To cancel TV license

[Bridget1983]

DH and I do not watch the BBC - we watch Netflix, 4OD etc but we have always and still do pay our TV license.
DH in particular wants to cancel this as he is politically opposed to all that the BBC now stand for.
I also feel the BBC is not the unbiased media outlet it once was but am worried about getting into legal bother if child accidentally accessed it or something!

Genuinely interested in whether others have also done this?

And before anyone assumes our “political grounds” are not weird Tommy Robinson/far right stuff 😊

I cancelled mine a couple of years ago. I don't watch much tv so I'm happy with Netflix and 4od.
As long as you don't watch anything live and don't use the BBC iplayer, you don't need one and, so far, I haven't had anyone come round to check anything.

I've been wanting to cancel it for ages. We watch amazon, the only thing we watch on live TV is the chase on itv

If you don't watch live tv then you don't need one - why wouldn't you cancel it?

I will add that I think things such as CBeebies are amazing and free (and obvs Attenborough) so there are some mega positives (which are watched at my parents house) and should I support this aspect of the bbc even if political coverage is vile?

If you don’t want it - cancel it, easy. Personally I think you get a lot for the money but it’s your choice. It would be best to chuck out any aerials so there’s no chance of accidentally watching it.

I don't see why you'd keep it if you don't watch BBC/live TV/use iPlayer. You might as well keep your money!

Our aerial broke a few years ago and so we stopped paying the TV licence because we didn't watch linear TV and were happy to stop using iPlayer. I uninstalled iPlayer from my set top box and didn't encounter any problems. We were contacted every 2-3 years by TV Licensing to confirm that we still didn't watch BBC content.

You may find it difficult to prove that you don't need a licence if you have a working aerial plugged into your television.

We renewed our TV licence last year, because we regularly use the BBC news and weather websites and wanted to view iPlayer content again.

4OD does require a license (that’s why they ask for your address) they just haven’t enforced it yet. So you wouldn’t be able to watch (or listen) to any of the terrestrial TV channels’ online or radio services. If you are fine with that then go ahead

You need a license for iplayer now.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence

Yes, I posted similar a couple of months ago and did just that.

I have deleted the apps and the family all know not to watch iPlayer. We don't own a tv in any case, but they know not to on their tablets.

I had the hassle of confirming more than once 🙄 but after the last time, there hasn't been anything.

If you have any of the BBC streaming services uploaded on your equipment you have to have a license even if you never watch them - to not need one you need to delete the apps from everywhere - including ITV, 4OD and 5 as these allow you to watch LIVE tv - it is about the ability to watch live TV - not what you actually watch - so you have always needed a license even if you never watch BBC but only ITV.

Some equipment does not allow you to do this - and it is now why they ask you to sign in and register on them to 'receive a personalised viewing service' or enable them to monitor if you are using them. They do not come round with vans anymore they can just tell. Some people who cancel their license do have a spot check and they CAN and WILL enter your property and check all appliances for these apps.

So it is possible and legal to cancel your TV license but it not about what you watch but what you have the ability to watch - and that is not just BBC.

So to clarify - you need to delete anything that allows you to watch Live TV and all BBC iplayer apps. You can watch streamed 4OD, ITV and 5 but only on an app that does not allow you to watch live TV.

@Basecamp65 I think that is over kill. I have a terrestrial aerial on my roof so I have the ability to watch tv. I just don't connect it.

I have deleted bbc apps, but none of the others as it's the same thing surely? I just don't watch anything live.

I really wish people would get their facts straight.

From the TV licensing website: www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

You need to be covered by a TV Licence to:
-watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service
-download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.

SO. You do not need a license to watch 4OD. You do not need a license just because you are capable of watching them. (thankfully, since any internet-enabled device can watch 4OD/iplayer etc without any apps installed..) They are not allowed to enter your property to check whether you are watching TV without a police warrant. You do not have to let them in if they come watching. You do not have to inform them that you are not breaking the law (just as you don't have to regularly inform the police you haven't stolen anything) - they will continue to send you letters, but you can just bin them.

Honestly the amount of fear-mongering and outright untruths that are spread about TV licensing is just ridiculous.

(by "watching them" I meant watching live TV or iplayer)

and by "come watching" I meant come to your door asking to come in. Unless they have a warrant (they won't).

Thanks @bingoitsadingo

I had just come back with the terms and conditions myself as the fear mongering made me go check 😆

Licensable activity does not include:
a) watching programmes by means of pre-recorded media such as DVD and Blu- ray;
b) downloading or watching S4C TV on demand on BBC iPlayer or listening to radio programmes on BBC iPlayer.
c) downloading or watching on demand programmes from other providers, such as:
 ITV Hub, All 4 or Demand 5
 BT Vision, Virgin Media or Sky Go
 Netflix or Now TV
BBC TELEVISION LICENSING NO LICENCE NEEDED POLICY [BBC001] v4.7 Page 5 of 10
 Apple, Roku or Amazon*

We cancelled ours 3 years ago and not looked back. Kids don't miss CBBC etc as so many alternative kids programs on Netflix they can access.
Just deleted apps that we can't use. Removed TV Ariel from house and explained to kids what they can't watch and ask that they ask us before downloading any apps as a precaution.

I would stop paying. Blanket assuming everyone will pay a TV licence just because they have a TV seems very archaic.

I cancelled mine 5 years ago. I still occasionally watch bbc channels and live tv. Who's gonna know? No ones ever contacted me or been round 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks - seems like it’s a totally acceptable thing to now do then - will take the appropriate steps (delete iPlayer etc) and cancel

If you don’t need one then cancel it (but I bet a significant number of people who cancel do a sneaky bit of live tv watching!).

I do find it depressing though that the Netflix supplied US-centric version of entertainment seems likely to become the norm, and we’ll lose even more of that particular British creative voice that’s produced such great programmes over the years.

Instead it will be content driven by algorithms and whether it gets an immediate global audience, with less and less attention paid to local interests. Series axed the moment they are deemed not to have been a sufficiently instant hit. And of course once the competition has been killed off they get free reign to push up prices/ reduce quality.

Or perhaps not, as all the content owners now seem to be taking back their best programmes for their own services (See Disney/Marvel), and you’ll have to decide whether to pay for multiple subscriptions or just miss out.

Strange times ahead for tv I think.

Bluegrass - good point regarding local tv interests etc - I agree it is strange times ahead for tv. Suppose this is the dilemma, should I support the beeb for all the good things they make including local interest stuff, historical things etc despite the political stuff not being to my taste 🧐

I cancelled mine a few months ago. Don’t miss it one bit. Everything I like is on Netflix and YouTube. You can still watch on demand channels like UkTV and 4OD ITV player etc. Just not IPlayer. There are videos you can watch on YouTube about cancelling and what to do if they knock at your door.

The bbc need to sort themselves out. A tv licence is archaic now. They need to focus on being impartial as well. Even radio 4 pisses me off with it's relentless wokeness and trying to appeal to da yoof. We haven't watched tv for five years now since we moved into our new build and couldn't be bothered getting an aerial fixed up.

We cancelled ours after the Jimmy Savile thing came to light. I now find the BBC abhorrent and we don't miss watching terrestrial TV