The TV Licence fee

From the TV Licencing site:
Make sure you're legally covered
A TV Licence covers you to:
Watch or record TV on any channel on any TV service (like Sky, Virgin Media and Freeview).
Watch live on streaming services (like ITVX, All 4, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video).
Use BBC iPlayer*
This applies to any device, including a TV, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box.
If you’re not watching, streaming or recording TV in any of the above ways –
or your property is empty – please let us know.
*A licence is not needed to watch S4C programmes on demand.

i got rid of my tv 3 years ago, i sometimes use catch up but i stopped watching any bbc shows or news about 10 years ago. i have had loads of letters over the past few years, also tv detector vans do not exist, they started that as a pr stunt to frighten people.

You don’t need a TV Licence if you never watch live on any channel, pay TV service or streaming service, or use BBC iPlayer*.

This includes recording and downloading. On any device.

Quote from www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ99

The licence used to be for BBC only, butone government or other slipped in the change to watching all channels.

I'm guessing it was when the BBC took over responsibilty for the license and stopped the free license for over 75's, money grabbing so and so's

I thought the same, and was thinking about doing this, as don't watch much on BBC.

For 'Spuddy' - well done, one of the daftest comments I've ever seen (usually strong competition). If you don't watch TV, then you don't need a licence. Re 'Ant & Dec' and 'Amanda Holden', well, you ARE keeping them in jobs -- unless of course you never ever buy any product that does TV ads?!

For meddijess, and 'biased reporting', absolute twaddle. You can watch news on ITV, C4, Sky, and you'll see much the same. Oh, BTW, WHAT percentage of the BBC's output, across TV and Radio, 7 days a week, is 'news'. Look at the schedules, and work it out, but the amount is tiny.

What in any case is 'biased'? Having seen many similar comments, under questioning, it turns out that folk do not like something about THEIR party, that's all. It's been shown in many election coverages that people see and hear exactly what THEY want to, YOUR nasty biased question to Corbyn or Abbott might be want masses of others DO want to see. It was the Tories who started to attack the BBC, when Cameron got embarrassed one day by a tough question. Corbyn wanted to have a politician on the BBC Board to make sure Labour interests could be promoted!

The BBC has faults, sure, but so does any big firm -- tried to get British Gas to do anything on time lately, or a water firm to fix a leak?! And BBC is widely respected all over the world, and for a good reason, it's worth the fee for the lovely ads-free website alone, let alone their vast and varied output, on TV and radio.

I cancelled my TV lisence when I got to 75. Ive never heard anything from them since.

All you people who claim to have nothing to do with the BBC, do none of you listen to BBC radio channels? Are there no Archers listeners among you? Woman's Hour? News Quiz? Dead Ringers? This 43p a day that your grudge keeps all that going as well as TV.

I pay for a TV licence every year but very rarely watch live TV. Now and again I watch BBCiPlayer as they do show some good dramas every now and again. When it’s due to be paid again I might opt out.

Paperbackwriter

All you people who claim to have nothing to do with the BBC, do none of you listen to BBC radio channels? Are there no Archers listeners among you? Woman's Hour? News Quiz? Dead Ringers? This 43p a day that your grudge keeps all that going as well as TV.

Yes and all the diverse podcasts, plays, discussions, music and programmes on BBC Sounds.
If these are not accessed then they are missing a treat.

Have read this very varied thread with interest.

I’m currently receiving red letters from the TV licensing. Threatening, intimidating, deeply unpleasant. Apparently this house is now a target, is under surveillance and I will be visited in person and interviewed if I say I no longer want a license. Such a shame to be the target of heavy handed coercion. I read a report only yesterday about the draining of the BBC’s ‘customers’ and how their primary targets for non-payment are the elderly and especially women. Nice people.

Ironically I pay an annual sub for Amazon prime quite happily - for the shopping, all the rest of the package I regard as fringe benefits. Same with Apple: I read the news, listen to music, etc.: with both of these I have a choice, which is what is lacking with the BBC.

I haven’t watched live TV or listened to the radio in over a year, I’ve lost interest. Especially with the BBC, who bombard us with their own adverts (lasting just as long as the commercial channels). Every single company has its own version of propaganda that they want to put out. It’s not just the BBC, think CNN, RT, AJ, Fox - for myself, I take everything with a pinch of salt. I also ask myself, who wrote this and who’s paying them.
Got that off my chest - good start to the day!

Mt61

We haven’t had a license for years, just fill the form in to state you don’t watch live tv. You can watch all catch-up, apart from the iPlayer- I find most bbc dramas end up on Netflix anyway. I have cancelled the bbc licence for most of my family & friends who no longer want it.
I think it should be a subscription like Netflix, now tv.. You don’t get them banging on the door (although we never have).

Same here, I never watch live TV in any form and I never watch BBC in any form either.

If they want to come to my house to check then they are most welcome.

I fill in the form every two to three years and that is that.

Also, I never listen to the radio either, the last time I listened to the radio was when I was in my teens in the 1960's on my Bush radio playing rock n roll music.

I’m surprised to hear that the licence fee doesn’t just cover BBC output, and that does seem wrong. I’d never looked into this, as we’d never consider not paying it. Other channels get a look in (I’m a Corrie fan after all ), but the BBC is our go to provider for both TV and radio, and I personally think it’s excellent value for money. We do have Netflix and Prime, and have enjoyed a couple of series on the former and a grand total of two films on the latter (we have Prime for other reasons). I couldn’t begin to list how many quality BBC dramas, documentaries, comedies we’ve seen, let alone top notch radio and great podcasts.

Of course the BBC has its issues, and too many overpaid presenters, but it’s a cut above anything I’ve ever seen in any other country - some of the drivel out there has to be seen to be believed, often punctuated by more adverts than content. As for bias, we once sat at a hotel breakfast between two other tables of people, one lot complaining about the BBC’s right wing leanings, the other saying it was “so left wing these days”. Which to us sort of showed that they may just be getting it right.

RosiesMaw2

No you will be breaking the law if you have a tv but no licence. Fortunately it no longer attracts a custodial sentence.

That isn’t true

Paperbackwriter

All you people who claim to have nothing to do with the BBC, do none of you listen to BBC radio channels? Are there no Archers listeners among you? Woman's Hour? News Quiz? Dead Ringers? This 43p a day that your grudge keeps all that going as well as TV.

Nope

If you need advice on how to cancel the tv licence, “ ChilliJonCarne” on YouTube is worth a listen to

Scotsmum

Have read this very varied thread with interest.

I’m currently receiving red letters from the TV licensing. Threatening, intimidating, deeply unpleasant. Apparently this house is now a target, is under surveillance and I will be visited in person and interviewed if I say I no longer want a license. Such a shame to be the target of heavy handed coercion. I read a report only yesterday about the draining of the BBC’s ‘customers’ and how their primary targets for non-payment are the elderly and especially women. Nice people.

Ironically I pay an annual sub for Amazon prime quite happily - for the shopping, all the rest of the package I regard as fringe benefits. Same with Apple: I read the news, listen to music, etc.: with both of these I have a choice, which is what is lacking with the BBC.

I haven’t watched live TV or listened to the radio in over a year, I’ve lost interest. Especially with the BBC, who bombard us with their own adverts (lasting just as long as the commercial channels). Every single company has its own version of propaganda that they want to put out. It’s not just the BBC, think CNN, RT, AJ, Fox - for myself, I take everything with a pinch of salt. I also ask myself, who wrote this and who’s paying them.
Got that off my chest - good start to the day!

Watch “ChilliJonCarne”on YouTube, he explains all about the tv licence & not to be frightened of anyone knocking on the door. If you fill out the forms, stating you don’t watch or record live tv, & “you don’t” then no one should be knocking on your door

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

The BBC show a lot of rubbish, but you can't deny their coverage of events like the Olympics is first rate and not interrupted by adverts and competitions. Also they cover things like the Proms that the commercial sector would never bother with.
I'd much rather have the BBC as the national broadcaster than ITV whose low brow daytime programming, miserable soaps, banal reality shows and endless game shows are dreadful.

Cumbrianmale56

The BBC show a lot of rubbish, but you can't deny their coverage of events like the Olympics is first rate and not interrupted by adverts and competitions. Also they cover things like the Proms that the commercial sector would never bother with.
I'd much rather have the BBC as the national broadcaster than ITV whose low brow daytime programming, miserable soaps, banal reality shows and endless game shows are dreadful.

👍

I like I player news. It doesn’t go for the shock scandal repeat SM headlines.

It has across the world coverage and search facility if the subject of your interest isn’t on the front page.
It is cautious and fact checks controversial news.
It has running reports on major events to follow and more reporters in the places discussed over the world.

Then one can follow up on news outlets of your choice. Turn left for guardian or politico, turn right for DM or GB.

I think it is good value, if only for R4 alone. Just have a look at TV controlled by people like Murdoch, Fox news and such, and be careful what you wish for

I used to listen to R4 all the time, the only thing I listen to now is The Archers, a habit from childhood (I blame my mother) that I cant seem to break. There is a wide array of choice now via podcasts, they are much better than some of the dire R4 output.

Galaxy. I had that habit for the same reason, but the 60th anniversary episode snapped the thread. We were pronised so much and they delivered so little.

R4 worth listening to for 'In our Time', 'The Briefing Room', 'Analaysis', A Life Scientific, Moneybox, and many other insightful and thoughtful discussion programmes.

Like others I skip the 'comedy' programmes and, to a large extent Women's Hour.