Bbc license fee

qwert_yuiop

donnac2558 wrote: »

The Republic has a licence fee as well, they have ads as well.

Yes indeed, and it's dearer. There's a new system coming in there - so many people have given up their TV, since you can get everything of any interest on your laptop, that they've decided to bring in "Broadcasting Tax". This will be added to your property tax, and having no TV will not save you. There's no escape.

steveymp

License fee worth it for proper News, 5 live, decently accurate weather forecasts and a brilliant website. 2 quid a week for this alone is a bargain. As for local programmes, some of them are cringeworthy indeed, but the local programme on the battle of the Atlantic wrecks shown last night and last week was brilliant.

We all would really miss the BBC if it was gone so be careful what you wish for.

Sor

lazer wrote: »

The only reason I haven't gone catch up only is that we can't access the catch up rte service from a northern ISP - and I love the gaa and the sunday game!

Are you sure? 'Cause I remember when RTE catchup first happened and, yes I couldn't get access it, but RTE told me to contact my ISP and ask them to tell RTE that I live in the north. Once RTE was happy I was in the north and not in GB as identified because of being on plusnet, I could access RTE catchup.

Was very impressed with plusnet as it basically happened overnight though they said it might take a week or 10 days or something for it to clear through the system.

Admittedly, I've never found anything on RTE catchup that I want to watch..... maybe I should check it out again.

BigAl94

Cornucopia wrote: »

I can recommend YouView as a very easy way to become legally licence-free. Simply plug the box in with the Ethernet cable and not the aerial, and it does the rest...

iPlayer, 4OD, Demand5 as basic offerings. ITV Player if you tune in your freeview region. And extra content from ISPs like BT & Talktalk.

This is wrong. You need a licence http://www.youview.com/support/kb/do-i-need-a-tv-licence

jeffer

steveymp wrote: »

License fee worth it for proper News, 5 live, decently accurate weather forecasts and a brilliant website. 2 quid a week for this alone is a bargain.

I think you'll find that it's quite a bit more than that.

lazer

Sor wrote: »

Are you sure? 'Cause I remember when RTE catchup first happened and, yes I couldn't get access it, but RTE told me to contact my ISP and ask them to tell RTE that I live in the north. Once RTE was happy I was in the north and not in GB as identified because of being on plusnet, I could access RTE catchup.

Was very impressed with plusnet as it basically happened overnight though they said it might take a week or 10 days or something for it to clear through the system.

Admittedly, I've never found anything on RTE catchup that I want to watch..... maybe I should check it out again.

Thanks for this I will try this!

iamtrev79

hcb42 wrote: »

Lots of Europe have a licence, America does not, but then their TV is absolutely awful, to the point of unwatchable, I would rather pay my fee (£3 per week) for a few decent programs per week.

American TV is awful because there is no TV licence there? Only BBC benefits from TV licence yet most of the better things on TV are not on the BBC. The only BBC channel that is arguably any good is BBC 4 and hardly anybody watches that.

It is a bit stupid in the age of handheld instant internet streaming videos and the such that people should have to pay for a licence for a TV. TVs will be redundant in a few years. The BBC also wastes money on poor quality programmes, overpaid presenters, self applied nicknames, and excessive champagne. If it was privatised it would probably have to start making some decent programmes again.

The main reason anyone objects to this is they don't want to sit through an ad break in the middle of Eastenders.

Cornucopia

BigAl94 wrote: »

This is wrong. You need a licence http://www.youview.com/support/kb/do-i-need-a-tv-licence

You need to re-read my post. YouView (when viewed through the Ethernet cable, not the aerial) does not require a licence.

Your own quote & TVL both confirm that you don't need a licence if you don't watch or record live TV broadcasts, which you cannot do if the box is connected in this way.

almillar

Anyone thinking the BBC is rubbish should be made to sit in a hotel room in the USA for a week and try to find the TV programmes in between the adverts.
How many people here say the ~£150 per yr TV Licence is a rip-off are paying Sky or Virgin £600 per yr AND being subjected to adverts?
And everyone saying the TV programmes are no good - do you want only programmes that you like? How about the rest of the nation? Should we all like exactly the same programmes? I don't like The Voice or Eastenders, but someone does.
The Beeb has lots of rules applied to it about what kind of programmes it has to make. If it went commercial, every single programme would just have to be made to pull in viewing figures. You think we'd be getting all those little quirky programmes that no-one else would ever commission?
I haven't even mentioned radio and internet, BBC computers in primary schools, and the pushes they made with Freeview and FreeviewHD.

Cornucopia

From my POV, the BBC would do rather better in terms of winning hearts and minds if it did not have such a bad attitude - or rather a whole set of bad attitudes.

The output is laced with left-liberal smugness, public money is squandered left, right & centre, and the Licence Fee enforcement regime is a national disgrace.