TV Cards

MajorMaccas · 11 Mar 2008 at 22:56

So why are only the TV owners having to pay for people listening to radio in their car?

And you're right, I don't use any of those services, I have yet to visit iPlayer, since it shows repeats of stuff I don't watch, in my car I listen to CD's constantly, never listen to the radio (quality is rubbish, I'm an audiophile). At home, if I do listen to the radio it's something local like SGR, or Kiss. I've visited the bbc news website from links on OcUK, or from google, but never on my own.

I am part of the 7.5% of the UK that doesn't use BBC at all, yet I still have to pay a licence for owning a telly.

Fair?

Azagoth · 11 Mar 2008 at 22:57

Not to mention the fact that we, the great British public, are also funding people in other Countries that watch the BBC without being forced to buy a licence!

Old Wino · 11 Mar 2008 at 23:02

Muffin` · 11 Mar 2008 at 23:04

neoduder said:
To all those who don't believe it. I have actually been involved in the design and manufacture of the circuitry which does it.

Interesting, how accurate is it, can it be done to the meter?

MajorMaccas · 11 Mar 2008 at 23:05

Old Wino said:
I'm going to produce a newspaper and give it out freely to everyone, but charge everybody 140 quid a year for a reading licence, even if they only read someone else's newspaper. Then I'll get the govn't to help me take you to court and fine you 1000 pounds if I catch you reading mine without a license.

Bingo!

Energize · 12 Mar 2008 at 00:05

What your licence fee provides
The BBC is paid for directly through each household TV licence. This allows it to run a wide range of popular public services for everyone, free of adverts and independent of advertisers, shareholders or political interests.

If only the bbc wasn't so full of political censorship then this could become true....

92.5% of the UK population used the BBC every month in 2006/2007.

Figures pulled out of a hat I presume as there is no accurate way of measuring that. Also as has been proven so many times (eg crazy frog), the quantity of viewers/listeners does not mean something is acutally enjoyed.

The BBC provides 8 interactive TV channels, 10 radio networks, more than 50 local TV and radio services, the BBC's website bbc.co.uk, and the on-demand TV service, BBC iPlayer.

Yet only people with a tv have to pay, so the radio is being subsidised by people who don't actually listen to it and the people who only listen to the radio don't pay anything, great. And quantity rather than quality please.

DarkShadow · 12 Mar 2008 at 00:09

Aod said:
B) unplug the aerial from the back, delete the desktop icon, and say "this thing can do TV!?! i never knew, i bought it like that!" and you'll be fine

Hahahaha, I like it!

Regarding point a) there's nothing they can use against you can they?

Spyhop · 12 Mar 2008 at 00:16

I remember seeing a website linked on here detailing that they can do nothing if you ignore them completely. IIRC, the series of increasingly threatening letters the guy got eventually looped and started again.

Azagoth · 12 Mar 2008 at 03:46

wush said:
I remember seeing a website linked on here detailing that they can do nothing if you ignore them completely. IIRC, the series of increasingly threatening letters the guy got eventually looped and started again.

This one?

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/index.htm

neodude · 12 Mar 2008 at 06:06

Muffin` said:
Interesting, how accurate is it, can it be done to the meter?

I'm not sure of any exact figures, I wasn't involved in the high-level assembly of the thing just some of the circuitry, namely power amps and filters.

But, if you can imagine an imaginary beam the same diameter as the dish on the roof of the van then the telly would have to be inside the beam to be detected. I think they usually use the dish to "scan" the suspect house. So they should be able to tell what room the TV is in. The newer systems use an omni-directional antenna instead of a dish but I guess the principle is the same. I have no idea about range however.

Energize · 12 Mar 2008 at 10:06

All this talk of detectors and stuff is fairly irrelevant as they can't be used as evidence because they're so inaccurate. Hence why they aren't used, plus anyone using sky or cable doesn't have an aerial anyway.

DB_SamX · 12 Mar 2008 at 10:10

Whilst I understand the issues surrounding TV licensing, fair enough if you don’t use any bbc media and not wanting to pay. But isn’t it your duty (morally & legally - if it is indeed an criminal offence) to pay if you DO use it? If you don’t pay for using the bbc, then surely it is as good as stealing?! The fact that they seem rubbish at prosecuting is just encouraging people to not to pay. Would people pay if they prosecute more?

Whilst I was at uni, it was fair enough for me to pay as I watched/listened/used the BBC every day and still do. Not for a minute do I consider it harsh for other radio listeners or web users who may not pay a licence to still use their service. After all, I watch foreign TV channels, use other countries’ websites, and have the opportunity to listen to other countries’ radio channels free of charge. (I don’t know if said countries require their people to pay a TV/media licence.)

colinuk · 12 Mar 2008 at 10:11

You need a licensin if you have ANY MEANS OR WAYS of watching anything to do with BBC. Do i think its fair, nope... if you invent a TV that cant get any BBC tv at all, you'd make a fortune!

imo

Colin

DB_SamX · 12 Mar 2008 at 10:18

colinuk said:
You need a licensin if you have ANY MEANS OR WAYS of watching anything to do with BBC. Do i think its fair, nope... if you invent a TV that cant get any BBC tv at all, you'd make a fortune!

imo

Colin

Oh yes, of course. In a ideal world, it would be free.

neodude · 12 Mar 2008 at 10:38

Energize said:
plus anyone using sky or cable doesn't have an aerial anyway.

They both still have receivers/tuners though and they can still detect your local VCO signal and work out what multiplexer you are watching.