TV Licence article Discussion

Watchkeeper

You are so right. Nevertheless, "Only Connect" has certain attraction ...

Britannia12345

The kids are already nagging me about the olympics and how they'll be able to watch them this year 😞😞😞

cw18

Britannia12345 said:

The kids are already nagging me about the olympics and how they'll be able to watch them this year 😞😞😞

I know some people who are already speculating on it being cancelled because of the coronavirus.   I've seen reports on the internet that this isn't officially being considered as an option - but would imagine that needs a 'yet' tagging onto the end.

Depending on how old they are, send them to the pub or to visit friends who are watching it     I've never been interested in it, and as people I work with are now starting to accept I really don't have a licence (and realise what implications that comes with) I'm finally starting to find they don't expect me to be able to join in the discussions about televised events such as this.....

Chardy75

I’ve just been on the TV licensing website and I think they are trying to scare people into buying a license. It states you need a TV license to watch Netflix, Now TV and Amazon prime. This also states they you need a license to watch 4OD and My5. This is not the case, you can watch all of the above without a TV license. How can they get away with putting false information on their site?

Watchkeeper

If it's this sentence:

watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)

then please note the word "live". "Live" in BBCspeak is any programme watched or recorded at the same time as anybody else i.e. at the time of transmission. If you don't watch programmes at the time of transmission (catch-up and on-demand) or use the BBC's iPlayer to watch content then you don't need a licence.

castle96

Watchkeeper said:

If it's this sentence:

watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)

then please note the word "live". "Live" in BBCspeak is any programme watched on TV at the same time as anybody else i.e. at the time of transmission. If you don't watch programmes at the time of transmission (catch-up and on-demand) or use the BBC's iPlayer to watch content then you don't need a licence.

Watchkeeper said:

If it's this sentence:

watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)

then please note the word "live". "Live" in BBCspeak is any programme watched on TV at the same time as anybody else i.e. at the time of transmission. If you don't watch programmes at the time of transmission (catch-up and on-demand) or use the BBC's iPlayer to watch content then you don't need a licence.

thought youDID for Iplayer??

Watchkeeper

Yes, you're right. I said " If you don't ... use the BBC's iPlayer to watch content then you don't need a licence".

Cornucopia

Can I recommend MSE's excellent official guide to the TV Licence?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

2010

Cornucopia said:

Can I recommend MSE's excellent official guide to the TV Licence?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

I hate paying the BBC a tax but while the law dictates you have to unless you follow the advice in the link above, we are stuck with it until Boris ends it.
But don`t hold your breathe on that one.
If people follow the rules about not needing a license, I can`t see how they can be prosecuted.
If you are being harrassed, make a complaint and report them (assuming you genuinely don`t need a license).

Cornucopia

2010 said:

Cornucopia said:

Can I recommend MSE's excellent official guide to the TV Licence?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

... If you are being harrassed, make a complaint and report them (assuming you genuinely don`t need a license).

You can certainly complain about TV Licensing to the BBC (they are two faces of the same organisation). That works to an extent - and that extent is that they tend to take some persuading that an issue exists, and they are very reluctant to accept (either as fact or as part of a resolution) that overall there is anything untoward in what they/TVL are doing.

If your issues are still outstanding after the BBC has considered them then there is pretty much nowhere else to go. There is no escalation route outside the BBC, and no supervising regulator for this area of the BBC's activities. OFCOM have a limited capability to examine whether the BBC has properly applied their own procedures, but have no role in considering the substance of TV Licensing complaints.

 I just don't think it's acceptable for there to be law enforcement going on without some form of accountability. I'm open-minded about whether that oversight is political (through local or national government), departmental (through a link to the Home Office or CPS), or regulatory (via OFCOM). But there has to be something.