MSE News: Warning: TV licence loophole could close this autumn

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  • Zapito
    Zapito Posts: 166 Forumite
    edited 13 May 2016 at 12:16AM
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    The licence requirement for iPlayer is a start towards what is required to combat the free-loaders. However, a licence should also be required for radio - as a concession this could be included on the B&W TV licence as well as the full one.
  • Zapito
    Zapito Posts: 166 Forumite
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    silverwhistle wrote: »
    Incidentally, how _will_ they enforce this?

    I wouldn't have thought it difficult. Just as with the commercial catchup services they'd make it so you'd need to register in order to use iPlayer, and that would require your licence details.
  • Zapito
    Zapito Posts: 166 Forumite
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    DELETED USER wrote:
    Time to ditch the BBC completely.

    Speak for yourself. No-one forces you to use BBC. But that's no reason to deprive others of it.
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,509 Forumite
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    Zapito wrote: »
    I wouldn't have thought it difficult. Just as with the commercial catchup services they'd make it so you'd need to register in order to use iPlayer, and that would require your licence details.

    ...but nobody seems to have said how they are going to police multiple users eg son goes to university and watches I player on laptop using parent's license details -or are they going to restrict the number of devices a la Sky Go ??:(
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976 Forumite
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    Believe it or not, and against the tone of the majority of the posts here, about 85 to 90% of the population like the BBC, and about 95% of all homes have a TV licence.
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
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    redux wrote: »
    Believe it or not, and against the tone of the majority of the posts here, about 85 to 90% of the population like the BBC, and about 95% of all homes have a TV licence.

    Not sure about "liking" the BBC Corporation itself. I personally think that is a very inefficient organization and could do with cutting back and making more efficient.

    I would hazard a guess that at least 99% of the population like at least one program that the BBC has output over the last decade or two. I do admit I do like a number of programmes they have commissioned over the years but I'm not going to pay £145.50/year for it.
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,159 Forumite
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    edited 13 May 2016 at 9:15AM
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    brewerdave wrote: »
    ...but nobody seems to have said how they are going to police multiple users eg son goes to university and watches I player on laptop using parent's license details -or are they going to restrict the number of devices a la Sky Go ??:(

    Anything that any other broadcaster/content owner does to secure their content is open to the BBC to use.

    I can see it being very flexible to cope with the various sizes/types of household. The most obvious option for me is to provide a Master account with each TV Licence that has the option to create a finite number of Sub-accounts (say 8 or maybe 6 fixed accounts and 4 mobile). There might be restrictions on those Sub-accounts, for example that they exchange a security token with the Master account periodically, and (for fixed accounts) that they share the IP address range of the device hosting the Master account when first registered.

    It might also be possible to unlock further sub-accounts by contacting the BBC Call Centre.

    Making it 100% secure might be tricky, but making it sufficiently secure to prevent mass fraud and make minor fraud more trouble than it is worth is not that hard.

    Hopefully they will ask some proper IT people (like me) to design it for them, rather than asking random journalists and forumites to do it for them. ;)
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,159 Forumite
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    Marktheshark wrote: »
    Halfway to the TV licence becoming the broadband and TV licence .
    Remember that name and you can say hey I read that on MSE Last year.

    I really don't think it is. The Licence and its Fee are here for the next 11 years - whether FMs think that is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.

    FWIW, whilst politics is inevitably a fickle thing I think the present direction of travel is away from universal taxes to fund the BBC and towards subscription. But I would say that, wouldn't I?
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,655 Forumite
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    It's the BBC, they'll farm it out to Crapita cancelling yet more popular services/programmes to pay for it.

    Then in 3-4 years after it was due to be implemented admit it doesn't work
  • matt_66
    matt_66 Posts: 93 Forumite
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    £2.81 per week (inc a 0.5% inflation rise) is worth it just for the bi-annual series of 'Sherlock' & 'Doctor Who' for me plus with the excellent 'Thirteen' that was on not long ago.

    A big shame the BBC has got rid of the it's excellent Formula 1 coverage but sport is an easy target.

    BBC news broadcasts are still excellent however and it is nice to have quality shows available without having to pay for SKY or Virgin Media.

    It isn't perfect as there are far too many 'lifestyle show' repeats but hey ho, can't have it all.
    2016 saver #80 - £8,379 / £11,000
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