Serious question, need a reasonable answer!

[Daniel san]

Regarding the good ol' TV licence.

If the BBC programs are funded by this licence and other channels such as ITV, CH4 / CH5 fund themselves by adverts etc, why, if we don't get a tv licence, can't we watch the other channels???

I know this is a bit serious and way off topic for this BB, but this needs a proper answer. I know the BBC are money grabbing bastards and the licence fee is worth it just for Flick in Neighbours every day, but WTF???

[David_S14]

There was a court case of an electrical engineer whofixed his TV so it could not recieve any of the BBC channels and didn't buy a license. They took him to court and the judge ruled in his favour as they couln't make him pay for something he couldn't use.

[jibber]

oh danny boy, its like this mate, you pays your money for bbc1 and bbc2 yes, i see your point , but look at it like this, you dont pay and you only watch 3,4 and 5 say, but you still have the means to watch 1 and 2. there fore you you get nicked and fined and ****ed. they would only have your word for it, and we all know what thats worth ;) :D

[andyf]

-Invasion of post alert-

As the adverts like to brag, TV licence people can 'find' your TV from a distance.

What about PC's equipped with TV cards?

[jibber]

if it receives a signal then i should imagine they could track it. bastards

[jibber]

has somebody unplugged the censor machine?

[dreadly]

TV detection is done by literally viewing what you view!
The radiation generated by the screen (TV or monitor) can be picked up and 'monitored'.

[Kev]

U sure about that?
Cos everyone knows those vans with aerials attached do feck all.

I put it down to a much simpler theory.

Tv licence guys have a list of ur street, and on that list it states the numbers which have a current tv licence (from their database), all they then have to do is go round the doors of those listed as not having a tv licence and check it out.

Apart from anything else, ur tv emits radio interferance, yes, but who is to say that u havent been watching only pre-recorded (bought videos), or that u only use it for the playstation.

If it was me i wouldnt pay it, then if they come round, u just pull the aerial out of the back of the vcr and say u havent been using it.

Just my wee theory guys.

Kev

[JasewithBase]

I've had my tv license for the last 3 years. tv guys keep sending me letters saying i haven't got one and its an offence £1000 fines etc, and they are going to send chaps around area for checks. they haven't ever knocked on my door though (not as far as i know) (i'm waiting to show them the license and tell them to stop ****ing about) :D
I live in a terraced house with a few flat conversions around as well, makes it difficult for them to check i'd guess

[beavertron]

Originally posted by JasewithBase:
<STRONG>I've had my tv license for the last 3 years. tv guys keep sending me letters saying i haven't got one and its an offence £1000 fines etc, and they are going to send chaps around area for checks. they haven't ever knocked on my door though (not as far as i know) (i'm waiting to show them the license and tell them to stop ****ing about) :D


</STRONG>
surely you need a new one every year
:rolleyes: ;)

[Dodger]

Ahem....in my capacity as an employee of the BBC......

We have a TV licence because the Wireless and Telegraphy Act of 1949 decided we would pay for the developing and increasingly popular BBC TV service that way. The BBC was regarded as public service broadcasting and thus something that everybody who benefited should pay for - ie everybody who had a telly. If you bought a radio in the 1930s you paid a ten shilling (50p to you, kids) listening licence. I think in 1946 a £2 combined TV and radio licence was introduced.

Remember that the licence fee doesn't only pay for BBC1 and BBC2. It also pays for the new digital channels, Radios 1,2,3,4 and 5 Live AND Radio Wales, Radio Scotland, Radio WhateveritisinNorthernIrelandI'vehadaMentalBlock, and all the BBC Local Radio stations around the land. It also pays for some increasingly good websites. The fee also pays for technical and broadcasting R&D that is the envy of broadcasters around the world. And it also pays my salary, and that's what really counts!

On the issue of watching pre-recorded programmes only: There've been loads of court cases where people claimed that they only watch videos or DVDs, but proving it is tough. Because once the investigator gets in the house and sees that the TV is still capable of being tuned and that there's an aerial available, the excuse collapses. Here's a copy of a letter from TV Licensing:

http://www.jifvik.org/tv/tvl2.jpg

There's some concern being voiced now that people without digital are paying for things like the new BBC4 with their licence money and can't watch it. And it's only recently that people registered blind get a 50 per cent discount on the licence, although I'll bet more than half the programmes are bloody meaningless without a picture!

On the subject of TV detector vans the gear can detect a TV that's not switched on, and tell the operator whether it's upstairs or downstairs, and indeed how far away it is (ie front or back of house). I've seen it demonstrated.

[ 18-03-2002: Message edited by: Dodger ]

[Nathan_200sx]

I dont get it! I cant see how a van can find a tv thats on let alone one thats off. A tv radiates sod all when on, the only thing I could think off was a super duper sensitive system that picked up 50 to 100hz signals, but then theyd pic up your kettle as well.
Someone care to explain? did they get this technology from aliens? :confused: :confused:

[Dodger]

Sh*t. That's the result of me doing three things at once.....(not multitasking you see)

It was supposed to read "CAN'T detect a TV that's not switched on" - despite what some of the publicity blurb tells you. But when the box is on they CAN spot it and.....so on. Oh..and the theory that some detector vans are just useless terror machines to make you panic and run out and buy a licence is true, according to licensing man I once got rather morbidly drunk with.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible. Momentary lapse of reason due to necessity to do a bit of work certainly got Nathan excited.

[ 18-03-2002: Message edited by: Dodger ]