[Audio Redneck]

I heard a story on NPR yesterday that commented that the British have to pay a $200 (200 pounds?) TV set tax every year to fund the BBC.

Would someone verify this?

 

[raymondlin]

It's actually £110 - $170 around.

That covers for colour TV licence per house (as many TV as you like), B&W licence is cheaper. This is because BBC is a Commerical Free channel (apart ads for their own shows), when the program is 1 hour long, you get 57mins of viewing time, without ad breaks at all, even films run all the way through.

It not only TV, if you have a TV card in your PC, you'll need the licence, getting caught can get you a $1500 fine. And arguing you don't watch BBC channels doesn't work.

You even have to buy one for your room in Dorms in College, although I didn't buy one, and just hide my 14" TV in the cupboard when they came round. They can't search the place and we can actually deny them access onto the building. And when they did turn up, I could always ignore their knock on the door.

 

[Duncan]

Yup... its just another way that we get ripped off in the country...

 

[RickG]

Um, wow! TV police...that's way scary, man. I'd be in prison for sure...

BTW, do they provide TV in jail over there?

 

[spaceman]

Yeah, but just think...no frigging TV ads! I'd pay $170/year for commercial free TV. I despise TV ads, and not one of those ads has ever made me go out and buy something. Well, I'll admit, maybe when I was younger and stoned, the Dominos pizza ads had an effect

 

[Duncan]

I haven't actually been in jail Rick, but sure... from what I know they have both communal TV and also TVs in the cells...

Oh, and Spaceman, that is only for three channels with no adverts... the rest of them are commercial stations...

...Even if you just have a sattelite dish, for which the subscription can be up to £40+ per month, you still have to pay for that 'licence'... kinda sucks really

 

[spaceman]

Oh well, that is a little steep for just 3 channels. You got me excited there for a minute. I was ready to pack up and move on over there

 

[raymondlin]

it pays for the whole BBC network, TV & radio stations.

 

[Duncan]

Ray, thats only good if you watch / listen to them

I watch BBC1, 2 and very occasionally 3...

and only listen to Radio 1... can't stand any of the other 7 or 8 channels...

Hey, wonder if that means you're breaking the law with a pocket TV / pocket radio??

 

[raymondlin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Duncan Hey, wonder if that means you're breaking the law with a pocket TV / pocket radio??

Nope, because it is not mains powered.

 

[Duncan]

Cool...

Thanks for that Ray... didn't know that

 

[Mr.PD]

The equivalent of $170 a year for 3 channels of commercial free and infomercial free TV. Let's see, I pay $12.95 a month for 7 channels of HBO per month, that comes to $155.40 per year.
Yep, you guys are getting taken. Unless, there is more to watch on BBC than there is on HBO, by a factor of 2.3. Which could very well be possible, since I hardly ever find anything worth watching on HBO.

 

[raymondlin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr.PD The equivalent of $170 a year for 3 channels of commercial free and infomercial free TV. Let's see, I pay $12.95 a month for 7 channels of HBO per month, that comes to $155.40 per year. Yep, you guys are getting taken. Unless, there is more to watch on BBC than there is on HBO, by a factor of 2.3. Which could very well be possible, since I hardly ever find anything worth watching on HBO.

It's not about getting taken, it's about it being a Law, can't fight it. Lots of people have and Lost, there were some wacky ideas like having a TV but purposely not turn into the BBC channels, or having no arial, just watch films.

 

[Dweebgal]

i used to work for tv licensing, in fact i was one of the nasty little ****s that phones people up to demand they pay thier licence over the phone (huh, wonder why i quit *that* job!)

so, you *can* get away with having a tv and only using it for videos/consoles etc, but someone *does* come around to check it.

there are various reasons why i do agree that the funding of the bbc through a licence fee is a good thing. but i do think they go about it the wrong way, i think the amount should be based on earnings or something like that.

i think it's very unfair to ask a single mum on benefits trying to raise kids to pay the same amount as a millionaire (two extremes to make my point obvious).

also, there is this really sneaky way that people on benefits get screwed over, if you are on benefits you can get this card thing where you pay approx £4.50 a week. which actually works out at about twice the licence fee.

my £0.02

 

[spaceman]

Gee, no wonder we had the Boston Tea Party