging extra for 'premier' events like new films and some sports events.

 

[Seagull Stew]

Not sure what all the fuss is about. BBC are the best broadcasters and I believe this is generally accepted around the world. If you don't agree, suggest you go to USA and watch their tv.

Licence fee is a strange set up but whilst like everyone else I would rather pay nothing I think it is worth it just to keep the standards up. If the BBC were to become commercial then the standard would drop to the lowest common denominator and you only have to look at some of the crap on satellite to know what that is?

I would suggest that the BBC set the benchmark.

As for the amount, the last time I paid for the sky package it was about £45 per month, that's over £500 a year and most of it is crap especially since they started charging extra for 'premier' events like new films and some sports events.

I would have agreed with your view about 10-15 years ago. The BBC does perform a very important role as a result of not having to fold under pressure from advertisers by appealing to the lowest common denominator. They can take more risks, and therefore promote more new ideas.

Back then, if you bought a TV and had an ariel connection it would be a fair assumption that you would be watching the BBC. These days, this is not always the case and people are being forced to pay for a service that they may not necessarily use.

Maybe the future will be to simply scramble BBC viewing unless you subscribe to the channels. But for now, the licence fee is becoming less and less valid, even though it is probably still value for money to most people.

 

[drew]

I have just been sent 2 final reminders from TV licensing even though I have lived in Manila since April..

I stopped the direct debit (quarterly) in march so that would have covered me until June....

Sarcastic reply sent saying its not easy to receive British TV in Manila.....

Will they understand?

Just out of curiosity, bearing in mind you locale, what colour was the envelope!!!!!!

 

[manilaseagull]

Strange you should ask about the envolope...I have never seen the factory..

Anyway Cable TV here is 4.50 per month, I get 5 sports and 5 movie chanels....but the rest is crap..

Dodgy DVD's 40 p a shot and they are mostly dvd quality now even before cinema release.....and before the piracy police get on their high horse, of course I dont buy them.......the wife does...

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

life in cold blood was worth my license fee ALONE


luckily in a shared house it only worked out about £20 each