tv licence an iniquitous tax

[acumenman]

The other day the tv licence arrived and I deliberated about paying this iniquitous tax, as I rarely watch the BBC as it gets up my nose to watch the news they produce with all the spin.

Cricket gets more air time than serious matters.

There seems to be a surfeit of idiots at the BBC worrying about how a programme is delivered without considering the lack of content and the appalling bias.

Every childrens programme it seems is fronted by an alien to these shores, which is political correctness gone bizarrely wrong.

The money spent collected from us mugs who do pay the tax or licence, is wasted on unnecessary administrative and managerial staff, whilst the true creative talent is hopelessly underfunded.

It works out we pay around ?12 per month for this shower for two tv channels and a half dozen radio networks.

Sky for ?21 gives a hundred channels and more radio networks than one knows what to do with.

The difference is I can choose to pay Sky if I want their channels but with the BBC you have to have your licence whether you watch them or not.

It should be a matter of choice you either pay Sky or the BBC.

GRRRRR!

[DJKillaQueen]

But with sky you get adverts interrupting your movies and programmes. The licence fee is what stops the BBC having advertising.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Cricket is serious.

[Narnia]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

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> But with sky you get adverts interrupting your

> movies and programmes. The licence fee is what

> stops the BBC having advertising.

Sky don't show adverts during movies. Also if you have a Sky+ box you can record things and fast forward through the adverts. I still like the BBC though.

[taper]

The religious bias sometimes gets up my nose. And the fawning treatment given to the Establishment. Aliens to these shores? I'm not a fan of Terry Wogan or Rolf Harris, but I can see their charms. Life without R4 though is unimaginable. As is a broadcasting landscape populated only by Sky and ITV.

So pay up I say. It's your patriotic duty.

['bout now]

No spin on Murdoch's news is there.

Oh wait...

[Ladymuck]

> It works out we pay around ?12 per month for this

> shower for two tv channels and a half dozen radio

> networks.

I have one telly and one freeview box. With those I am able to watch dozens of all manner of channels etc. (including a Russian one and Al Jazeera) for the cost of the TV licence. Unfortunately I don't have the time as I'm always on here, but I think that, if I did, it would be fair value.

> Sky for ?21 gives a hundred channels and more

> radio networks than one knows what to do with.

At the end of the day, there are only so many channels you can watch. I guess it boils down to personal preference too. Some people, for example, have Sky purely for the live football matches.

[PeckhamRose]

WTF??? "Every childrens programme it seems is fronted by an alien to these shores, which is political correctness gone bizarrely wrong."

[LadyDeliah]

Yes, I thought that was a bit of a strange thing to say. Would the poster care to expand so that we actually understand what it is you were trying to say?

[louisiana]

acumenman Wrote:

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>

>

> It works out we pay around ?12 per month for this

> shower for two tv channels and a half dozen radio

> networks.

Are you living in a 1990s time warp?

BBC4 is the only reason I still have a TV set. I barely look at the other hundred or so channels on Freeview.

Sky is only viable because Sky Sport pays for everything else.

[Pearson]

Op: You appear to have forgotten about BBC Websites: weather/ news/ Kids Cbbc/ Cbeebies amazing websites educationally.

By Op's own admission he/she is a 'MUG' for not realizing how great the BBC is!

[Ladymuck]

> Op: You appear to have forgotten about BBC

> Websites: weather/ news/ Kids Cbbc/ Cbeebies

> amazing websites educationally.

Does the licence cover the websites too? I didn't realise this:-$

I suppose that makes sense though. If you don't own a TV but watch something on iplayer for example...

[HAL9000]

I think (so don't hold me to this) that the TV Licence only covers reception\recording\watching programs at the time that they are officially broadcast (on all channels).

It does not cover content available via iPlayer or catch-up services offered by cable service providers (or BBC websites) - therefore, no TV Licence is required to view such content.

[louisiana]

The licence fee pays for all BBC services and channels, offline and online (and now will include the World Service too, previously paid for by the FCO).

A licence is not required for catch-up services/narrowcasting, but only for when a programme is broadcast (transmitted live on TV and simultaneously via iplayer etc.).

[indiepanda]

So much of what is on the various Sky channels was made by the BBC in the first place, from old comedies on GOLD, QI and Top Gear, to lifestyle shows and various others.

If you don't watch the sports channels (which I don't) there isn't actually that much original programming on Sky.

The BBC web site may be free to access regardless of whether or not you have a TV licence, but if none of us had one, there would be no web site. I visit it on a more than daily basis and couldn't be without it.

If you travel overseas you will find the BBC the envy of countries worldwide, and in places like New Zealand, again many programs are sourced from the BBC.

Whilst not everything on it is to my taste, I wouldn't be without it. I am quite happy paying my licence fee.

[LadyDeliah]

Their educational content on the website is really useful. My friend's daughter was in a failing secondary school and managed to pass all if her GCSE's using the bitesize revision stuff on the BNC website.

The BBC is brilliant in so many ways. Can't see Sky doing any if these things for free.

[*Bob*]

I'm not averse to a bit of BBC-bashing myself, but a world without the BBC would be freaky and frightening.

Seeing that most people - given the choice - would lazily accept a crap free alternative in place of a superior product which they had to motivate themselves to pay for (see 'The Metro' etc); the BBC forces a huge swathe of the population to absorb comparatively quality information (eg current affairs) instead of Goldenballs. That alone is worth a puny hundred and fifty quid a year - especially when you consider how a substantial proportion of the rest of your substantial taxes get flushed.

The people who beat their chest about having to pay the TV licence are usually the ones we need to have it there for.

And QI isn't made by the BBC.

[DJKillaQueen]

HAL you are incorrect I'm afraid. You DO need a TV licence if you watch content on iplayer/ internet or a mobile phone. It states it on the back of the licence.

[Ladymuck]

That would make sense. Otherwise one could easily circumvent the purchase of a licence by watching everything on iplayer for example.

[Ladymuck]

BTW Your Maj, the Computer did say not to hold him to his post.

It's not often he makes an error. Must need re-booting. Or chucking out and replacing with a later model.;-)

[Narnia]

I don't think so.

Where does it say you need a licence to watch iplayer DJ? I think you owe HAL an apology and Ladymuck too! It doesn't even say it on the back of the licence either.

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

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> HAL you are incorrect I'm afraid. You DO need a TV

> licence if you watch content on iplayer/ internet

> or a mobile phone. It states it on the back of the

> licence.

[jumpinjackflash]

acumenman Wrote:

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>

> It should be a matter of choice you either pay Sky

> or the BBC.

>

>

totally agree with you on this. I have SKY and would happily allow all my BBC channels be blocked than pay ?145 (or whatever it is) per year to watch the crap on BBC. Cannot remember the last time I actually watched anything on the BBC channels. Don't mind the adverts - gives me time to make a cup of tea or go for a piddle!

[Ladymuck]

Narnia Wrote:

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> Where does it say you need a licence to watch

> iplayer DJ? I think you owe HAL an apology and

> Ladymuck too! It doesn't even say it on the back

> of the licence either.

Thanks Narnia. I should say that I didn't check (more fool me)...

But, of course, sincerest apologies dear HAL. x

[Narnia]

Especially given the 'source' of your information ;-)

[Ladymuck]

Ahem...

She won't think twice about sending a Leprechaun to the Tower you know.;-)