TV LICENCE- I am now £145.50 RICHER, and will still watch Eastenders!!

[angelbayboo]

I have stopped paying my TV licence, call me what you will, but in not paying on principle anymore!

i watched this youtube video of a woman and her partner being confronted in their own home by some man that works for the BBC in one way or another..... its just not right - having this turn up on your doorstep

PS on the plus, the video is hillariious at the and, and inspiring

I thought it was rather OTT response from them posting the video, with his car registration, full name, and so on.

Interesting, however. I know (think) you can still watch BBC iplayer (if not live), but didn't know this applied to TV also. If that makes sense? Perhaps somebody will know.

I don't think we watch anything live on BBC either.

Ive done the same, I have a now TV Box, I can watch iplayer, 5 on demand and not have to pay a license, I can also I believe set up a spotify account and so listen to music, so long as you are not wayching LIVE TV then you dont have to pay, I am going to have the free movies trial over Christmas.

I only watch Holby and Casualty and I record them from iplayer to the laptop - this just saves the laptop being used to play them back and the box was only "10

With digital tv, the license is now an outdated concept.

But there will be people who come along and say everyone should have a license. When realistically, everyone should not be paying. It should be a subscription based service. You want it, you pay for it. But I suspect BBC don't want to go down this route because they know it's not as popular as believed.

I really begrudge paying for the thing. I really, really, really do not watch any bbc. Everytime one of these threads appear on the net, people say oh but you must.. There's plenty of childrens channels. There's plenty of sports channels. Animal channels. Documentary. Music. Entertainment... It's just bbc have you convinced that without them viewing would be dire.

And don't even get me started on tv licensing people. Everywhere else you are innocent until proven guilty. But these jokers harass you with letters and sending people to your home to demand entrance to proof you do not have a tv connected to an aerial.

To be fair, i rang them, told them I was using Iplayer and catch up TV and they sent me a letter straight away saying I am exempt until 2016.

Its any live TV you need a license for - regardless of if you watch BBC Content or now - we rarely watch TV at all so for me it was an easy decision.

They will still send their letters because you are unlicensed every couple of weeks/months. THey have lulled you into a false sense of security letting you believe for the next 3 years there will be no contact, when the license is yearly, so really the deception has began.

Optimusic, I think you have articulated my thoughts exactly, thankyou

We wouldn't put up that type of harassment from any other organisation, and pay for the pleasure of it!
I stopped paying years ago too when i didnt have a TV for a while, and ended up just giving in and paying the licence, i was so afraid of what might happen with all their letters etc.
This time round, Im more informed, and more disillusioned with the BBC lately too , so many over paid executives, and "stars" like Jonathon Ross, the radio1 DJs etc etc, and need i mention Saville and the rest!

So many other decent channels, I think its time the BBC got their house in order!

Which over paid execs? Ross is on itv now

So why don't we need licenses?

Why do we need the license?

What to pay Capita who have earned over £1 billion from their bbc contract? Because that is money well spent.

Presumably the non-licence papers never listen to BBC radio or go not the Beeb website either?

*payers...argh. It is 3am, ok

Again why do we need the license?

Radio. Not everyone listens to or owns a radio.. Websites there are more websites available than those from the bbc. Plus current licensing means to access the iplayer you do not need a license.

Maybe it's about time that the radio license was brought back. Tv is a subscription service, and the only way you can access bbc websites is to pay... Thus leaving the rest of us alone.

What else is left to warrant the license?

My TV is now packed away in a box in a storecupboard. I don't miss it one bit. I watch ITV and Channel 4 either live online or on itv player/4OD and BBC2 and 4 on iplayer. There's nothing I'm that bothered enough about to feel I have to watch it as it is aired and I don't care about a big screen. V happy to avoid licence fee. For me it's not good value at all. Living room looks bigger/nicer without the TV holding court in the corner.

You don't need a TV licence for IPlayer, only for live streaming from the BBC website.

I don't have a TV and really don't miss it. Everything is on the internet.

I'm on the fence with this.

I don't think people should have to pay if they don't use any of the BBC services. Basically it's a tax for them.

On the other hand without the licence wouldn't some of the BBC's services disappear? Would CBBC and CBeebies be filled with ads to pay for the programmes?

I guess problem is this...
Why should I pay for OfWat if I live off grid and generate my own electricity?
Why should I pay for schools if I don't have children?
Why should I pay for Highway Agency if I only walk places and don't create the same environmental and infrastructure impacts as motor vehicles?

Coz wait, we all benefit from those services even if we don't feel like we've directly consumed.

Naive to think that BBC offers no benefits unless you're a direct consumer.

But power and schools and roads are social necessities. TV is not.

Yes, I think because people see TV as a luxury they don't think they should pay.

Would the Asian Network be commercially viable if it had to rely on ads? Or Radio Cymru? I think these are essential to the people who use them but maybe wouldn't survive without funding.

I would love to get rid of my TV channels/Virgin package!

But unfortunately i rely heavily on the internet for uni. And having the internet as part of Virgin is the cheapest i can find. I don't have a phoneline, nor want to pay line rental.

Can't use one of those dongle things because the signal in my area is terrible.

Getting Virgin internet without the TV package as well doesn't work out cheaper either, as i have to pay them to install the internet connection elsewhere. As right now, it's coming from the TV channel connection.

TV license man knocked on my door. Apparently I haven't had a license for a while. Last I knew it was a DD I was paying monthly.

He said I could be looking at £1000 fine for not having on. He questioned what we were watching which was on demand. Left what he had wrote before hand. Apparently it was a warning.

I don't think anyone has said the bbc should be funded from ads.
Make it a subscription based service. Your basic tv comes with freeview channels, anything beyond this, you pay a subscription. If you don't pay, you don't watch... BBC could operate on the same basis. You pay, you have the channels unlocked, thus like the other sub channels, they generate a revenue.

The person who asked no I dOnt use the BBC websites or listen to BBC radio.

I guess they can keep contacting me I don't need one and I won't buy one.

I actually don't mind paying my tv license. most of what i watch is on BBC, i listen to their stations when driving, i enjoy not being bombarded with marketing every fifteen minutes while i'm trying to watch or listen to something. i also like the fact that (apart from the kids channels) it's not choc-a-bloc with endless repeats (yes E4 i'm looking at you).

i agree though, that not everyone is that bothered about having bbc, therefore i think it should be an optional subscription.

i feel the sasme way as herlock and pay even though i donnt have to,

i feel like there has been a jinx moment i posted a you tube clip about this very thing on another thread