EXTENDED: You've got another week to add your travel & holiday deals questions for expert MSE Oli as part of the latest Ask An Expert event.
I wish to have a TV without a licence...
This discussion has been closed.
Latest MSE News and Guides
MoneySavingExpert
Chair, Martin Lewis · Editor, Marcus Herbert
Replies
I don't know what Tony Hall has in mind, but the process of making a decision about it is a lot more complicated than him simply deciding. The most obvious solution to me is for the Licence to become an electronically-enforced subscription.
That's my understanding, too.
The requirement for an individual TV licence was a bone of contention with those of us who lived in Armed Forces barrack blocks. Specifically, the WRAF block I lived in had a communal lounge with a colour tv set that we all paid for by monthly subscriptions - yet we still needed our own licences if we had our own (12" B&W) sets in our own rooms.
Then one evening the TV licence detector van paid a visit to our unit.... Bearing in mind that tannoy broadcasts could be heard all over the unit, except the inside of moving vehicles (engine noise drowned it out), the orderly Cpl announced that the van was on the unit and that all personnel with private tv sets were to have their licences ready for inspection.
They didn't catch a single person.
Yes to the first question.. To the second, have a moan on here?
I have no idea what the employer is like, although most of the outsourcing firms seem to be pretty unprofessional, but when we directly employed our own meter readers and fixers assaults on staff were taken very seriously.
There would be meter reader's comments on the customer records which gave them an idea what to expect. With the arrival of the data protection act we had to go through these comments and replace the statements. So "Amorous Housewife" (and I'm not kidding) would be replaced by something like "Do not visit alone". That was a catch-all for a number of situations!..
I expect it to be something like Germany where it just became a national compulsory tax on every house regardless or their occupants TV viewing habits or lack of them.
I have no idea how Germany actually collects it but in the UK I could see it being added into the council tax bill.
Yes, that's definitely a possibility.
As long as it's related to ability to pay (as it seems like Denmark's might be), and it has an opt-out for people who don't need a Licence (like France), I will be happy with it.
Not to mention Blu-ray playback on PC is still far from ideal in many cases
If I only wanted to watch non BBC "on demand" and DVD/BD's I'd just disconnect the aerial, connect up a suitable STB and player and let the TVL know I wasn't going to be watching TV.
Simplest, cheapest and most comfortable way to go to streaming/home video only
I'm saying this as someone who does have a PC connected to his TV in several rooms,with cordless controls but much prefers to use dedicated devices where possible due to less faffing (I've had a PC connected to TV's for nearly 20 years on and off, and for many things a dedicated box is stiff far superior).
Ask Sir Cliff Richard, how much HE trusts the BBC - probably as far as he can kick them......