to not have a television licence if we don't watch live television?

[Meggymoodle]

Some of our friends think we're unreasonable not to have a television licence. We don't have a television but we do watch things on BBC iplayer and itvplayer. We also listen to the radio.

In some ways, I can see the argument, we are not breaking the law - it states on the BBC licence pages that as long as you are not watching things through the internet as they are being shown on television, which we never do, you do not require a licence. However, are we being like Starbucks with the whole tax thing - not acting illegally but a bit morally suspect? (On a far lesser scale obviously!).

I'm not saying if everyone here thinks we ABU I will rush and get a licence but I'd be interested to see what the general consensus is.

YANBU. The television licence is for specific things. If you don't do those things, you don't need one. Don't see that there's anything moral about it.

What kind of luck do you have explaining this to the licensing authority? They seem to have a deliberate policy of "forgetting" your exemption and constantly bombarding you with forms so you have to keep phoning them and explaining why you don't pay - and I guess some people just give in and pay. They hassled my nan unforgiveably about it some years ago. It's nasty, cynical stuff.

when you first use iplayer on bbc it asks if you have a licence. therefore you must of lied, and are breaking the law. so YABU

If you are using iPlayer YABU.

YANBU, we do the same. We notified the licensing authority online and haven't heard from them since.

We didn't have a TV licence for years as we didn't watch live TV. I did listen to the radio and never gave it a second thought. If there was a TV series we wanted to watch, we rented it. So I guess the BBC would have got some financial benefit through that avenue.

"when you first use iplayer on bbc it asks if you have a licence"

It says on iplayer that if you are watching streaming video you need a license.

YANBU. What you are doing is legal and fine.

Explanation on the BBC website

No, yanbu if you don't have a TV. It's up to them to change the rules if more and more people are doing what you are and they don't like it.

I'm just perplexed as to why you wouldn't have one as you do actually watch programmes. But then I do admit to being a bit of luddite and in the last centuary as far as technology is concerned.

You DO NOT need a licence to watch iplayer as long as it's not live. So to the posters above YABU

weve never had a tv liscence and despite having nothavingatv at themoment we have had one in the past.They sent letters,we ignored them.they did nothing.

No you really don't need a licence to watch iplayer as long as you are not watching as it is broadcast.

"Everyone in the UK who watches or records TV as it is broadcast needs to be covered by a TV licence. This includes TV on computers, mobile phones, DVD/video recorders and other devices."

i've not looked into it. I just remember it coming up. I maybe wrong.

I still think you sound like an arse. If people didn't pay on your behalf then there would be no radio/iplayer for you.

YANBU,

I do exactly the same thing. Got rid of the telly and use the computer if I want to watch a program. Told the TV Licensing and they we're really helpful and refunded me some of my TV licence for that year too!

You only need a TV license if you're watching TV as its aired, but they'll hound you for the rest of your life if you don't have one. They're disgusting.

Definitely morally dubious - if everyone took the same approach then there would be no funding for the things you enjoy.

You are not being unreasonable - it's an invaluable service provided for those who don't have a tv, or don't want to watch a programme as it is broadcast.

MargeySimpson

It's an optional payment, not a tax. Mind your "arse".

Ok, so you don't watch it live. That's fine and to be honest I don't really care, but the BBC is having to pay to make those programs so in effect arn't you getting something for nothing at the expense of people who pay?

I do think the iplayer situation has muddied the waters. When we didn't have a TV licence, iplayer did not exist. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable if I watched hours of iplayer a week and didn't have a licence.

Calling someone an arse over this is a bit harsh though...

It's not optional. You can get in serious trouble for not paying it. I think just because Iplayer is a kind of loophole the op seems like she's almost boasting about being clever.

The price you pay for watching Sky is £x/month. The price for ITV is having to put up with ad breaks. And the price for the BBC is the licence fee. There is no question that what you are doing is perfectly legal (although I'd hazard a guess that if they can restrict it via technology to licence payers, that well might change). But I would feel uncomfortable if I were to do this.

We cant get BBC channels reliably where we live. And at the minute all the other channels are intermittent. We use iplayer etc. But we still pay the licence because we cannot be arsed having to justify ourselves over and over.

I dont agree with the licence in general. So YANBU.