TV licence

[Joe Shmoe]

I'm not renewing my TV licence next month and will only watch Netflix and YouTube.

I've cancelled my Sky subscription and removed wires from the dish. I've also removed my TV aerial (simply to minimise the forthcoming grief I expect from capita inspectors).

However, my TV is capable of receiving Freeview via the Internet and I can't delete that service from the TV, so how can I prove that I don't actually use it for that purpose.

Call me paranoid, but what happens if an inspector turns up with police/warrant and the TV is capable of receiving live TV?

 

[Irish Rover]

Relax. There is no onus on you to prove anything.

Also what do you mean by Freeview 'via the internet'?

Do you mean iPlayer / All4 / ITV Player etc? All catchup, excluding iPlayer is fine to watch without a licence.

Can you delete the iPlayer app from the TV?

This might be useful to you:

https://www.tvlicenceresistance.info/forum/

 

[Rorschach]

Firstly, they are unlikely to visit you if you fill out the form that declares you don't need one.

Secondly, they will not visit with Police or a warrant. If they do visit at all, do not let them in.

You do not need to prove anything. You are legally allowed to watch any of those catchup services using the internet except the BBC one so carry on using them as normal.

DON'T PANIC!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, don't panic. They might come a-knocking but you don't have to let them in. The phrase you need is "I revoke your Implied Right of Access". They then have to remove themselves to beyond the boundary of your property. The is no absolute right to come to your front door, but if you have a letterbox, the implication is that it is OK for anyone to put something through it, hence the Implied Right of Access. Revoke it and they can't come up your garden path.

They might threaten you with a search warrant, they have threatened me and also a friend of mine. She was seriously scared. She is a single lady, my age, lives alone, ex-missionary. She was terrified that someone would break down her door when she was not at home. I rang to complain on her behalf and did at least get an apology from the call-handler.

In any case, to get a Search Warrant, they first have to present Prima Facie evidence to a magistrate. So the magistrate says, "OK, what evidence have you got that this person is watching TV illegally?", and the applicant says, "Er......".

 

[Joe Shmoe]

Thanks everyone.

That TV licence forum is scary stuff and I seem to be reading so many bad stories.

I feel like a criminal already!

 

[TheUnicorn]

I hate that the TV license even exists thes days, it was completely justified when the BBC was the only service, essentially if you were watching a TV, you were using a BBC service and had to pay for it. Now the BBC is maybe 10 % of the available channels, not even taking streaming into account, it just seems ridiculous to be legally obliged to pay for a service that many people will barely use if at all.

 

[sammy.se]

Remember, that you cannot watch iPlayer (on demand or live) without a licence.

Other than that, all other non-live watching is fine.

I haven't had a licence for 17 years, and had a visit once. It's very common now for people not to watch live TV, so you should be fine.

 

[Irish Rover]

Talking of recommendations for programmes on streaming services, which we weren't but I will, Bangers & Cash on the Yesterday channel via UK TV Play streaming service.

I love this programme. It's a fly on the wall programme, documenting a family run classic car auction business in Yorkshire.

I highly recommend a binge watch of series 1 before catching up to the current new series 2 which goes out live on Thursdays at 8pm.

Where d'ya wanna be? ;-)

 

[HappyHacker]

When I was a weekly commuter to London with a small flat in East Acton for five nights a week, I did not have a TV in the flat. By the time I had finished work, got back to the flat and had some tea it was time for bed.

I used regularly get the threatening letters, which I ignored, the cards through the letter box saying inspector had called, more threatening letters. I did once call up and tell them I did not have a TV which stopped the letters for a few months before they started again. But given the hours I worked and my absence at weekends I never actually got to see a real person on the doorstep.

I did find it amusing/annoying as I was working for the BBC at the time, but the the license fee collection was outsourced so it was impossible to wander round to the office and have a word or two or three with anyone.

I did once get an inspector at the gate at home when I was a couple of weeks late paying the license. Given my rural location I was quite surprised. He was happy to take a card payment. I was late paying as I had been unable to find my cheque book and they had stopped the Post Office from taking payment and I saw no reason to pay over the inter web thingy and was going to pay by post when I got a replacement cheque book.

Not sure why I bother with a license these days as most of the output is so politically correct and based to the PC view of the world with little criticism or evaluation of the latest PC bandwagon I find it difficult to watch/listen.

 

[RogerS]

....
Not sure why I bother with a license these days as most of the output is so politically correct and based to the PC view of the world with little criticism or evaluation of the latest PC bandwagon I find it difficult to watch/listen.

You're bang on the money there. The BBC is a fully signed-up member of Planet Woke.

Digressing ever so slightly, is it just me or do others get a feeling of despair at the No-platforming diktats by occupants of Planet Woke ? I thought that we supported Free Speech in this country ? IMO No-platforming is easily on a par with other types of discriminatory actions and should be illegal.

 

[stuartpaul]

Remember, that you cannot watch iPlayer (on demand or live) without a licence.

Other than that, all other non-live watching is fine.

I haven't had a licence for 17 years, and had a visit once. It's very common now for people not to watch live TV, so you should be fine.

That was always my understanding Sammy, however;

• The law says you need to be covered by a TV Licence to:
  
  watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel
  watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)
  download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer.
  This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

From https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if- ... cBEALw_wcB

I'm slightly bemused by 'live' and Amazon Prime. Surely all their stuff is recorded?

 

[Rorschach]

BBC are being a bit underhanded there. There is the possibility for all those services to carry out a live broadcast, however the vast majority of their content is on demand.

They are playing on peoples fears and ignorance.

 

[thetyreman]

I thought you could watch amazon prime, youtube e.t.c without a license? I think that's a mistake.

 

[Rorschach]

I thought you could watch amazon prime, youtube e.t.c without a license? I think that's a mistake.

You can unless they broadcast live.