Why the F should I tell BBC every year that I don’t watch TV ?

[LadyGillingham]

Why can’t they upgrade their subscriptions/licencing model like Netflix etc ?

If you look at BBC corporation’s ownership, majority stakeholders are private Ltd companies and individuals. Why the f are they entitled to demand subscription fees from me for services I don’t use!

The language in the emails is quite strong, I’m sure a lot of senior citizens just pay to not get into trouble. That’s extortion!

It is shameful the way the BBC behaves.

I agree with all the comments about elderly people and this assumption the TV is some substitute for human connection. It's not, and in some cases is actively damaging.

I have an elderly relative who has dementia. Whilst still at home, she watched TV and it caused serious mental health issues - she couldn't understand the murder mysteries weren't real and started getting paranoid about people wanting to kill her or things she'd seen on the news. If she'd been on her own with carers only coming in occasionally they may not have picked up on this and the risk to her and others her watching the TV posed. In the nursing home she is now in, they rarely watch TV (and they have carers monitoring what they do watch). Mostly they play music, and the staff and patients chat and it's a lovely family atmosphere. They have lots of activities too.

This is a parenting website. So many people are so anti children's provision on here. Think of the wonderful job George Webster does as a BBC presenter. I am proud as a grandparent and very old person to contribute to first class educational tv for children.

I wonder who the person is that works for the BBC and has to send out all these letters etc

I never understand why so many people are terrified of a home visit. They just need to master a few useful phrases:

Remind me, what are your powers of entry?

Do you have a warrant?

No? Well, fuck off then.

A shite bit of software developed by Capita.

How did you “tell” the BBC you didn’t need one?

Letters straight in the bin. Ignore capita visits. If you answer the door, jusr close it.
Quite simple

Don't open the letters then. Either bin them or return to sender.
Capital have zero powers. Engaging with theses idiots confirms your name to the address.

Do they still do the old threat of “we picked up signals from your property”?

Did you hell as like matey, you didn’t, because you can’t.

I think some posters are forgetting not everyone these bullies will visit is a confident individual with the ability to make themselves clearly understood. It's very easy to say you shouldn't be terrified when you know they are powerless, unfortunately not everyone knows they have no authority.

Their letters are actually comical, with a very dated looking design, with a 1980’s-esqe ‘rubber stamp ‘ with the ‘signature’ of the boss on it, like something a seven year old would knock up on the computer and they go In a cycle, such a waste of paper, it’s a shame that anyone takes them seriously.

Nobody is responding to my post about CBeebies. My five year old grandson was watching IiPlayer on his iPad in the car. He was watching g a programme about Eid. We are not Muslims or religious so it was moving to hear him enthusiastically explain Eid celebrations to me.
I am a teacher ( retired) and I so
often embedded a a short clip from one of the BBC educational programmes in
my whiteboard presentations. He was watching Something Special series I think.
I think a lot of people take this kind of provision for granted and think it gets paid for from the magic money tree.

My aunt and uncle never had a tv and regularly were visited by the “detector van”. Quite was it was detecting was a mystery as they had neither tv nor an aerial. That was in the 70s and 80s.

You can ignore it. They will send a series of increasingly hysterical letters and then… nothing happens. They just cycle round with the letters again.

I never responded, because the options on the form all seemed designed to try to trick you into admitting you needed a tv licence. There was no “I don’t have a tv and don’t watch any tv in any form whatsoever” option, it was all “I have a tv but don’t watch the bbc” or “I only watch live tv on my computer”. So I ignored it, and all bin the letters. They can come round if they want, because I don’t have a tv. But they never have.

They weren’t detecting anything, the vans were empty. 🤣

@HelpMeGetThrough

terrifying 🤣🤣🤣

I must say you made me laugh when you accuse me of paranoia and then go on to talk about the BBC " bullying and harrassing" you. That sounds just like paranoia to me!

And you go on to talk about the need to " discuss" what you perceive to be going on but try and shut down anyone who doesn't feed into your narrative. Not much of a discussion if you just want to hear from people who agree with your view point.

The BBC has presided over several serious safeguarding failures. Savile being the tip of the iceberg. There is plenty of alternative great provision.

Our school actually visits local synagogues, mosques etc. I think it's far better for it to be rooted in the local community rather than whatever the BBC thinks is correct.

They once had an article describing 14 year old victims of rape and child sex trafficking as 'sex workers'. I don't want my daughters being taught that shite by the BBC. Complained and got the brush off.

Yes, the language is clearly designed to catch people out, it isn't plain English and will be difficult for many to understand.

My grandchildren are not allowed to watch YouTube etc. Their parents do allow CBeebies and CBBC. It is a life saver. Hate to think it will disappear in the future

Good advice. But if you're an elderly person living alone, it can be very intimidating.

I think you will find that the very elderly often encounter certain problems listening to the radio!

No, my tv free elderly relative has never listened to BBC radio (even in the days when she could have heard it). Nor do I (I don’t have a licence either: it must run in the family).

I don’t even have a radio (just never thought of it tbh) and I have never seen one in her house.

There is a really prevalent assumption being displayed throughout this thread that tv, and the BBC in particular, is a vital integrated part of all of our lives - in particular for entertaining and educating children & consoling the elderly - and that those of us denying this must be lying, or miserable, or mistaken, or mad haired weirdos praying to a Boris Johnson shrine when not weeping over our loneliness. I find this very sad and a bit alarming. Humans lasted a long time in functioning communities without tv you know, educating children, caring for the elderly, & filling those long tv-less evening with eccentric things like having sex, reading books, and cleaning the bathroom.

I've been getting letters about this for 4 years now. I have a TV licence but due to an issue with the address database their system thinks I don't have one. I've spoken to them about this an followed their advice but the letters continue. I've had one visit so far, no doubt they'll turn up again at some point. I'm not wasting any more of my time trying to resolve this. The letters are quite comical really.

No licence needed for radio

I was on our local SACRÉ and organised many trips to religious buildings and faith communities. In many areas it can be hard to find an appropriate building and I know from my own experience that many parents will not contribute towards the cost of a trip to a religious building.. The BBC does a brilliant job of introducing faith community