 In your case Paddy. Invite them in, have a nice cup of tea and challenge them to find any TV receiving equipment in the home. It should be really easy, shouldn't it? In the case of those criminally avoiding paying the licence, same thing and then give them the licence fee when they find the TV! In my case, just carry on paying the license, thus having my address positively shown on the database and avoiding having to entertain the "heavies" at all! Simple eh?
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 But Tony... I've never met an honest Enforcement Officer yet. Remember the bit about them breaking the law on my doorstep and having to pay me compensation? Not forgetting the grudging apology delivered to me by the BBC when one of their staff threatened violence against me, which was recorded, and therefore couldn't be excused by the BBC. Then there are unresolved issues of their abusive and insulting behaviour. I'm not about to entertain any of them in my house, and I doubt if you would either! I have asked the BBC's Head of Revenue, not to mention a previous government minister in charge of the BBC, to provide one single honest person to deal with these issues, and they've singularly failed to do so. I therefore assume that they don't have a single honest person in their organisation. Remember... I always gave them the chance!
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 invite them in? how will paddy prove he doesn't watch live tv on his pooter? a very nice time thanks tony.
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Shhhhhhhhh Parky, these thugs are not intelligent enough to think of that one! I have to say Paddy, that to say that a huge corporation like the BBC does not have a single honest person just trying to make a living, like the rest of us is pretty insulting and churlish. It's a bit like saying that the whole Police Service is inherently corrupt just because of a few rotten apples! Glad you had a relaxing time Parky, I owe you a PM BTW.
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What beats me is why a huge corporation such as the BBC doesn't even have the courtesy to send a stamped addressed envelope to someone when they demand information from them. The BBC's Head of Revenue has also confirmed in writing to me that the BBC routinely destroys any correspondence sent to it and doesn't keep either a record of its receipt, or acts on the contents of such correspondence. When I raised the matter of the BBC's criminal activities, one of the BBC's own investigators did point out to me that it wasn't the organisation as such that was criminal, but merely that 'criminal elements' were at work within the organisation. So, why aren't they taking any steps to get rid of those 'criminal elements'? This is the same general attitude as was expressed to me when I offered the BBCs Head of Revenue positive proof of the lies told by one of their Enforcement Officers... the same 'so what' type of comment from people who really couldn't care less. But yeah... a stamped addressed envelope would be a good start!
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I think something is missing here. You are not obliged by statute to pay the licence fee if you have any broadcast recieving device in your possesion. This is just another example of the BBC 'less truth is more fear' propaganda. You are not comitting any offence under law. You are not commiting an offence if you posses a TV, set-top box, Video recorder etc. You commit an offence by watching any television whilst it is being broadcast. It is completely legal, for instance to watch BBCNews videos on the BBC's own site minutes after it went out. You only commit an offence by watching transmissions as they are broadcast. I can supply the legal refernces for this if anyone is interseted but it is getting late. Even the BBC will confirm this if you ask again and again I skipped my TV years ago after the Eastenders £50k drinks party debacle, and have been hounded ever since. My timid 78 year old mother who never missed a payment in her life was threatened with 'The Enforcer', because she changed her address and neglected to inform the British Bullying Club. I'm with Paddy a 100%.
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 I have to say Paddy, that to say that a huge corporation like the BBC does not have a single honest person just trying to make a living, like the rest of us is pretty insulting and churlish.
Were they our ambulances or were they the St John hobbyists on the way back from somewhere?
So it's OK to be insulting and churlish towards the St John Ambulance but not the BBC?
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Eh excuse me, Where is the insult in that reference? I have the greatest respect for the SJA, especially the excellent Rhayader Station in Powys who act as first responders for us. The fact is they do not get paid and so are "hobbyists." Please don't misjudge people's comments based on your own prejudices!
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| Edited: 15/09/08 23:30 |
Tony, it just sounded like a bit of a put down. Apologies if you didn't mean it that way.
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I can see how it read to you, but believe me, I am NOT one of the NHS Ambulance employees with a superiority complex! Apology accepted!
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Not strictly true. Yes you can watch recorded programs on a COMPUTER that have been downloaded from the BBC website without a license, but you cannot record material on any equipment capable of receiving TV signals without a license whether you are watching it or not ! (by the strictest letter of the law)
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| Edited: 15/09/08 23:57 |
Cysgod, I still believe my comments to be true but I'll check and reply tomorrow (had a long weekend away and I'm tired). If I'm wrong I aplogise. Cya tomorrow.
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From a Government information web site “You need a TV licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, set-top box, video or DVD recorder, computer or mobile phone to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on TV.”
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"You only commit an offence by watching OR RECORDING transmissions as they are broadcast"
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Sorry that is what I meant. Like I said good walking and then a good drink slows my senses a little. This is a great site, first time tonight.
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 "It is completely legal, for instance to watch BBCNews videos on the BBC's own site minutes after it went out." That means only one thing to me, watching it on a computer monitor after downloading it from BBC i Player or as streaming video direct from the BBC i Player website.
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| Edited: 16/09/08 03:20 |
 Or maybe just watching the clips they embed or otherwise link to on the BBC news website? And neither that nor using BBC iPlayer requires a licence (at the moment!)
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| Edited: 16/09/08 07:58 |
i recall a case some years back of a guy who had a tv monitor and a video. he didn't watch television. the ruling was because the video had a tv tuner he was able to watch tv and hence had to pay his licence. from that i think the view is that if you have a working tv tuner then you need a licence - but then that may be bunkum.
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 It's bunkum. You do not need a tv licence to watch pre-recorded videos.
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You can have equipment containing a TV tuner, so long as you don't actually use it! There is a case currently mired in the court system where one of the BBC's 'hired thugs' entered a property, despite being ordered not to by the occupier, and he headed straight for a TV which was apparently being used only to watch videos. It took him quite some time, but it seems that after considerable effort with the tuner, he was able to get a very fuzzy BBC2 signal. Standing back in triumph, he told the TV owner... "There, you're watching TV!" As I said, this little incident is currently mired in the court system, and as far as I can gather, it's costing the BBC an absolute fortune. Even worse, the owner of the TV is suing the BBC for millions in damages!
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