I was listening to the news this morning and TV licence fees were being discussed. At present a TV licence costs £150.50p per annum per household. Over 75s get free. A suggestion has been made that a tax be charged per year for every household, regardless of whether a TV is installed or not. Someone mentioned this system was used in Germany. Donald, please confirm. I would be interested to know about the USA, Canada, Australia and any other countries on how they manage fees re TV. I know a lot of them depend on advertising. That's a big plus for the BBC - no annoying advertising. I must add that the BBC, in my opinion, is the best in every way. Always high standards, great dramatisations and a vast array of channels in both radio and TV.

Speaking of television, has anyone else been following Wolfhall, which finished last night. We thoroughly enjoyed the series which was about the Tudors, especially Thomas Cromwell. It was great viewing and I will miss it. I hope they make another series soon.

Ann
here in the Vaterland every house or apartment pays €17,98 monthly regardless of how many people live there or how many TVs or Radios are in it.
conald

Ann Like yourself it was compelling viewing, and the guy that acted Thomas Cromwell he was magnificent I haven't seen the final episode but I have it recorded and I am now going to catch up with it and I have 2 liters of Polish Beer in the fridge and herself is watching her soaps in the bedroom and I have the living-room to myself! (Fair ye well Culcavy) ! Regards Ted

Ted, how did you manage to get the living room to yourself? I'm glad you enjoyed Wolfhall too. Brilliant viewing.

NO fees over here,(USA) Ann.
Neither TV or Radio.
Llewellyn.

Ann, There are no Telivison or Radio fees in Canada, I think there would be a revolution if they tried. Mauri

Ann & every body else who is paying TV licences I have one question. WHY?.You should check the law regarding so called enforcers. They cannot gain entrance to your property unless you invite them inside.If they come to your door saying may I come inside if you answer no then they ere obliged to go away. If they ask do you have a television and you answer no then they are obliged to accept this and go away.Its even more black & white if you live on private property then the laws of trespass apply to them. If you order them to leave your property they must go. If you deny them access to your property then they are guilty of trespass and may be prosecuted if they return. Do not dismiss this information out of hand but please check with solicitor you'll be pleasantly surprised at the answer.

Hi Mauri and Llewellen,

In North America we certainly do pay for our TV.....I pay $49 a month for my Satellite provider. Ok it's not a licence fee, however, for us there is no way out pay up or no TV.

Beano

I hope this goes through, I have already been spammed five times on other posts

Beano, I also pay for Rogers Cable per month but again that is not a licence fee. If I did not pay for cable then I would be restricted to the local channells, remember the aerials on the roof, you are much closer to the US border than I am so you would probably get the Buffalo signals with just an ordinary aerial. Great to see you back and my regards to you and Doreen. Mauri

hi beano and mauri
I have a bundle they call it that includes tv satellite phone and wifi internet the min amount for tv is $25, for my bundle I pay $135 a month but that includes tax but with my bundle I get 200 channels mostly hi def I pay but never watch half of them but then again im from Gregg st
great to see you back beano regards to Doreen and you.

Ann, though I confess to watching anything from violence to sordid sex, none gave me more pleasure than a French film on Film4 called Amour, the tal of an old couple struggling through their final days together. That movie was well named.

Ann
This may interest you
donald

On January 1, 2013, Germany introduced a new TV license fee system called the "Rundfunkbeitrag".

This system requires that all households pay €17.98 per month to fund the public broadcasting services (i.e. TV channels ARD and ZDF, public radio stations, and associated websites).

The fee is not dependent on actual TV or radio usage. Rather, every household must pay one flat fee, even if they don't own a TV or radio.

The rationale for this system is as follows:

Public broadcasting services are considered of benefit to society as a whole. Even if someone doesn't watch TV, or own a TV, that someone still lives in a society that is better informed, better connected, and better "culturally protected" because of public services. Everyone benefits, even if only indirectly, and therefore everyone should help fund it.

The fee is collected separately from income tax because this is considered a way to give public broadcasting companies their independence. This is designed to prevent broadcasters from becoming government propaganda machines.

The fee is flat, €17.98 for all households regardless of how many people live there, because this makes it easier to manage and collect. It reduces overhead costs and keeps the system simple and streamlined. The fee is also considered low enough that it shouldn't be a burden to anyone. If someone can afford a roof over their head, then they can afford a "little" extra for public broadcasting.


The above arguments are controversial, but those are the arguments given.

There are numerous counter arguments. One of them is as follows:

Publicly-funded broadcasting services made sense, to a certain extent, back in the 20th century. Over the last decade however, the internet has superseded TV and radio. Nowadays people no longer need public TV and radio services in order to stay informed, connected, and "culturally protected" (whatever that means). Indeed, with the advent of social networking and independent news sites the general populace is now much better informed and connected than ever before. The younger generation in particular spend far more time social networking and sharing news via their smart phone than they do sat on the couch watching TV. And over the coming years the trend will continue to grow. Therefore public broadcasting is an anachronism that deserves to be phased out.

There's no easy way to get the system abolished though, because the media companies, government, and legal system are all in cahoots to maintain the status quo. This leaves refusal to pay as the only realistic option for the average person. If sufficient numbers of people refuse then eventually the system will collapse. Currently only a very small percentage are making a stand, but if those small numbers support each other, then gradually their ranks will grow. Eventually a tipping point will be reached and the system will cave in on itself. This is sure to happen eventually, but it could take anything from five to fifty years. In the meantime, threatening letters and debt collection notices are nothing to be scared of, they're just something to be dealt with.

So Beano..I'm confused.
Am I right or am I wrong?

Plenty of replies on this subject. Anyhow, as Dominic was 75 last month, at least for the present we don't have to pay for a TV licence. Goodness knows how long we'll enjoy this perk, however.

Donald, my head's going round with your long input. I didn't read it all, but thanks for taking the trouble.

Dabbler, you old softie, I'm glad you enjoyed the film you mention. I don't believe I've recorded this one. However, the other afternoon, we did watch Brief Encounter. Great oldie. A tearjerker in its day. Just as a matter of interest, if you're familiar with this film, do you think, as I do, that the husband knew about the affair all the time. At the end he says something to his wife such as, "You've been away a long time; I'm glad I have you back". That's what makes me think he knew. I know it's only a film, but I'd like to know your opinions. Nothing like the old ones.

Ann,

I love "Brief Encounter" a classic.

Pat

Hi all

We, as pensioners, pay no T.V. licence here, but have to pay for satellite channels which I am going to scrap, as few of the hundreds of stations are rubbish.

Pat

P.S>


As no EDIT is showing I must amend post to "few of the 100 stations are worth watching".

Pat

Pat et all. Re Brief Encounter. Did the husband know or not?