TV Licence article Discussion

Cornucopia · 23 March 2019 at 2:22PM

castle96 wrote: »

I assume ? there was a change to legislation when iPlayer was added to the list of no-no's ?

Correct. There was a new Statutory Instrument (a small piece of legislation that is used to make changes or additions to existing legislation). That SI is called "The Communications (Television Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2016". It makes the critical change to include iPlayer within the requirements for a Licence, where it was excluded before. It didn't make any significant change to the limited powers that are granted to the BBC/TV Licensing to enforce, though.

Just to be clear (to me), is licence evation a criminal or civil offence ?

It is a minor criminal offence. Its status is similar to minor motoring offences in that it attracts a criminal penalty (a fine), but does not create or add to a criminal record.

Cornucopia · 23 March 2019 at 2:36PM

Deleted_User wrote: »

It makes me yawn when people say the BBC is a "corrupt biased propaganda machine" and "pedos" yawn... yet they probably read the Sun and watch Sky News.

I don't pay the TV Licence but I don't go calling the BBC as a reason for not paying it to make me feel justified in my actions.

I think it depends on your perspective. I haven't watched much BBC News for several years, but C4 News exhibits much the same problem (or problems). For me, they fall into 2 broad categories (with interaction between them) - they are the underlying world-view (not of individual team members, but of the narrative of the programming itself), and the inability (possibly driven by that underlying world-view) to report on particular issues in a fair, dispassionate and respectful way.

I don't necessarily disagree with the left-liberal world-view of the Media, but I can empathise with those who do.

There's a whole other area of the ease with which the media slips into quite serious conceptual misconceptions about anything remotely complex or nuanced - including (ironically) the TV Licence and its enforcement.

[Deleted User] · 24 March 2019 at 9:52AM

castle96 wrote: »

is licence evasion a criminal or civil offence ?

It's criminal.

Communications_Act_2003 wrote:

363 Licence required for use of TV receiver
(1)A television receiver must not be installed or used unless the installation and use of the receiver is authorised by a licence under this Part.
(2)A person who installs or uses a television receiver in contravention of subsection (1) is guilty of an offence.
(3)A person with a television receiver in his possession or under his control who—
(a)intends to install or use it in contravention of subsection (1), or
(b)knows, or has reasonable grounds for believing, that another person intends to install or use it in contravention of that subsection,is guilty of an offence.

(emphasis is mine)

[Deleted User] · 24 March 2019 at 9:57AM

Cornucopia wrote: »

It didn't make any significant change to the limited powers that are granted to the BBC/TV Licensing to enforce, though.

Actually, it don't make any changes to their powers.

Cornucopia · 24 March 2019 at 10:49AM

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Actually, it don't make any changes to their powers.

There was a technical change in the definition of what kind of equipment is in scope, but it doesn't seem to have translated into any meaningful change in the way TVL conduct themselves.

Before:-

“television receiver” means any apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise) any television programme service, whether or not it is installed or used for any other purpose.

After:-

“television receiver” means any apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise)—

(a)any television programme service, or

(b)an on-demand programme service which is provided by the BBC,

whether or not the apparatus is installed or used for any other purpose.

MKfella · 3 April 2019 at 10:23AM

I was working abroad from early January until now, leaving my flat empty.
My TV licence expired at the end of January. Thus serendipity allowed me to leave my home unlicensed for two months.

I applied online for a new licence (rather than a renewal) to run from 01 April. But the email confirmation shows they've simply worked from my address to renew the old licence from 01 February.

Essentially they have ignored my instructions and arbitrarily reassigned my application to take payment for a period where a licence was not required.

Two months' saving is really neither here nor there. But I'm annoyed at the high-handed, cavalier attitude of the BBC.

My reading of the situation is that while the BBC is free to doubt my capacity to judge whether or not I require a licence, if they decide my judgement is lacking and act on that decision, they should state why and how it is lacking. And have some evidence to support their decision.

I don't recognise any obligation on me to give them advance, or retrospective, notice that my flat will be/or was empty for two months; nor, for that matter, should i be required to prove I was not resident at my address for the period in question, and/or to prove the TV was not used over the period.

Uxb1 · 3 April 2019 at 10:42AM

Proximaking wrote: »

How can we say we live in a free society when the government broadcaster has the power to demand money with menaces for watching live TV from their direct competitors?

I take it then that you will not be rushing to live in Germany?
'cos there it is even simpler than in the UK. Every single property is required by law to be in possession of a TV licence regardless or what channel the occupants watch or even if they don't watch anything and have no TV or equivalent at all in the house.
Being Germany they have a highly efficient system to ensure they get paid - so simply not paying it is not an option - much like council tax here.
I think you may possibly get out of paying it it is you claim you also do not use radio or the internet in the house - or have a radio in your car......

Perhaps one for the EU to force 'harmonisation' on the UK?

Cornucopia · 3 April 2019 at 10:52AM

Uxb1 wrote: »

I take it then that you will not be rushing to live in Germany?
'cos there it is even simpler than in the UK. Every single property is required by law to be in possession of a TV licence regardless or what channel the occupants watch or even if they don't watch anything and have no TV or equivalent at all in the house.
Being Germany they have a highly efficient system to ensure they get paid - so simply not paying it is not an option - much like council tax here.
I think you may possibly get out of paying it it is you claim you also do not use radio or the internet in the house - or have a radio in your car......

Perhaps one for the EU to force 'harmonisation' on the UK?

I don't really understand this rush to an argument of: be careful complaining too much about the UK TV Licence, because you could end up with something "worse".

The problem is that BBC TV Licensing is ill-conceived and badly implemented as it stands. That needs resolving. Personally, I would not object to a universal tax approach (as long as it had some form of means-adjustment). We would need to address the governance of the BBC, though, so that the fee-paying public could exercise some kind of input into its size and scope.

[Deleted User] · 3 April 2019 at 11:40AM

Proximaking wrote: »

I haven't had a licence for years now and I still get abusive letters through the door from the company the BBC use to chase people for payment. It is an utter disgrace that this abuse of innocent people is allowed to go on but I find the letters quite handy to light the fire with. It is great to know that not only are you not watching the Biased Broadcasting Company propaganda but that you aren't paying for that propaganda either. How can we say we live in a free society when the government broadcaster has the power to demand money with menaces for watching live TV from their direct competitors?

Sometimes I miss my coke fire as I disposed of all my unsolicited post on it. Now I have to resort to ripping it up into tiny pieces before placing in the bin.

Andy_L · 3 April 2019 at 2:21PM

MKfella wrote: »

I was working abroad from early January until now, leaving my flat empty.
My TV licence expired at the end of January. Thus serendipity allowed me to leave my home unlicensed for two months.

I applied online for a new licence (rather than a renewal) to run from 01 April. But the email confirmation shows they've simply worked from my address to renew the old licence from 01 February.

Essentially they have ignored my instructions and arbitrarily reassigned my application to take payment for a period where a licence was not required.

What have they said when you got in touch about their error?

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