UK TV licensing to apply to BBC iPlayer and is increased

[Castdeath97]

Due to recent changes the dipshits in the BBC can finally force you to pay the TV licensing tax for using iPlayer. It's also going to be raised for inflation:

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The BBC licence fee is changing. In fact, it's going up. And it's going up for at least five years in a row.

But worse, it's also now about to be applied to people who don't watch any television live at all, but might catch the odd BBC programme on iPlayer.

This license fee is so hilariously outdated it still even has black and white fees:

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It currently costs £145.50 for colour and £49.00 for a black and white TV Licence.

 The good news however is that unless you use BBC iPlayer you would be fine with other on demand services 

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With the single exception of using iPlayer, if you’re not watching or recording live TV, you don’t need a licence. 

So catch-up TV services run by other channels, streaming or downloading programmes after they’ve been shown or programmes available online before being shown on TV don't count.

 

So, unfortunately the government proves yet again that it still want to keep the sucking of money over this pointless tax. This once again leaves the UK behind. Luckily most people still can and will avoid this window tax, after all with Top Gear hosts gone who needs the BBC shows anymore.

 

source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/no-tv-licence-no-iplayer-7953841 (Yes I know the mirror is a shitty source, but they are the only ones who bothered to clearly state that this new legislation only applies to iPlayer)

[Monkey Dust]

The licence fee isn't a great system, but how would you fund the BBC? If the BBC is generally well liked by older people, you know the kind of people who can be bothered to vote, so what did you expect the government to do to it?

[LordLeewee]

Since I moved house recently and the ariel signal is a bit crap I've not even bothered plugging them in, Every telly in our house has a PC of some description attached and it's Netflix/YouTube/kodi. I believe I still need a licence, since I have equipment capable of receiving a signal but I'll be damned if I'm going to contact them and offer to pay it.

[Mihle]

Licence fee for the main channel is also the case In Norway, but looking at it on the webs is still free.

 

There are only really some other alternatives to the licence fee.

Only have to pay it if you want that exact channel instead if you have a TV, but then the prize would probably have to be increased.

Including it in tax, but then the tax had to be increased.

Having advertising on the channel.

 

Dont know about others, but I think having advertising is the worst of those.

[Daiyus]

I haven't paid a penny to the BBC for over five years and I'm damn sure not about to start now. I know my wife will want to watch her Holby City/Casualty but I will avoid paying it for as long as possible. Catch up TV should never be charged.

[M4st4M1nd]

The BBC already makes money from other sources, including government handouts. If the BBC was actually impartial like its supposed to be and stopped covering up child abuse I might consider paying the license fee, until then they can get lost.

[asim1999]

Well IMO they are dying. The new Top Gear won't get many views cos everyone will watch the original trio on Amazon and Doctor Who is not as popular as it used to be 

[TheMcSame]

1 hour ago, Monkey Dust said:

The licence fee isn't a great system, but how would you fund the BBC? If the BBC is generally well liked by older people, you know the kind of people who can be bothered to vote, so what did you expect the government to do to it?

Cut running costs of the BBC by cutting their funding... They have no problem with cutting VITAL SERVICES like the POLICE and the NHS so I see no reason to not do the same with the BBC.

[Danger Warning]

I visit a relative in the UK for a few weeks per year and I should mention BBC has a good standard of quality. Over here we also pay a licensing fee for the national television channels, perhaps it's a model followed in plenty of countries. I agree the licensing tax should be updated, it doesn't seem to represent the current reality of coloured TV and web browsing.

[suicidalfranco]

meanwhile here in italy now the licensing for Rai will cost 100€, be part of the electricity bill and be paid off in 5 months, and forced onto everyone. Guess no one really paid it when it was it's own thing. Me? trying to apply for not paying it as always, if they intend to keep ads, don't see why i should pay for it

[Monkey Dust]

1 hour ago, TheMcSame said:

Cut running costs of the BBC by cutting their funding... They have no problem with cutting VITAL SERVICES like the POLICE and the NHS so I see no reason to not do the same with the BBC.

The licence fee is quite separate from taxation, even if it doesn't appear so from our end, and isn't part of the government's budget, unlike the police & NHS, and hence not part of the budget deficit Mr Osborne has staked his reputation on clearing.

 

Also every time the BBC tries to drop a service there is a sizeable public protest, not always successfully admittedly, but politically large cuts to the BBC would be suicidal. Even if Rupert Murdoch can get a few MPs on board, possibly by keeping details about relationships with dominatrices quiet even though the Sun loves a good political sex scandal, I doubt he can convince enough to potentially lose their seats by cutting the BBC too severely. 

[VVoltor]

I wouldn't mind paying something for the BBC iplayer as I do watch programs every now and then, but the full license fee (150 GPB) is way too much for just that! 

 

TV license is pure robbery, especially since they try to make you pay if you just own a pc or smartphone and never even watch any TV 

[MrCthuntoo]

3 hours ago, LordLeewee said:

Since I moved house recently and the ariel signal is a bit crap I've not even bothered plugging them in, Every telly in our house has a PC of some description attached and it's Netflix/YouTube/kodi. I believe I still need a licence, since I have equipment capable of receiving a signal but I'll be damned if I'm going to contact them and offer to pay it.

Unless you plug the aerial in you don't need it.

 

Doesn't matter if you own the equipment or not, you just need to contact them and declare that nobody in your household watches live TV. You hear stories about them harassing people who do this, personally I don't know anybody that's had issues.

[TheMcSame]

38 minutes ago, Monkey Dust said:

The licence fee is quite separate from taxation, even if it doesn't appear so from our end, and isn't part of the government's budget, unlike the police & NHS, and hence not part of the budget deficit Mr Osborne has staked his reputation on clearing.

 

Also every time the BBC tries to drop a service there is a sizeable public protest, not always successfully admittedly, but politically large cuts to the BBC would be suicidal. Even if Rupert Murdoch can get a few MPs on board, possibly by keeping details about relationships with dominatrices quiet even though the Sun loves a good political sex scandal, I doubt he can convince enough to potentially lose their seats by cutting the BBC too severely. 

Fair enough, the general point still stands though, there are areas where money can and should be saved. Lowering the wages of the TV stars would be a start, I guarantee that the public wont protest about that. 

Other networks like ITV get by perfectly fine, the BBC just seems like a poorly organised mess and the only reason they're not doing anything about it is because they've got the government behind them. If it wasn't for the government support, they would've got their shit together and streamlined the business a long time ago.

[Castdeath97]

4 hours ago, Monkey Dust said:

The licence fee isn't a great system, but how would you fund the BBC? If the BBC is generally well liked by older people, you know the kind of people who can be bothered to vote, so what did you expect the government to do to it?

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Keik + Tee said:

I visit a relative in the UK for a few weeks per year and I should mention BBC has a good standard of quality. Over here we also pay a licensing fee for the national television channels, perhaps it's a model followed in plenty of countries. I agree the licensing tax should be updated, it doesn't seem to represent the current reality of coloured TV and web browsing.

Well I'd hate to say this, but the BBC will start going downhill, they also screwed up with the BBC trust. Now it has 50 government officials.