BBC sweating it.

Mr_Singleton

Appears that the Govt. is looking to de-criminalise not having a TV licence.

BBC News article puts its spin on what a bad idea it would be!

martinthebandit

Well it would be a barely adequate first step I suppose.


If Netflix, sky etc can stop me watching their stuff unless I've paid for it then surely the BBC can?

Uxb1

Easier said than done
The Freeview broadcast specification did not include any provision in it for encryption.
It is said by some that the BBC deliberately did this to ensure that they would be reliant on the current funding situation for ever.

So to do so, you would need another "digital TV switch over" type program
At various times transmitters would be switched over to broadcast the new specification encrypted channels
Each TV in the UK would need a set top box decoder between the aerial and the TV to decode the signal and feed it decrypted old style into the TV.

Mr_Singleton

Was surprises to note that the current TV license funding will last at least to 2027.

The decriminalization is a huge step to protect the poor and will require the BBC to go after genuine evaders.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

It should remain a criminal offence, not for the reason that it ends up as a criminal record, but the fact these Tax Collectors have to prove in court you have viewed or recorded live TV with evidence, and not just your signature they enticed out of you.

If it is decriminalised, it is just like any debt and they could easily use the county court to get judgement and the bailiffs round to collect the TCV Tax.

As a reminder, these Tax Collector prosecute most people in the UK, most of whm are lone single females who are at home alone.

As for the BBC itself, it deliberately introduced its Freeview system without encryption knowing that its tax funded income could remain. Easy answer to that, switch it off!

wild666

FREEVIEW should be as it says FREE TO VIEW If the BBC want viewer to pay them to watch their content they should scramble their signal like Sky and Virgin do.

It's their fault if they thought people would just keep paying them year after year to watch nothing on the BBC but watch other channels. This means the BBC are getting money from people who do not watch their content, it's like Sky or Virgin saying here's our content you pay us whether you watch it or not.
The BBC had their chance in 2012 to scramble their channels, but chose to employ Capita goons to knock on doors that don't have a licence. These goons use every trick they can think of to get a prosecution, for example "Just sign this to say I've called!" Walking in when a child answers a door and goes to tell a parent someone is at the door, then says they were invited in.
If they do get a search warrant, rarer than rocking horse 5H1T, if they see no signal on the TV put a PC working away they will try and stitch the homeowner up with that as the TV receiving equipment. So if on the PC and and there's an unexpected knock at the door put the PC to sleep even though a PC is not TV receiving equipment the goons will say it is but you have to login to the iplayer, and even the sounds App, so you could watch iplayer.

If I was PM I would tell the BBC if all over 75's don't get their licence free then iplayer is not part of the TV licence see how fast they react to that, they would probably take the iplayer off the BBC site, putting the stuff on 5H1TBOX and charge people £5.99 a month.

Cornucopia

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

It should remain a criminal offence, not for the reason that it ends up as a criminal record, but the fact these Tax Collectors have to prove in court you have viewed or recorded live TV with evidence, and not just your signature they enticed out of you.

In theory, but because the present process is a bit broken a signature is the main thing they need and they need it to support a verbal confession. TV Licensing prosecutions virtually never involve physical evidence of evasion.

That's never really made sense to me - why would so many people confess when they don't have to? Unless TV Licensing staff use misleading techniques over people's fundamental rights. Having said that, a recent C5 series about London Underground Revenue Protection showed other non-Police interviews that don't seem to be PACE compliant, so perhaps the issue is wider than just TV Licensing?

As for the BBC itself, it deliberately introduced its Freeview system without encryption knowing that its tax funded income could remain. Easy answer to that, switch it off!

The easiest thing would be to have BBC1 with ads on Freeview and BBC1 with subscription on Satellite, Cable and Internet. That would enable everyone to exercise their own choice based on their own funds and their own preferences. The days of requiring every household to more or less commit to the same choices in broadcasting are long gone.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Cornucopia wrote: »

In theory, but because the present process is a bit broken a signature is the main thing they need and they need it to support a verbal confession. TV Licensing prosecutions virtually never involve physical evidence of evasion.

Exactly they con you into signing a piece of paper which they use as evidence. If more knew agouty this and refuse to talk to these uninvited tax inspectors who trespass on their premises, the better off we would be.

tghe-retford

martinthebandit wrote: »

Well it would be a barely adequate first step I suppose.


If Netflix, sky etc can stop me watching their stuff unless I've paid for it then surely the BBC can?

Abolishing public service broadcasting did not go well when it was tried in Greece in 2013 with the immediate and sudden closure of ERT by law. One day later after public anger and European Broadcasting Union condemnation, the Greek Government announced a replacement PSB. Two years later, ERT returned to the air under a new Government.

tghe-retford

Cornucopia wrote: »

The easiest thing would be to have BBC1 with ads on Freeview and BBC1 with subscription on Satellite, Cable and Internet. That would enable everyone to exercise their own choice based on their own funds and their own preferences. The days of requiring every household to more or less commit to the same choices in broadcasting are long gone.

Simply not going to happen. Everything will go behind a paywall if the BBC disappears, Channel 4 does get the axe as threatened post Climate Change debate and Ofcom revokes public service and free-to-air obligations to television and radio broadcasters under current licence requirements under the argument of removing red tape and state intrusion into private business. Free-to-air television broadcasters will be given an offer you can't refuse from the likes of Sky, Virgin Media, BritBox, Netflix, Amazon etc. and the price of subscription fees for pay TV platforms, ISPs, mobile phone networks and line rental will increase well beyond the savings of an axed licence fee as media and tech power is consolidated in a few big players now that the big competition of free-to-air broadcasting is gone. The transmission networks would lose money, Freeview and Freesat will cease to exist, FM and DAB services will likely go off the air as a result and move online behind a paywall.

As I mentioned, Greece tried this in 2013 with their public service broadcaster. Did not work out well for the Government.

Cornucopia

tghe-retford wrote: »

Simply not going to happen. Everything will go behind a paywall if the BBC disappears, Channel 4 does get the axe...

I'm not talking about the BBC or C4 disappearing.