TV Licence Super Thread

Caporegime
Joined
13 Jan 2010
Posts
32,495
Location
Llaneirwg
Haven't had a licence since leaving home at 24 (2009).

Never been registered as not needing one.

I had one visit when I was at work. The note was actually hand written. Not a fake hand written.
But other than that just the cycle of letters.

Kind of adds up when you think about it.
150 per year. I guess that's about 1.5k I certainly don't feel I have missed out. At start I did watch some stuff. And used Iplayer.

But now I genuinely do not even break the rules. Only watch c4 f1 highlights.
Netflix has solved my 'tv' needs
 
Associate
Joined
13 Jun 2007
Posts
101
Like above, i've not had a tv license for a few years as netflix/prime etc are perfectly fine for me. I don't see the need to tell the bbc i don't need one so i just get the same set of letters on repeat.... it's usually, notify us if you don't need one as we have no record of one at this address, followed by, act now or you're under investigation, investigation started, investigation has been passed on to some cambridge division, and then just starts over again. I've only had one visit in two years and i was out at the time so got a note saying they'd call back the following week...

They just try and threaten you with red ink.
 
Caporegime
Joined
5 Sep 2010
Posts
25,572
Like above, i've not had a tv license for a few years as netflix/prime etc are perfectly fine for me. I don't see the need to tell the bbc i don't need one so i just get the same set of letters on repeat.... it's usually, notify us if you don't need one as we have no record of one at this address, followed by, act now or you're under investigation, investigation started, investigation has been passed on to some cambridge division, and then just starts over again. I've only had one visit in two years and i was out at the time so got a note saying they'd call back the following week...

They just try and threaten you with red ink.

Aren't you watching the Six Nations?
 
Associate
Joined
13 Jun 2007
Posts
101
Aren't you watching the Six Nations?

With the england games they're usually on itv so you can just watch it back on itv player a little later, or watch the youtube highlights which are posted pretty instantly. But during covid i'm actually at a house with a tv license so i can watch it whenever i like. The above was for my house.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Jan 2013
Posts
21,839
Location
Rollergirl
Not much change coming any time soon by the looks of it. Personally, I'm moving more towards streaming and have just recently cancelled my Sky subscription. However, I've still got my trusty aerial plugged in and can't see me moving away from terrestrial TV at all.

Television licence fee ‘preferred option’ to fund BBC until 2038, say MPs

https://theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/25/television-licence-fee-preferred-option-fund-bbc-2038-mps

A BBC spokesperson said: “We welcome this thorough and detailed report. It is an endorsement of the crucial role played by public service broadcasters and the BBC as well as a clear call to build a strong future. We welcome the conclusion that the licence fee is the best way of funding a universal BBC.”
 
Soldato
Joined
4 Feb 2018
Posts
13,162
Not much change coming any time soon by the looks of it. Personally, I'm moving more towards streaming and have just recently cancelled my Sky subscription. However, I've still got my trusty aerial plugged in and can't see me moving away from terrestrial TV at all.

Television licence fee ‘preferred option’ to fund BBC until 2038, say MPs

https://theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/25/television-licence-fee-preferred-option-fund-bbc-2038-mps
The problem now comes when the Tories tell the BBC to pay for pensioners travel cards and the winter fuel allowance aswell.
 
Associate
Joined
25 Jan 2009
Posts
1,901
Location
UK
Not much change coming any time soon by the looks of it. Personally, I'm moving more towards streaming and have just recently cancelled my Sky subscription. However, I've still got my trusty aerial plugged in and can't see me moving away from terrestrial TV at all.

Television licence fee ‘preferred option’ to fund BBC until 2038, say MPs

https://theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/25/television-licence-fee-preferred-option-fund-bbc-2038-mps


Reports like this are all very well and good but imo a whole generation is now coming through who will simply just not pay it. Then the model will have to change. Their hand will be forced.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Feb 2006
Posts
9,570
a whole generation is now coming through who will simply just not pay it. Then the model will have to change. Their hand will be forced.

I agree. Things are only going to get worse for them. The only way they will succeed is:
Phase out traditional channels where content is produced to fill a slot and migrate to on-demand only content plus live coverage (news, sports and other events)
Globalise with a subscription payment
If the government require the BBC to produce local content (i.e. regional news, local language content) then this should be covered by central or local taxes (income or council tax). Value for money should be evaluated every 10 years for this.
 
Associate
Joined
20 Apr 2009
Posts
1,214
The model is changing - it has.

Much of the BBC's content is now made by BBC Studios, who are a profit making, commercial arm of the Beeb. They operate completely independently of the wider BBC, so are not funded by the license fee. At all.

The Beeb are weaning their reliance on the fee.
 
Associate
Joined
1 Jun 2014
Posts
70
Location
UK
As no one watches tv in our household, everyone is working and when they do have the time, we are on youtube anyway, I been trying to persuade my mum to cancel it. It is a waste of money and nothing good is ever on and if I needed to watch something, I can find it online. Hopefully we will be license free soon in the future.
 
Permabanned
Joined
5 Apr 2006
Posts
7,699
As I said I cancelled mine a few weeks ago, I got a letter through a week later saying that i'm not allowed to just cancel it through the bank.
I got a letter yesterday saying that I've ignored them and that i'm actually paid up till the end of August for some reason? and to deal with it after that.
Why am I paid up 6 months in advance?
 
Caporegime
Joined
5 Sep 2010
Posts
25,572
Why am I paid up 6 months in advance?

That's what you agreed to when choosing to pay monthly.

Monthly | from £13.13

Pay for your first licence by Direct Debit in six months, at around £26.25 a month. Then pay for the next one in monthly instalments of around £13.12.

If you cancel your licence properly, instead of just cancelling your direct debit, you will get a refund of any overpayment.

Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won’t need before it expires.

So you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.
 
Permabanned
Joined
5 Apr 2006
Posts
7,699
Ah ok that explains it, never noticed double being taken out at the time. that was 16 years ago mind you.
I can't even give my 40" tv away these days it's that old with it's massive bezel.
 
Associate
Joined
25 Jan 2009
Posts
1,901
Location
UK
Will admit, I want to cancel mine but I do still enjoy BBC Four for the old repeats of quite rare and obscure classic dramas and docs.

What is the 'proper' way to cancel it if I do decide to? I am aware you cannot just cancel the DD.
 
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