Tv license? Do I need it?

[Justamumof2x]

I’m so sick of receiving tv license threatening letters saying I must have a tv license etc.

I have sky tv. I usually have kids programmes through the day in the background such as babytv channel and I watch one of the channels that show police interceptors. Other than that it’s all Netflix or films.

so surely I don’t need a tv license?

You need to opt out if you don’t need it, then they cut down the pestering. The declaration is online so have a read.

You do need one for sky unfortunately. Personally I haven’t had one for years and just filled in the declaration to say I don’t watch live tv and now I get an occasional letter asking if my circumstances have changed. They can’t enter your home so I don’t know how they’d prove you were watching live tv, it’s an outdated concept that needs to be changed and if people want to watch the BBC then they can pay for it the same as we pay for sky but it shouldn’t be compulsory now with all the different platforms for watching tv.

Do you watch any bbc channels including Iplayer

Do you watch any TV at the time its broadcast (sport etc)

If No... then you don't. Theres a declaration to fill in.

It's the live sport clause that gets us as far as I understand with DH and his NowTV sports package. Otherwise we never watch BBC and I'd love cancel the licence fee.

You need it for Sky as you are watching live broadcast channels from Sky, it's all live channels that need the licence, you also cannot watch recorded programmes from Sky.

Do you let your children watch CBeebies? When they are older Bitesize is brilliant for all Key Stages. I notice that Bitesize starts with phonics.
Do your children watch Number Blocks or Alphablocks?

There was another thread a few weeks ago which I'll link if I can find it. As others said on there, you don't need to declare if you don't have say a gun license or a drivers license, so why the need to say you don't need a TV license?

Apparently the letters go around on a loop- from being nicer and offering an amnesty period to pay, to threatening they could visit day/night, to saying its criminal then going back to the nicer amnesty type ones!

There's this long standing misunderstanding that the licence fee is the same as a subscription fee to a commercial company.

It is isn't.

It is a licence to say you can receive live broadcasting into your home (office or wherever).

ie anyone in the UK watching a live broadcast has to have one.

Its like people who privately broadcast has to have an agreement about which airwaves they can use to do this.

Part of the problem is the language hasn't changed from the days when this was just about radio.

Have just check the Government page on this and in fact there are more exceptions than I realised
https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/tv-licence

Here are the exceptions!

You do not need a TV Licence to watch:

• streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus
• on-demand TV through services like All 4 and Amazon Prime Video
• videos on websites like YouTube
• videos or DVDs

That is not what “live” means in this context. It means any programme that is being broadcast, including all prerecorded programmes.

You need one to watch any live TV, regardless of the provider. Which is nuts.

And live means coronation street at 7.30 when it’s being broadcast. Not just live like football matches.

You need one with Sky as a Sky subscription includes live tv channels like Sport matches and Sky News. It’s not based on whether or not you watch it- it’s based on if you have the capability.

There seems little point in paying huge amounts for Sky TV if you can't watch hardly any of it or use the recording feature, you could probably get the licence a few times over for the cost of Sky. Surely you would just get a Now subscription instead

Check out Chili John , or the Black Belt Barrister on YouTube, who will tell you exactly what you can and can't watch.

If you've got freeview tv or one of the others, and so have to pay the licence fee, seems for sensible to just pay a sub for a month (or 3 month offer) for one of the streaming services and just binge watch through what they have.

IMO!

Yes you do need a TV license, as around 25,000 people found out when they received a criminal conviction for not having one in 2024.

Having any criminal conviction is usually life changing, for employment, borrowing and international travel.

If you don't agree with the law, don't break it, take it up with your MP. (now might be a good time!)

All the information you require can be found on the government website

https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/tv-licence

DBank - do you work for the bbc ? Im inundated with bloody letters from them. Can't stand the bullying tactics!!!! I wish I'd cancelled it years ago - cancel cancel cancel - that's my suggestion -

Exactly this.

We cancelled ours about 10 years ago and have had monthly letters ever since (poor TVL obviously have money to burn) and like you say, they just go in a cycle of varying amusing threat level 😅

We ignore them and file them in the bin.

You need one as sky is “linear” tv and presumably bbc is one of your channels

if you only used a streaming service eg Netflix, you could get away without

I cancelled mine 2yrs ago and have had the letters on a loop since. Don’t give a shit. They can’t come in my house so I’m safe. Not that anyone’s ever come round anyway.

I actually love the BBC and wouldn’t begrudge paying for it - but the letters when I moved house were so aggressive and shitty it made me rebel against them and refuse to pay. Fucking officious.

You aren't paying for the BBC. As already posted.

You are paying for the right to receive live broadcasts over the air waves.

Why punish a service you like when the licence fee isn't about them but an admittedly 20th century concept that individual cant send and receive informaiton via air waves without an arrangement.

This is why (supposedly) if you wanted to broadcast you would have to get a licence. Not just about money but making sure everyone is trying to use the same band width.

Its funny how many people believe the lies about the BBC circulated by other news sources that aren't as accurate as the BBC.

And yes they keep sending letters because it is hard to believe that in this day and age anyone is not using the designated air waves to receive live tv and radio broadcasts nor using the catch up service.

You do need one because you are watching scheduled TV such as the police interceptors and the children's programmes. It isn't just for BBC. Just pay it and avoid getting a criminal record.

I can't stand all the liars on here who think they're so clever pretending they never watch scheduled TV or the ones who are happy to break the law and refuse to pay it simply because they don't fancy paying it or get some kind of thrill from defying authority.

These people are probably the same moronic types who think it's fine to park on double yellows or drive at 36 in a 30 zone, seemingly minor but still totally illegal.

You need a license based on the programs you are watching.

It’s very likely it will be scrapped within the next year