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For UK members. If you own a TV you must have a licence. WRONG!

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posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 11:48 AM
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reply to post by stumason
 


I actually work at Arqiva. As for the fee, every channel will be broadcast digitally soon so there is no reason why those channels that benafit from funding from the license fee could not go encrypted and become subscription only. We are supposed to live in a society of freedom of speech yet we are forced by law to pay for propaganda to be broadcast into our home when it could easily be changed to a lifestyle choice. ]]I also think that the government invades my privacy as any time I buy a new TV or reciever set or subscribe to an subscription TV platform they force the retailer by law to share my details. I think I'd have a good case against them should they use that evidence in court.

Of course the judges would be biased anyway and would never let anybody beat the license fee in court, they will have orders from high above to make it not happen.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 11:52 AM
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reply to post by michael1983l
 


Interesting...

I work for Cable and Wireless...Not based in Wokingham are you?

I think on the matter of to pay the fee or not, there are "ideological" differences I believe. But, I will say again, it isn't just the BBC that benefits, Channel 4 does as well, so it caters to a wide audience across the political spectrum.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 11:59 AM
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Originally posted by wigit
Let's just say I pay for a package of TV, internet and phone. It's on a contract that I can't get out of for another 10 months. But this week I cancel my TV licence because I don't watch TV as it's being broadcast. I only watch iplayer 4oD, DVDs, or play games. When I fill the form in and tell them this how do they know I'm telling the truth? How much hassle will I get because they automatically don't believe me? Will they send umpteen threatening letters or men with badges to my door often? Do I have to put up with that?

Or, what if I get rid of my TV package and get a new deal of internet and telephone only? Do I have to let them in to check there's no aerial going into my TV? What about the lead going from PC to TV? They can then accuse me of watching live TV via my computer. Just how does one prove to them that you're not watching telly programmes as they are being broadcast? The whole scenario sounds so stupid.


You don't have to do,tell, prove, or show them anything. They send the same letters to everyone regardless of if you telling them you don't watch TV. They don't believe anyone wouldn't watch TV. You will get the letters but they have almost no way to prove that you are watching TV if you are. As others here have said you don't have to let them in or speak to them and you can withdraw their right to approach your property.

The only person I know who got taken to court over a TV license was someone who's TV was in full view of the window and the Inspector walked onto their property and looked through the window. The Inspector actually got reprimanded in court by the judge because they had verbally hassled and bullied this person.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:16 PM
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Wow. I must have been living in a cave or something because I have never heard of this before. I have family in the old country and they have never told me about this.WTF?
So let me get this right. You have to pay for the privilege of being brainwashed? So you don't have cable companies you pay for service? You pay the government for a license? Then if you don't have a license you get fined for watching TV without it? How insane is that? Then they have spy van's drive around and see who's watching TV illegally? So it's ok for them to control who watches and what you watch but it's not ok for them to come on your property to see if you are? So they send the police after you? Seem's to me to be a huge waste of resources and tax dollars to spy on the people who pay for those resources with their tax dollars.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all something else like this just blows me away.
If I lived there I'd pretty much be like , you know what? You can * uck your TV and your license and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of putting me on their hamster wheel.
I'd say it's time to spend more time outside and enjoy the world and life and stop sitting in front of the mind control box and pissing all your money away.

Mind boggling indeed.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:18 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 


I will send you a PM.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:25 PM
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Originally posted by mark1167
Wow. I must have been living in a cave or something because I have never heard of this before. I have family in the old country and they have never told me about this.WTF?
So let me get this right.


Promising start, but went rapidly downhill....



Originally posted by mark1167
You have to pay for the privilege of being brainwashed?


No. It's not as if anyone forces you to watch TV in the first place and there are, at present, some 300 odd channels to choose from with all manner of flavours for your brainwashing needs.


Originally posted by mark1167
So you don't have cable companies you pay for service?


Yes. The licence covers only the TV set. There is free to air digital TV you don't pay for, but it has subscription channels available. There is also cable, mainly Virgin Media and satellite, which is mainly Sky although smaller operators do exist and we can now get any satellite operator in Europe if we want.


Originally posted by mark1167
You pay the government for a license?


Er, sort of. We pay the Licensing Authority which passes the bulk of the money to the BBC and the rest to Channel 4 and other smaller side-shows.


Originally posted by mark1167
Then if you don't have a license you get fined for watching TV without it?


Only if you watch a live broadcast and if they catch you, which is virtually impossible.


Originally posted by mark1167
How insane is that?


Very, but that's not what we do and you grabbed the wrong end of the wrong stick in the wrong woods on the wrong side of the wrong river, in the wrong country.


Originally posted by mark1167
Then they have spy van's drive around and see who's watching TV illegally?


They claim to, but I doubt their authenticity or feasibility.


Originally posted by mark1167
So it's ok for them to control who watches and what you watch


Every country does that. In fact, the US FCC is far more militant on content than our censors, but that has nothing to do with the licence.. See the stick comment above...


Originally posted by mark1167
but it's not ok for them to come on your property to see if you are?


No one can force entry to a property without a warrant and only the police can get them.


Originally posted by mark1167
So they send the police after you?


No. They send letters and strange little men, although again, I have never once had a little man at the door, just some letters.


Originally posted by mark1167
Seem's to me to be a huge waste of resources and tax dollars to spy on the people who pay for those resources with their tax dollars.



The collection of the tax is paid for by the tax itself and still leaves a good amount for the BBC, C4 and the rest afterwards.


Originally posted by mark1167
Just when I thought I'd seen it all something else like this just blows me away.


Quite surprising really as you made most of it up yourself!


Originally posted by mark1167
If I lived there I'd pretty much be like , you know what? You can * uck your TV and your license and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of putting me on their hamster wheel.


Some do, but many actually are sensible and realise it isn't about control, but rather about having a broadcaster dedicated to decent, public broadcasting and not the bottom line. The difference in quality between the BBC and it's terrestrial rival, ITV is astounding.


Originally posted by mark1167
I'd say it's time to spend more time outside and enjoy the world and life and stop sitting in front of the mind control box and pissing all your money away.

Mind boggling indeed.


Indeed, there is a case to be made for that!!



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:28 PM
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It might be ONLY £11 a month or ONLY £145 per annum to some people but a lot of folk live hand to mouth and cutting down on unnecessary expenses can improve the quality of life just a wee bit.

I've seen pensioners buying 10p biscuits for their tea (that's DINNER if you don't understand UK speak). ONLY £11 a month? Some folk obviously don't have to count their pennies.

I wonder how many people NEVER watch telly because they can't afford the electricity payments but they still pay for their TV licence because they're afraid of the man at the door?



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:29 PM
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There are 2 channels, Dave & Yesterday, that to me are pure BBC programmes, is a seperate company making profits off of these channels or is the money funnelled back into running the BBC. I ask this because they are both obviously commercial channels with advertising revenue. ? Are there other such channels ?



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:30 PM
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posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:34 PM
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reply to post by ukWolf
 


Dave, G.O.L.D and the rest of the UKTV channels are all owned by a joint venture between the BBC and Virgin, who later sold their half to another firm.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:35 PM
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reply to post by Ghost375
 


Wow...

Totally uncalled for there and especially as you add no value whatsoever. I would call you an arrogant wanker, but insulting people is against T&C's



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:35 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 


Thanks for clearing up a lot of that for me. I'm sorry I'm a little ignorant about it and it just seems such a complex system for something so trivial like watching TV. I guess I'm a little spoiled where I live regarding watching TV. If I want I can watch when ever what ever, doesn't matter. I pay a small monthly fee to a cable company and I can watch three hundred channels.No government involvement at all.
Like I said I'd still rather not watch TV and spend my time enjoying life outside sucking in all the pollution.




posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:38 PM
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What a dumb thread. The rules of the tv licence are online, anyone can work it out, there's threads on here before where the issue has been thrashed to death.

"If you own a TV, you must have a licence. WRONG !" says the OP ... and that's the stupidest thread title. Because not even the licencing authorities say you MUST have a licence if you own a tv. You only need a licence to watch live tv. And no offence, it's VERY transparent, the rules are online. So if you don't know that you must be stupid or pot boilingly ignorant.

See, I pay the TV licence. That's because I'm honest and not a freeloader.

Because, let's face it. Most of you are freeloaders. You say you don't watch live tv broadcasts. That's what you say. Not for you coming home from work, slipping your shoes off and settling in front of the tv to watch the news ... like normal people.

Oh no. You come home from work and "watch on demand content". You certainly DO NOT watch coverage of the shootings from Toulouse. September 11th ???? Why, it just passed you by. Because you people claim not to watch X Factor or the Antiques Show or Jeremy Kyle or Watchdog or Panorama .... nothing live ... or so you claim anyway.

And it's that word "claim" which is key. Because what you claim and what's the truth are entirely different. You claim to be legal by not paying £12 per month (£12, that's not even two packs of cigarettes FFS, you cheapskates) ... that's what you claim ... but I suggest that for many of you, those claims just aren't true.

Freeloaders. That's what some of you are. That and liars.

So says this Frenchman who PAYS to watch BBC. But then, avoiding taxes, cheating, lying does now seem to be ENDEMIC in England doesn't it ? It's part of the culture. From social security fraud, to tax evasion, to cash for honours, to politician expenses ... everyone's on the TAKE in good old Angleterre.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:39 PM
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reply to post by wigit
 


I get what you're saying, but if you can't afford £11 a month, you don't have to watch TV. It isn't a "right".. It's like objecting to paying for a Gym membership....

And pensioners get money off, don't they? Of has Osbourne pinched that off them?



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:42 PM
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reply to post by mark1167
 


It all stems from the days when only the BBC was around, before WW2. There was no such thing as "commercial" TV, so the Government set up the BBC to provide a decent public service and levied a charge for it.

As time has gone on, the reasons for the licence have been eroded somewhat, but I really do not want to see the BBC going down the advertising route (which will spoil programmes as they currently allow for a full hour, not 40 mins with adverts) or worse yet, being privatised and only caring about the bottom line.



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:44 PM
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reply to post by LeBombDiggity
 


For once, Frenchman, we're in total agreement...

Stranger things have happened..



EDIT: FYI, as a good Englishman (or brainwashed slave) I pay my taxes, claim no benefits (although my partner gets Child benefit) and have never claimed benefits, even if I am "entitled". I don't need them, so I pass on them, someone else is needing the money more I don't doubt. I pay more than my fair share in tax (close to 30%) which sees me lose around £1000 a month and yet there are some who whinge about a small levy to watch TV.
edit on 22/3/12 by stumason because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 12:55 PM
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reply to post by LeBombDiggity
 


It's the Antiques Roadshow actually




posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 01:03 PM
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reply to post by LeBombDiggity
 


Don't be so bloody cheeky. Piss off and make your own thread if this one annoys you. My questions are reasonable. People who don't have TVs get hassled even if they don't have a licence. The rules might be clearer these days but most people don't care to check and see. They are still under the assumption if you own a telly you need a licence. You can do lots of other things with a TV set nowadays other than watch the 3 channels we used to have in the old days, long before DVD players, VCRs, games and internet. Not every one reads the fine print or has access to their website.

I want to know if I can save money because I rarely watch what they're playing to me and I can stop altogether, or would I be better off just paying the protection money? i.e. protection from threatening letters and people at my door wanting me to prove I don't watch their programmes.

I'd be tempted to call you a dick but that's against t&cs. And I'm too nice



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 01:49 PM
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reply to post by Mandrakerealmz
 


That's why you guys have these ultra long adverts that repeat themselves over and over and over again.

The BBC doesn't have advertisements because they make their money from these licenses.

Also, can somebody confirm for me; are TV licenses purely for 'live programmes?' or anything that is being broadcast there and then?



posted on Mar, 22 2012 @ 01:52 PM
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Licensing is covered by statutory law. Statutes are nothing more than corporate policies. They have no force of law without consent of the governed. The gov can make all the claims they like but that is all they are - claims.

You don't need permission to a damn thing unless you like being a slave. We are governed by consent. We are living under voluntary servitude and most people are too ignorant or scared to stand in their own sovereignty.

Licensing is a way of forcing people to ask for permission. Only slaves need permission. If you are free, do as you like, so long as you are not harming anyone else.

Why should you be forced to pay for a service you have not asked for just because you own an electrical appliance? If they don't want me to watch the BBC, stop beaming the signal into my house or make it a subscription service.
edit on 22-3-2012 by Namaste1001 because: (no reason given)



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