Licensing for UK Television
 

I have always been curious about the British and their Licensing of TV's. I have known that they have vans that go around looking for and detecting unlicensed TV's. I have always thought that these "detectors" look for a horiz oscillator running. They also have hand held detectors and some of the engineers work in secret so that other engineers don't even know what each other is doing! They even say they can tell one TV from another that may be back to back with a wall in between such as in a duplex apartment! Also the price is different between a B&W and a color unit. What difference does that make? You are still watching TV. We don't get a break for that on our cable systems.

How do they detect say a computer running that is watching "live" TV? That seems to be the key that if you are watching TV as it is being broadcast, then you must have a license and pay the tax. How would they detect an LCD or plasma screen from up to 60 yards away? They even want you to have a license if you watch TV from your cell phone and how would they detect that? I suppose the phone company would turn you in on that one. How would they detect a laptop computer watching anything?

Even more surprising is the fact they say around 1000 people are caught every day watching illegal TV!! How many TV police do they have? Over 1000 caught every day??? That means that in about 3-5 months the entire country of England is caught?!

Reminds me of when we had the Boston Tea Party in 1773. (interesting read-England said we and the Brits could only buy British tea to keep out competition from Holland) Perhaps the UK should have their own "London TV Party" and dump their TV's all in their harbor!! We could give them all the analog TV's they need for this event!!

This is why we are getting DTV forced down our throats, so our gov't can sell the analog bands for billions-yes, Billions with a "B".

Let's not tell our gov't about this untapped revenue on TV's! I think we'd all get life with no parole.

Click below for the UK"s website regarding this issue.

http://tvlicensing.metafaq.com/templ...SCAIN1EH6FS04U

http://tvlicensing.metafaq.com/templ...SCAIN1EH6FS04U

Crap, that just makes my Freedom loving hackles stand on end.

As I understand it, in return for the license fee the TV is free of advertising. Not seeing that couple in the bathtubs in the wheat field might be worth it.

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I wouldn't get too excited--you probably get the best of British Broadcasting-there's a lot of crap too. Having said that, I recently visited my mom in NJ and tried to watch a movie interrupted by a commercial every 9-12 minutes. It does drive you nuts! :yes:

Ray

I gave my telly a way a couple of years ago to my mum. Its just utter rubbish on there. The price of a licence here, look at all the CDs and LPs you can buy with the money. Do I miss it, yes like a toothache :thmbsp:

We do get the best of Auntie Beeb over here. I recall a business trip to London back in the eighties. Turned on the telly in the hotel and there were several men debating something absolutely boring. Turned it off and wandered over to a pub in Shepherd's market. Had dinner and a few ales. Came back to my hotel, turned on the telly and they were still at it, must have been a good two hours later.

If the politicos could figger a way to put a plastic dome over everyone's heads that you had to put a quarter into or you'd get no air that day, they'd do it...

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We get a lot of good comedy shows here on PBS - when they are not begging for money.

Let's see, there the government collects a license fee from every TV user, and then gives some of that to the TV stations. Okay, problem is, the TV station better not annoy the bureaucrats in the government if they want to get that money... [scene: news dept "we just found out that the prime minister is sleeping with that famous movie star" "Okay, let's make that story the lead item in tonight's broadcast". "better not, he runs the TV licensing dept and he could have them "forget" to pay us..."]. I wouldn't want to give the government that kind of influence over my media. Here, we just have our Funny Cookie Corporation (FCC) enforce meter reading on transmitters and issue fines if someone says the F word... :D

I'd rather have the commercials than have the government's finger in the pie. Besides, commercials give you time to go to the bathroom or grab a sandwich. And with multiple networks, and multiple sponsor companies, no one orginization can screw with the media.

We Americans are rather squirrelly about that sort of thing, our 1st Amendment.

But you gotta know that somewhere, some pointy-nosed, 1973-style glasses wearing policy wonk who works for the Ways & Means committee & still lives, at 43, w/his parents, is reading this & thinkin'-"Those Limeys, Hmmmmmmm.... ! Thatsa GOOD IDEA...", as he wipes his running nose on his shirtsleeve, & takes another swig of Diet Mountain Dew...and scribbles "Licenses for TVs & radios" on his yellow legal pad...

Let's see in Canada there used to be a license fee but it was dropped. That said the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has better news (read fairer and balanced) than Rupert Murdoch's Fox network. There was an Ombudsman show when I lived there and the guy who ran it regularly pissed off the government and they could not touch him. Everyone here thinks government cannot do anything right and private corporations are perfect. Welcome to the recession brought to you by private investment bankers.

I'm an expert on this matter, well I should be as I have received many threatening and bullying letters from the company that harrases innocent people for the bbc (note usage of small letters) I no respect for the bbc or their enforcement company.

They assume that everyone has and uses a TV therefore owes them money for a license. This is an incorrect assumption.

I do not have a TV or other TV receiving equipment at the address that receives this assault. I have told the company so many times. In fact the address in question is not occupied at present and I don't want to tell them that as I trust them not at all.

Here is one letter from them, quite mild, but others have been much worse. An older person may be really worried about receiving such threats. If I find one of the more threatening letters, may post it later. Even if I don't, one can be sure that more will follow.

Not having to listen to or see Billy May would be worth the tax.:yes::yes: