Thank God For The BBC and The Licence Fee.

[Alex321]

That becomes Catch 22 - filling out the form helps them if they did decide to try and progress matters.

I don't see how.

All it does is show that you hadn't just "forgotten" to get a TV licence, but had consciously decided you didn't need one.

It only helps them at all if you are actually breaking the law by receiving TV programmes without a licence.

 

[Baldy]

Yup.


Try watching a whole evening of telly in any foreign country. (I wish you luck.) Then get back to us.

(There are probably a few health services abroad that now better our NHS, but the BBC can still hold its head up! News "bias" will always be a personal opinion - I've seen plenty of awful news abroad, too ... )

Oh I have, I've lived abroad in several countries and travelled to many more.

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

I was going to ask @Drago which radio stations he listens to?
The licence fee does pay for the BBC radio stations as well.

Yes. Although bizarrely you don’t need a TV licence to listen to BBC Radio.

I’ll quite happily pay the licence fee as long as it continues to fund Test Match Special.

 

[Dolorous Edd]

Although bizarrely you don’t need a TV licence to listen to BBC Radio.

That's because the technology they use in TV detector vans is well advanced, whereas for technical reasons radio detector technology is much less effective.

 

[Drago]

I don't see how.

All it does is show that you hadn't just "forgotten" to get a TV licence, but had consciously decided you didn't need one.

They need your name on that type of warrant - by filling in the form you have given them just that. They're serving the warrant against you as someone suspected of viewing live tv without a licence, not simply rhe address where other types of warrant may give a police officer powers to search for prohibited items or stolen property.

It wouldn't be so bad, but the take from the form goes to Capita, not the Beeb.

 

[PeteXXX]

If you record anything to watch later, or watch any broadcast TV (any channel) via the internet, or watch anything at all on iplayer, you still need a licence.

I don't, so I don't.

 

[fossyant]

We watch quite a bit of catch up (but of course ITV puts in adverts). That's then when you spot the timer for a half hour programme, 22 minutes of actual 'show', 8 of advertising.

 

[Baldy]

That's because the technology they use in TV detector vans is well advanced, whereas for technical reasons radio detector technology is much less effective.

TV detector vans were a myth made up by the BBC. They never existed.

 

[Illaveago]

I don't understand why people complain about paying a TV licence when they are willing to pay for subscription charges for several streaming services like Netflix and the rest ?

 

[Deleted User]

From a moral point of view do people think it's ok to watch recorded programmes made by the BBC and legally not have a Licence?

I don't think it is but just wondering, we have one.

 

[Drago]

TV detector vans were a myth made up by the BBC. They never existed.

They did... but they dodn't do any detecting. They were empty vans, all liveried up with an implausible antenna on the roof that just drove up and down a bit to put the frighteners on the gullible.

 

[Alex321]

From a moral point of view do people think it's ok to watch recorded programmes made by the BBC and legally not have a Licence?

I don't think it is but just wondering, we have one.

That depends on how you are watching them. If you are watching DVDs released by the BBC, then it is fine, as you (or somebody) will have paid for the DVD which contributes appropriately.

If you are watching it via free streaming on the internet, then I agree you should morally have a licence (and also legally you require one if via iplayer, and anything else will usually be a copyright violation by whoever is streaming it)

 

[Alex321]

They need your name on that type of warrant - by filling in the form you have given them just that. They're serving the warrant against you as someone suspected of viewing live tv without a licence, not simply rhe address where other types of warrant may give a police officer powers to search for prohibited items or stolen property.

It wouldn't be so bad, but the take from the form goes to Capita, not the Beeb.

They can get your name from the electoral register.

And as you say previously, they will need rather more evidence to get a warrant than just the fact you haven't got a licence. I really don't see how filling in the form harms you from the aspect of them deciding to take action.

I do more understand your distrust of Capita. I haven't heard of them misusing that data, but their reputation around data security is not one of competence.

 

[Drago]

Your rock station is £48 a year ? A B&W licence is only £53.

Again it just shows what good value the BBC is.
God knows how many national and local stations you can get there.

I don't think there is a BBC rock though.

But other than movies, for which I have Sky, and documentaries, which are invariably Skymof Freeview, I don't watch much telly and certainly no BBC. That being the case, even a B and W licence is frivolous when I'm not actually availing myself of the service.

Reading round the web this morning it seems the number of licences issued is falling year on year as more and more folk go to catch up, subscription, and other non live services. Seeing as thats mainly what I watch anyway then I may as well join them.

They can get your name from the electoral register.

As itnp happens, not mine they can't. Due to one of my previous roles at work I am blocked on the register, particularly pertinent as I have a fairly unusualy name - I ain't no John Smith.

It would require a court order to have it disclosed, and a court is only going to overturn that ifmI were a suspect serious crime with good evidence against me, or if life and limb were at stake.

But leaving that aside, they can't use the register. The need the name of the adult allegedly watching live tv without a licence. Simply being an adult living at that address does not make that person you, particularly where there are multiple adults, or when the record is more than a year old.

Trust me, I investigated much scarier stuff than this for a living so I know how how the game is played and how little a private company can actually do.

 

[ColinJ]

They did... but they dodn't do any detecting.

I was going to say that they definitely DID exist... A colleague's pal drove one round to see him one lunchtime and we went out for a chat in the van. There was certainly equipment that LOOKED like it was doing something. Whether it actually did is another matter!