Do I Need a TV license?

SirFreddy

I am sure that it was announced on the TV news last night, that the new boss of the BBC has said that customers over 75 who do not pay their TV licence fee will not be persued for payment.

warriorman

I am still a bit confused about having a TV licence, I have FreeSat so can I still watch programmes without a licence on the FreeSat channels

Cornucopia

warriorman said:

I am still a bit confused about having a TV licence, I have FreeSat so can I still watch programmes without a licence on the FreeSat channels

If you mean programs on linear TV channels received via Freesat then you need a TV Licence for that.

If you want to arrange things so you don't need a Licence, you need to be watching only commercial streaming services like ITV Hub, All4, Youtube, Now TV, Amazon prime and Netflix.   (And to avoid the linear TV channels that some of those services also carry). 

CRISPIANNE3

We never watch live tv. We pay for Netflix and Amazon prime and the Disney channel.  We also watch You tube but no live news content. However because we have Virgin it was cheaper to have Broadband and their basic tv package  rather than broadband on its own.  My question is even though the basic channels are there and are never watched would I be able to cancel our TV license. 

Cornucopia

I would definitely not recommend having Sky Satellite TV or VM TV and trying to be legally Licence free.   TVL and the Courts tend not to believe people who have Pay TV but claim not to use it.

No one is going to stop you cancelling your Licence, but having a Pay TV package is a liability.

Can you have a stern word with VM and ask them to disable your TV service?   Or can you disconnect the TV box and put it in a cupboard without it affecting your Broadband access?

CRISPIANNE3

Cornucopia said:

I would definitely not recommend having Sky Satellite TV or VM TV and trying to be legally Licence free.   TVL and the Courts tend not to believe people who have Pay TV but claim not to use it.

No one is going to stop you cancelling your Licence, but having a Pay TV package is a liability.

Can you have a stern word with VM and ask them to disable your TV service?   Or can you disconnect the TV box and put it in a cupboard without it affecting your Broadband access?

I have spoken to VM and they are unable to disable the tv side without cancelling the whole package. They advise we are under contract until Sept 22.  So we will leave until then and will either continue with their broadband or with another company.