Thank God For The BBC and The Licence Fee.

[KnittyNorah]

If you lived here you have to pay a TV licence fee and still get non-stop ads on RTE and those of who don't have a TV have to put up with the Gestapo who won't accept that anyone can live without a TV.

We used to have that same Gestapo here; they seem to have softened their approach in the last few years after a few well-publicised instances of prominent person's (or was it a fairly senior journalist?) elderly parents being harassed for licences for TVs which they didn't possess. I don't have a TV and used to suffer at the hands of the Gestapo too; I fought back with success by removing their implied right of access to come and knock on my door.
Nowadays I get a fairly polite letter from them every two years (I think) asking me to sign to confirm that I do not need a TV licence. I'm not signing any of that shower's paperwork. Instead I hand write them a letter confirming all the licences that I don't have and don't need. Somewhere in the middle of it all, the TV licence gets a mention.
I am an avid listener to BBC Radio and would happily pay a licence fee for that but there is no means to do so. I have not watched TV for a great many years and have no intention of starting now!

 

[cougie uk]

We used to have that same Gestapo here; they seem to have softened their approach in the last few years after a few well-publicised instances of prominent person's (or was it a fairly senior journalist?) elderly parents being harassed for licences for TVs which they didn't possess. I don't have a TV and used to suffer at the hands of the Gestapo too; I fought back with success by removing their implied right of access to come and knock on my door.
Nowadays I get a fairly polite letter from them every two years (I think) asking me to sign to confirm that I do not need a TV licence. I'm not signing any of that shower's paperwork. Instead I hand write them a letter confirming all the licences that I don't have and don't need. Somewhere in the middle of it all, the TV licence gets a mention.
I am an avid listener to BBC Radio and would happily pay a licence fee for that but there is no means to do so. I have not watched TV for a great many years and have no intention of starting now!

Just pay the b&w fee of £54 then.
Conscience clear and you're paying for a great service.

 

[cougie uk]

That's the one - I think someone copied it to YouTube, or something. I know I saw it by some means eventually (even if they cut the best interview of the whole week. Hrumph.)

Adventure show is on BBC iPlayer. Has been for years.
One of my favourites - it's a pity that they don't show it on the channels but they put it online when they air it and repeat.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Just pay the b&w fee of £54 then.
Conscience clear and you're paying for a great service.

My conscience is perfectly clear, TYVM. I have said I would pay a radio tax, not a TV one.
I have no intention of paying a TV tax of any type as I do not have a TV of any type and nor do I watch TV of any type.

 

[Pale Rider]

Adventure show is on BBC iPlayer. Has been for years.

I couldn't find the last one on iPlayer either.

Having had another look at the Sky channel list, there is also a BBC One Scotland channel along with a dozen or so other BBC regions.

I reckon The Adventure Show would now come up on either BBC Scotland HD or BBC One Scotland, at least for Sky viewers, dunno about Freeview.

 

[swee'pea99]

Heartening to see so many pitching in to defend auntie from the not-what-it-used-to-be/nothing-on-worth-watching crowd. Just for the helluvit, programmes I/we are currently enjoying on the beeb include

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
A House Through Time
University Challenge
Pubs, Ponds and Power: The Story of the Village
Vigil
Match of the day

I'm also looking forward to The North Water.

Three quid a week? Baaaaaar-gin!

 

[matticus]

Adventure show is on BBC iPlayer. Has been for years.
One of my favourites - it's a pity that they don't show it on the channels but they put it online when they air it and repeat.

<sigh>
So - given the topic - can we just agree that the Scots get some great telly made specifically about their bit of the world too??

[I didn't want to steer the thread back to 2014 ... but for those desperate for more info:

Best TV I've watched in a long while. Those who did it are cycling legends. It's inspired me to try a 200km Audax this year ( we all have to start somewhere)
It's on the i player now click here

 

[PaulB]

I'd happily pay 5 times the current cost of the TV licence.

There's no punch-line to this. I would because it's worth it.

 

[a.twiddler]

I'd happily pay 5 times the current cost of the TV licence.

There's no punch-line to this. I would because it's worth it.

(Sucks teeth) Be careful what you wish for!

 

[matticus]

On that subject ... what are folks typically paying for non-BBC content packages? (where a comparable monthly/annual inclusive deal is available).

( Everyone's taste is different. IMHO BBC content is mostly far superior to the stuff from american studios, so I can't imagine swapping, but I appreciate others may have the exact opposite view. I think The Simpsons is the only program that has ever made me jealous of Sky subscribers, but there may be things I don't know I'm missing :P )

 

[Blue Hills]

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!

it wasn't all cardboardy and old-school doctor who-ish by any chance?

 

[ColinJ]

it wasn't all cardboardy and old-school doctor who-ish by any chance?

Not at all - it was all oscilloscopes (with fancy-looking waveforms displayed), and racks of other electronic equipment. Like this...

 

[oldwheels]

<sigh>
So - given the topic - can we just agree that the Scots get some great telly made specifically about their bit of the world too??

[I didn't want to steer the thread back to 2014 ... but for those desperate for more info:

I cannot remember now but I think the Adventure Show is on very infrequently and is only one aspect of life here. They did do a cyclocross here once a few years ago and Dougie Vipond did get on a bike and did the course so he really is a bit mad.

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's the one - I think someone copied it to YouTube, or something. I know I saw it by some means eventually (even if they cut the best interview of the whole week. Hrumph.)

I watched it 3 times looking for you (it was on iplayer). Then I realised you had such a small part ;-)

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

Considering, and the clue is in the name, British Broadcasting Corporation, that it is supposedly for all of Britain, why are England football matches regarded as one of the Crown Jewels and are therefore free to air but football matches of the other three home nations are only on Sky so subsequently at a cost to the viewer.

Yebbut… have you seen Scotland play? Shocking!