Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC licence fee

[beetcoin]

that's weird. why do they need to tax you when money can be raised from advertisements? fucking brits man.. you already drive on the wrong side of the road!

[guybrushthreepwood]

that's weird. why do they need to tax you when money can be raised from advertisements? fucking brits man.. you already drive on the wrong side of the road!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom

I'm not actually sure why we have to pay it, but I've often wondered why they can't just use adverts. It's only the BBC that we have to pay for and all other channels are free.

[Schleicher]

I'm not actually sure why we have to pay it, but I've often wondered why they can't just use adverts. It's only the BBC that we have to pay for and all other channels are free.

Then the quality would go down very fast.
But maybe you like to hear the latest celebrity gossip instead of real news, for example.

[practicaldreamer]

I'm not actually sure why we have to pay it, but I've often wondered why they can't just use adverts. It's only the BBC that we have to pay for and all other channels are free.

Then the quality would go down very fast.
But maybe you like to hear the latest celebrity gossip instead of real news, for example.

Thats the argument yes - but I'm not sure if its true TBH.

Its quite often the case that those with higher disposable incomes might be a bit more discerning in their veiwing habits/tastes. Advertisers are willing to pay to capture that audience - they would only be able to do that via quality TV programmes.
   That was my point in the OP about the Guardian - the days when newspapers relied on circulation figures/sales of newspapers alone to make a living are long gone - they rely on advertising revenue.
     If the argument that abolishing the licence fee leads to a deterioration of quality then why are newspapers like the Guardian/Independant/FT still in existence ?

[hilariousandco]

I'm not actually sure why we have to pay it, but I've often wondered why they can't just use adverts. It's only the BBC that we have to pay for and all other channels are free.

Then the quality would go down very fast.
But maybe you like to hear the latest celebrity gossip instead of real news, for example.

Since when is the BBC the only source for real news? It's hardly impartial either. I watch very little on the BBC and I most certainly don't use it for my source of real world current events. I also don't want to have to pay for it.

[jbrnt]

Apparently, OP is not the only one who hates him. His wife does too. She is divorcing him after 21 years:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2620201/Clarksons-wife-went-holiday-toast-end-marriage.html

It may be old news for some, but it's the first time I heard about it 

[5flags]

There's nothing obligatory about the license fee. I don't own a TV. Problem solved.

I can't imagine a reality where I have time to sit down and watch television. Having said that, if I were to start watching TV, I would happily pay the £10/month or whatever it is now to not have to see ads. I hate ads. With a passion.

[guybrushthreepwood]

There's nothing obligatory about the license fee. I don't own a TV. Problem solved.

I can't imagine a reality where I have time to sit down and watch television. Having said that, if I were to start watching TV, I would happily pay the £10/month or whatever it is now to not have to see ads. I hate ads. With a passion.

But I think you have to pay it if you own a computer or even other devices that are capable of streaming media. And just download TV programs or steam them online somewhere.

[5flags]

But I think you have to pay it if you own a computer or even other devices that are capable of streaming media. And just download TV programs or steam them online somewhere.

You have to pay it if you watch a broadcast while it is being sent out. There is no fee for using a service like iPlayer or some other non-live technology:

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/about_bbc_iplayer/tvlicence

[guybrushthreepwood]

But I think you have to pay it if you own a computer or even other devices that are capable of streaming media. And just download TV programs or steam them online somewhere.

You have to pay it if you watch a broadcast while it is being sent out. There is no fee for using a service like iPlayer or some other non-live technology:

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/about_bbc_iplayer/tvlicence

Oh, I wasn't aware of that. I wonder if I've just bought into hearsay and fear-mongering. The bbc and the tv licensing people seem to like scaring people into paying it.

[hilariousandco]

But I think you have to pay it if you own a computer or even other devices that are capable of streaming media. And just download TV programs or steam them online somewhere.

You have to pay it if you watch a broadcast while it is being sent out. There is no fee for using a service like iPlayer or some other non-live technology:

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/about_bbc_iplayer/tvlicence

If I lived in a household where I had to pay the bills / tv licence, I just wouldn't pay it. It's simple enough to get around having to pay it legally. In the most extreme case I just wouldn't have a TV aerial installed but I think you can get away with just having the ariel unplugged. I never watch live broadcast TV anyway and just download all the stuff I want to watch.

[5flags]

If I lived in a household where I had to pay the bills / tv licence, I just wouldn't pay it. It's simple enough to get around having to pay it legally. In the most extreme case I just wouldn't have a TV aerial installed but I think you can get away with just having the ariel unplugged. I never watch live broadcast TV anyway and just download all the stuff I want to watch.

I'm the same. If there is something I want to watch...well that's why God invented Bittorrent.

I had a friend once who actually went through this. He stopped watching TV when he had kids, but didn't get rid of his TV. From what I can remember, if you detune your set, you're fine. There used to be a lot of scaremongering about "detector vans", stealthy, unmarked vehicles patrolling the streets looking for unlicensed TV sets Pure FUD, of course.

[hilariousandco]

If I lived in a household where I had to pay the bills / tv licence, I just wouldn't pay it. It's simple enough to get around having to pay it legally. In the most extreme case I just wouldn't have a TV aerial installed but I think you can get away with just having the ariel unplugged. I never watch live broadcast TV anyway and just download all the stuff I want to watch.

I'm the same. If there is something I want to watch...well that's why God invented Bittorrent.

I had a friend once who actually went through this. He stopped watching TV when he had kids, but didn't get rid of his TV. From what I can remember, if you detune your set, you're fine. There used to be a lot of scaremongering about "detector vans", stealthy, unmarked vehicles patrolling the streets looking for unlicensed TV sets Pure FUD, of course.

Yeah, I always knew those detector vans were bs. I mean, seriously, how can they detect whether people are watching TV or not? It'd be far easier just looking through your window  . The TV licensing people just know full well they can't really enforce it well at all, and if you don't want to pay it you can easily and legally get away with it, so they just resort to fear-tactics to get the sheep paying because they think they either have to or it's not worth the risk or hassle not paying it.

[hilariousandco]

Just pack your TV away in the loft (so that it's non-functional), or use some solder to bridge the antenna terminals. Watch selectively on YouTube or Catch-Up TV services (anything that's not being broadcast live), and cancel your TV licence.

You'll end up wealthier, and more intelligent too, by ditching live TV.

Not if you just sit at home all day watching Justin Bieber videos and viral hits on Youtube  . I'm not sure I buy that whole idiot box argument as well. I mean, sure, if all you do is watch is mind-numbing soaps etc, but I love watching the occasional quality drama and sitcom, as well as documentaries, and I don't think those are exactly stifling or reducing my mental capacity  .

[practicaldreamer]

This is quite a good run down on when a TV licence is required : http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence

What I don't understand is why would I need a UK licence for watching, for eg, Italian TV (being broadcast live) via satellite ? Doesn't seem right to me.

 2 questions   1) can they really decipher (from outside my home) wether I am watching live tv or not ?

            and 2) can they enter my home with a warrant without my permission ? I seem to remember seeing somewhere that you could prevent them from doing so - or at least stall them.

[hilariousandco]

This is quite a good run down on when a TV licence is required : http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence

 2 questions   1) can they really decipher (from outside my home) wether I am watching live tv or not ?

            and 2) can they enter my home with a warrant without my permission ? I seem to remember seeing somewhere that you could prevent them from doing so - or at least stall them.

1). No they can't, unless they can quite clearly hear the TV playing in the background. I can't remember where I read it but they essentially just use good old fashion detective work and cross referencing you on a database. It's very likely that 99% of households have a tv and 99% of them probably watch live tv at some point during the year. If you're down on the database as not having a liscence then you'll probably eventually get a visit from them and they'll be operating under the assumption that you're guilty of evading it until proved otherwise.

2). No. You need to let them in. They're not going to kick down the door just to see if you're watching TV.

[5flags]

2). No. You need to let them in. They're not going to kick down the door just to see if you're watching TV.

Did you mean to write that? Even the police have no right of entry without a warrant.

[hilariousandco]

2). No. You need to let them in. They're not going to kick down the door just to see if you're watching TV.

Did you mean to write that? Even the police have no right of entry without a warrant.

He said with a warrant. They can enter your house without one if you just let them in though.

[5flags]

He said with a warrant. They can enter your house without one if you just let them in though.

Aar, yes, that makes more sense. I'm drinking coffee right now, will be more on the ball very soon.

Even with a warrant, I would still make them knock the door down

[kstar]

Its weird ... why do you guys fund a tv?  and how will it become impartial if it is paid by the government.