Tv License
In the News
The TV license is going up again and its a joke they stopped the free license for over 75 and they still want more money
The problem people have with TV licence is you have to pay if you have a tv even if you don't watch bbc channels
Imnotcheap I don't mind the £3 a week , what I object to is the massive salaries some of the so called "personalities " get . And they still are free to trouser more cash from other media outlets and advertising .
Golfforall we get it you like the BBC fact is there money grabbing I don't watch the crap they put on there channels
We watch a lot of BBC, especially the dramas. We don't have Netflix etc so are not unhappy to pay the licence fee. I do agree about the high wages paid but then that's the same in films, sport etc.
Agree with the dramas Killing Eve, Call of Duty, Call the Midwife , Death in Paradise etc ,etc and then you have the David Attenborough programmes and News and current affairs (OK a bit lefty biased but I'm fine with that I have my own brain) . Obviously I don't watch the kids programmes and avoid soaps like the plague but they are there and the IPlayer .........
Not much really for £3 a week 
Golfforall It's rarely that I disagree with you, but I think you're wrong on this one.
BBC mainly put out continuous repeats and their original output that you comment on is very poor in my opinion and not relevant to the younger generations.
And don't start me on BBC news, it's an absolute joke.
It really wound me up this morning when someone said that they couldn't get NHS treatment and were told to go private.
She wasn't even registered with a NHS dentist, so was told that she had to go private.
She expected NHS treatment immediately and blamed it on Covid even though there has been waiting lists with NHS dentists for long before the pandemic.
TheChimp No I'm not saying it's perfect -far from it ! . But not bad for £3 a week (that's less than the price of a pint in the good old days when we could go down the pub
)
Hey, if you subscribe to things like Amazon Prime Video / Netflix or mainly just watch YouTube, it may be worth reviewing if you really need a TV License.
We've written a full guide here with step-by-step on if you really need one or not:
https://www.latestdeals.co.uk/guides/household-bills/do-i-need-a-tv-licence
Tom we stopped paying our tv licence over a year ago. We either have Netflix/youtube or ps4 on. It was a complete waste of money paying for a tv licence when we didnt watch any tv.
TheChimp wow, all my life I have believed it is for watching BBC channels only. If that is the case, I certainly cannot get away with not having one. Even if you stick to other services Netflix etc there will always be the odd thing I will want to record from BBC as some of their costume dramas are good. Thanks for clarifying. I read Tom's article but was confused immediately when he spoke of channels as I was expecting him to say BBC channels.
This is my addition to Tom's informative contribution:
"If you don't need a TV Licence, you can go online and declare that you don't need it at your address. You can also do this by calling TV Licensing".
Quite correct you CAN. But I think it should be mentioned that the simplest thing you can do if you don't need a TV licence is: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I have scoured the legislation and can not find anything to the contrary.
Declaring you don't need a licence does not prevent you being hounded and possibly intimidated by the bully boys the BBC delegate to do their dirty work for them. They don't even have the decency or courtesy to supply a prepaid envelope or free telephone number to reply to their, what can appear accusatory, communications. (saying they might visit during hours of darkness could almost be seen as threatening).
If you don't NEED a licence you don't need to do anything, we shouldn't be expected to give up our time, pay postage, or even the cost of a phone call, when the law doesn't require it.
Thanks.
Please see this part of the guide to either cancel your TV license or say you don’t need one:
They have a quick and easy online form which takes a minute to fill in, and then they stop sending you letters.
Tom You can fill those online forms in to your hearts content. it DOES NOT stop them sending you letters, they will actually send a letter to tell you when you've filled one in for the first time; that they might have to check, because a very small proportion of those who do make the declaration that they don't need a TV licence are found on investigation to actually need one.
I got to the point of not actually minding if they sent me letters. I hope they got to the point of not minding that I ignored them... other than writing "WHY NOT? " on the letters they sent me below the line where it said "Do not write below this line" to try to make the letter look as if it carried some weight in law. They're not going to tell me where I can or can't write on a piece of paper that belongs to ME either. If they want to stop me writing "Why Not?" on pieces of paper they send me it's simple: They can stop sending me those pieces of paper. I've told them several times in the past I don't need a TV licence - once should have been enough. I even co-operated (which I needn't have done) by letting a person they sent to check, by letting him see that I didn't need a TV licence.
Because I actually did get a TV licence so I could watch the World Cup cricket (not on BBC) a few years ago. (I didn't mind too much it was because of my age FREE and it stopped them pestering me for some time) They now think I should carry on having a TV licence. I can think of better things to do with over £150 a year than give it to an organisation who might spend it on pestering other people who don't want or need a TV licence.
davidstockport Thank you for your comment. My own personal experience having opted out twice at different addresses was an immediate stop in receiving such letters. Perhaps they take a risk analysis on a per person basis and continue sending them for some people.
Tom If you really think about it why should people who don't need a TV licence need to do anything other than just not obtain one? I have never had the police at my door asking why I don't have a shotgun licence or asking to check to see if I had a shotgun.
The discourteous way they act; not supplying a return envelope or free phone call number for those who don't have online access, doesn't help their cause, as far as I'm concerned.
I think they are going to see problems in the future as a lot of the younger generation do not watch ‘normal’ tv anymore so eventually it will be the end for the BBC.
I agree most of the young people are now watching amazon prime. Netflix and now TV and other streaming companies. The old watch BBC alot but with them now paying for many old are not watching the bbc but most are still
This is perfectly normal many countries of Europe have stopped requiring a tv license. They might fund the main news channel from central taxation but entertainment channels should not be compulsorily taxed. Personally I'd put more tax on streaming services in the UK and re-direct that money towards news services etc.
It is still a little confusing with regard live broadcasting. I mean if someone has a live channel on youtube does that require a tv license or is it just channels that are repeated on the internet that are also available on terrestrial or satellite.
Anyway I don't have a tv license if I want to see something on the BBC I watch it at my mother's who lives nearby. So far there has only been one program and that turned out rubbish. I do have to say that I do enjoy the 'Impossible' quiz program though which is very good so I might watch that if I am there but I don't go out of my way to watch it.
I should add I don't have netflix, amazon prime video or any of that type of stuff either. I just watch free catchup services and youtube mainly. I have a library of dvds for some of my favourite films but I'm more into web browsing, music and video games to be honest. I haven't had a tv license for maybe 3 years so that is close to £500 saved, a significant amount of money.
That could be a nice discounted holiday, a decent TV, PS5, good bicycle, usable run around car, basic ebike etc.
It's not just the younger generation who don't watch "normal television" nowadays, when older people realise that they can choose to watch WHAT they want (other than BBC) WHEN they want, the numbers who haven't realised they DON'T need a TV licence will grow.
BonzoBanana This MIGHT answer your question regarding live YouTube viewing. (From Licensing site): "You don’t need a TV Licence to watch videos or clips on demand on YouTube. But you do need a TV Licence if you watch TV programmes live on YouTube. An example of this would be watching Sky News live. But it isn’t just live news or sport which needs a licence – it’s any programme which is part of a TV channel, broadcast or transmitted for everyone to watch at the same time".
Confusing innit
davidstockport There has been a few youtube channels that have done live videos those aren't repeated on terrestrial or satellite but still live and it could be a news related channel presented like a typical news channel and be a commercial operation. There is one that gives news about China. Other live videos could just be amateur productions with live questions from viewers. I think the reality is, its a bit of a farce trying to write laws that reflect the ridiculous license fee terms and conditions. Any live production not funded by the BBC tv license should be free to watch and the BBC should go subscription only like netflix. I personally don't think it will survive in such an environment though because the BBC is grossly inefficient with high wages and without a true commercial outlook.
We've have not had a TV licence for 6 years, declared we didn't need one and never had any harassment letters or calls. The TV is only used to watch Netflix or DVD's.
Its no wonder that younger generation don't watch BBC. Only decent thing on BBC is David Attenborough documentaries
The only live TV we watch is Only Connect and University Challenge. It's a lot to pay for just two programs. 99.99% of the time we are watching YouTube or our own DVD's, of which we have a great many.
I also take umbrage because they don't actually broadcast much that is actually LIVE, isn't most of it precorded anyway. So what constitutes as live? I think most of them at the BBC aren't live at all, at least in the character department!
Also, they don't seem to have made any new programs - so why the increase.
They are outdated and the sooner they go the better.
Plus why can't the rest of the world contribute to the 'BBC world service' - that I don't want?!
The news and current affairs programmes (BBCs main forte ) are all live and they at least are relatively unbiased . Certainly more balanced and factual (if a bit left leaning ) than many internet only "news " sites . We've all seen how much misinformation they have dished out to the gullible and easily led over the last year !
There is growing support for making the BBC News programmes a free public service broadcast and you pay if you want the rest ?
I doubt there is a simple answer though 
.
Point to make is unless you have a legally stamped warrant you ve no right to cross the threshold FULL STOP if you do not give em permission they cant enter weather doors unlocked or windows open they can not enter without proper warrant that's been stamped by judge
They don't need to get in ! They can tell exactly what you are watching (and prove it !) from the street up to 50 meters or so away . So no good turning the lights out , locking the doors and drawing the curtains while you watch Eastenders 
Nope not unless you live in middle of no were they cant they dont actally have these so called Van's you now plus in residstoonal area prove was me not my neigbour lol@Golfforall
I don't have one now I we found we was watching less n less t. v so got rid works for us as we just use Internet
I never watch TV but was obliged to pay the increase as my husband does. We don't have Netflix but he has Amazon Prime and we use Sky too. I never watch the BBC or use the iplayer and in fact think the BBC should be shut for good - they are no respecters of persons any longer and paying all of this every year just to keep them doing programs nobody watches is a joke!
My parents still get the free license and will continue to as they have low incomes so not stopped for all
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