should there be a tv licence?

[Leon Roskilly]

Not sure whether it's still the case, but they have a right of access to your property to see whether you have 'equipment capable of receiving a television signal'.

 

I feel pretty aggrieved because I have to pay the full BBC licence fee, but I'm living in an area where we can't receive BBC channel 5, nor can we receive any 'free to air' digital channels through the arial, even if I was to buy one of those new Pace Technology digital receiver boxes (cost £100, but no subscription needed).

 

(It took a long time before we could receive a Nicam stereo signal)

 

So, all that licence money going into developing services which I can't use

 

You used to be able to pay a different scale to watch colour or black and white. Why do I have to pay full whack for services I can't access?

 

TL - leon

[davidP]

Channel 5 is nothing to do with the BBC. It's a pity - it would probably be at least a bit better if it was!

[OregonDave]

I think I understand now: TV's emit a signal that your TV Police can detect with their Tricorders; the TV Police can search households who claim not to have a TV; you are charged a fee that allows you to watch government sponsored programs.

 

Not exactly my thing, but I do enjoy some of the BBC programs that make it over here, but I don't watch much TV either.

 

Thanks!

DaveK

[Leon Roskilly]

You can get all the details at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk

 

You can also read some of the excuses that license dodgers try out and pay your license fee online

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Chris Playle]

I've given up watching the TV. Got sick of watching repeats of repeats. When they started putting Dads Army on as prime time viewing on a Saturday then I thought they were taking the p s !!! Then there's soap operas...jesus, if ever there was a waste of licence payers money !! :mad: :mad:

 

The only thing I watch telly for these days if the weather. Since the advent of the Internet I get the weather direct from the MET OFFICE site or one of the other weather websites. Don't even know why the hell we have a telly in our house. 99% of the time the damn thing is turned off.

 

I suppose if there was some quality programming less people would try to dodge the TV Tax. That's all it is, another Tax. Rip-Off-Britain ?? You bet.

 

I find it strangely disturbing that when some people who actually do not own a TV, tell the inspector and the inspector cannot believe they do not own a TV. Some people can live without TV.

 

Maybe people should get there lazy backsides out of the chair and enjoy the outdoors more.

 

Tight Lines

 

Chris

[poledark]

In this day and age you get noithing for nothing. What you get from the BBC are a range of programmes that are second to none.

This for a little over £110 per annum.

Not having to rely on advertising revenue enables them to offer a diverse range of programmes based on their merits and not on their commercial value.

Despite this they do actually manage to sell quite a few of their programmes abroad.

 

For people like me they offer sufficient programmes to keep me happy, I do subscribe to SKY but that is because of the poor reception in my area, so I pay the minimum to enable me to recieve BBC1/2 ITV & Meridian withoit interference.

 

Channel 5 is not available Terrestially due to being so close to France!.

Now in order to get any other programmes I have to pay a minimum of £136 per annum, just imagine what it would cost if the BBC etc were only available on subscription.

 

Companies like Sky want it all ways, they want you to pay a monthly rate and then charge you extra for Sport/ Filmsetc, in fact anything that they hope the customers are desperate enough to be forced to pay extra for!

On top of this they even want advertisers to pay!!!, money for old rope!!

 

And the end result.... most of the top sports events lost to the ordinary viewer.

 

Den

[chesters1]

poledark we got chn5 when we were staying at little switzerland in folkestone (down the cliffs ) + a lot of foreign rubbish as well ,maybe your in a chnl 5 blackspot ,we cant get here in south farnham or itv dig yet were supposed to be in the rich commuter belt

the companies need to turn their transmitter strengths up.

[OregonDave]

Thanks for the link Leon. I even filled out their questionaire about their web site!

DaveK