Britain's Controversial TV Licence | Tales From the Bottle

The Brits need a licence to own a TV, and the government knows if they don't have one...
"In the British Islands, any household watching or recording television transmissions at the same time they are being broadcast is required by law to hold a television licence. This applies regardless of transmission method, including terrestrial, satellite, cable, or for BBC iPlayer internet streaming. The television licence is the instrument used to raise revenue to fund the BBC.
Businesses, hospitals, schools and a range of other organisations are also required by law to hold television licences to watch and record live TV broadcasts. The licence, originally a radio licence, was introduced in November 1923 using powers under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904, and cost 10 shillings per annum. The licence was extended to televisions at a cost of £2 in June 1946. The radio part was abolished in February 1971. A television licence is also required to receive video on demand programme services provided by the BBC via its iPlayer service.
Since April 2021, the annual cost has been £159.00 for a colour licence and £53.50 for a black and white licence. Income from the licence is primarily used to fund the television, radio and online services of the BBC. The total income from licence fees was £3.83 billion in 2017-18, of which £655.3 million or 17.1% was provided by the government through concessions for those over the age of 75 (this subsidy has now been phased out). Thus, the licence fee made up the bulk (75.7%) of the BBC's total income of £5.0627 billion in 2017-2018.
In May 2016, the government's white paper announced that the licence fee would rise with inflation for the first five years of the Charter period, from 1 April 2017."
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[@therealswarvey]

You mean, pay for a Qxir "license" 🤣

[@jukeseyable]

can you explain to me how a tv detector van works, how is it able to detect a reciever, that is essentially a passive device, BTW i worked as a technician and laterly as an engineer in the electronics industry for over 10 yrs, because i dont

[@billb4747]

Great video! Qxir, have you ever heard of the Trinidad Delta P incident? Could make a good Last Moments topic.

[@burnzy3210]

Your video is inaccurate, you do not need a licence to *own* a television.

[@mattgayda2840]

I heard the women in Britain love the BBC and were just openly admitting to receiving it for free.

[@DSPHistoricalSociety]

As an American, this is actually far more hilarious than I imagined

[@skylined5534]

Don't hurt yourself. Literally. It's expensive in Yankland.

[@masonmunkey6136]

I started checking if it was April 1st 😹. Britards 😹😹

[@moos5221]

Imagine having not only Fox News and whatever station you would regard as democrat propaganda, but another news outlet that is citizen funded and impartial and doesn't take any sides. Completely hilarious, imagine having access to news instead of propaganda.

[@skylined5534]

​@@masonmunkey6136 I'd rather be a 'Britard' over an Amerimutt.

[@POCKET-SAND]

@@skylined5534 True, but we don't need to wait 6 months to receive care :)

[@jacrich699]

Sometimes I think my job is useless to society, then I hear about TV license inspectors

[@coutou5302]

Dont worry. When you think you are the worst or on your lowest... there is always those that go below and beyond.

[@LiveFastRaceHard]

They are doing God's work... *cough cough* I can almost hear them shouting happily "for king and country" as they pay that stupid license fee.

[@Nefville]

Well what do you do?

[@lavenderlumber]

That's really similar to what I do, if I ever feel low on myself I just tell myself at least I'm not one of those guys who pretend to be married to fictional girls.

[@John-Smith02]

If you ever feel useless, just remember that **XQC and Hasan** exist *both are "reactors"

[@FrenchyMcToast]

These tv license ads have the same feel as "you wouldn't download a car." The fact that they're trying to frighten you into compliance tells me that they likely have no idea if you should have a license and that they have no way to stop you watching if you don't.

[@CorvoFG]

The “you wouldn’t” thing always made me laugh. I used to think “I have antisocial personality disorder, you have no idea what I’d do!”

[@thecaledonian7643]

They don't in Scotland, never let them in or have them see your TV on. If they do and they ask, it's recorded and doesn't require a licence to broadcast. Only the old and uninformed pay.

[@skylined5534]

@@thecaledonian7643 Lol.

[@jacobleukus6930]

Yeah that’s how it reads to me too.

[@Emery_Pallas]

The Irish ads are not like that. They say that it supports our national media industry with said license To which the main receiver of said funds is currently in a year long legal case over gross malpractices surrounding its use of funding.

[@actively_narcissistic]

This actually gets better when you learn that the "detectors" never worked to begin with, and when it comes to inspectors, they aren't legal bodies, meaning they have to apply for a search warrant for the police, which is normally denied, because who is actually going to waste police resources and time when there is a literal epidemic of knife crime and drug use.

[@HibeeMcbee]

Same police who enforce thought crime legislation and spend their time dancing at gay pride marches?

[@anniealexander9911]

Yeah. They are sales people. Vampiric ones. Don't let them in. Chilli Jon Carne has a great channel about the tv license and their years long campaign of harrassment

[@ObIitus]

Knowing police? They would gladly jump on a chance to harass someone who is not likely to fight back, unlike a drug addict with a knife.

[@actively_narcissistic]

@@ObIitus they have to go through a judge in order to get a warrant, who won't give it to a corpo, especially when they aren't going to get paid more for it.

[@JollyJuiice]

Yeah, you guys really need to up your knife regulation. Its getting fucking scary over there

[@thebamplayer]

It's a lot more ridiculous in Germany. You actually need a Broadcasting License, if you wanna Livestream on the Internet or otherwise you could get a fine.

[@-xirx-]

At least it managed to curtail the antics of the Lord of Dragons!

[@raymondk.hessle607]

Rudis Bub lacht

[@rwmusicstudio]

That's wild

[@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS]

A lesson that Dragonlord has very much failed to take heed of.

[@SteveFrench_420]

Im not sure that's any more ridiculous than requiring a license to watch "TV" on the Internet as they do in the UK 5:20

[@bdurham1990]

"The TV liocense works out to £9 a month. Is it worth avoiding it? " Yes

[@emilyadams3228]

It's not the money, it's the sport.

[@kjaubrey4816]

In the words of William Wallace, "Freeeeedooooom!"

[@skylined5534]

@@emilyadams3228 Hyahh!

[@ffff7164]

Common American W

[@mildlydispleased3221]

To be completely honest, considering what you get for the licence, BBC radio, multiple channels, a streaming service with tonnes of original shows, sports coverage, 24h news coverage, a podcast app and an online education service, the deal isn't actually that bad.

[@CorvoFG]

Haven’t paid it since 2007. They came to the door twice and were told to straight up f*ck off my property. You don’t have to give or tell them a damn thing.

[@Quick-Silver206]

Wait you gotta pay 100 pounds a year to own a bloody TV? Man I'm glad we threw that tea in the harbour.

[@Quick-Silver206]

Who the fuck even watches public TV anymore.

[@matthewgubbins8515]

No only if you want to watch linear TV live. Anything else you watch like catch up youtube or Netflix you don't need a TV licence

[@MrKingkz]

Nobody pays that shit infact the bbc is in trouble cuz nobody pays shit 75% of the country infact and riseing

[@VyCanisMajoris3]

Okay and?? We dont have bulletproof school backpacks over here

[@Boredman567]

​@@VyCanisMajoris3 Brits only have one joke.

[@darealbukchoyboi]

Doesn't it just make you feel so safe when your government posts ads literally saying they're always watching and you can't escape them? "It's all in the database"

[@mattd6085]

It makes even less sense when you consider that it was managed by the post office for a long time, so of OF COURSE your address is in a database, ALL addresses are in a database, that's how the fucking post office works.

[@davey6024]

It's not the government it's a private company. They can't enforce something you haven't agreed to. You have no physical property of theirs. It's not legal to demand money from someone who hasn't asked, needs or wants their services.

[@gabrielsantosbastos5257]

This reminds me of a book

[@OJ_36]

Watch Dogs 2 moment

[@skylined5534]

@@gabrielsantosbastos5257 This reminds me of a book which has the bare bones of how Americans actually exist day to day.

[@braxoff5th]

There is no possible way that the TV license vans can determine who owns a TV in an apartment complex. The idea of this is simply insane

[@skylined5534]

Si, uh, correcto. They could detect in a very rough vicinity if a signal was being intercepted but I can't overstate 'rough' enough! "It's number 4, Riverside drive. They're watching Columbo, they've just had their dinner and relaxing in their favourite cosy chair with a cup of tea and a biscuit" 😂

[@nickrustyson8124]

Maybe today, but they had these things since the 1950s which I seriously doubt

[@JQ3B94]

They couldn't, it was all just scaremongering With today's technology they could probably detect individual power supplies but nothing else

[@Hobson474]

It is in fact possible to detect a receiver but it would not work at that range. Most radio receivers have a local oscillator which is used to tune to the radio frequency. This local oscillator will emit a very weak signal, but not detectable through brick walls!!

[@MatthewLenton]

The vans never existed. Perhaps it was possible with analogue signals to "detect" but it would be impossible now especially with streaming

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

The most callous thing about the TV licence letters are that they are designed to look like letters from HMRC and the DWP. If you've ever been in a bad patch in life, your heart sinks upon seeing one, because getting a letter from those two organisations means your life isn't going to get any better.

[@randomcow505]

I collect them if you ignore them enough, you start getting rare ones

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

Haha @@randomcow505

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

​@@randomcow505What is the market value for a rare one and how does one go about identifying them?

[@longiusaescius2537]

@randomcow505 Chad Rem avi

[@BluTrollPro]

Honestly, it’s the letters that make me refuse all contact with them, fuck there toxic practices. Been in my current flat for about 4 years now, think I get about 2 a month. Own a TV pretty much exclusively used for Netflix & the likes, no iplayer, no aerial.

[@reggiep75]

My Dad used to be a TV repair engineer and used to laugh at the threatening TV ads over not having a TV licence. It was a complete myth about the power of the detectors on the vans as they used the equipment where he worked and the range of the detectors was weak as F. The ads were an easy scare story and tactic and yet, it actually worked on too many people. 😂😂😂

[@fft2020]

Here in portugal they found a much easyer solution.. in the 80s they abolished the tv license and passed it to the electric bill TO THIS DAY you pay a fucking "media" tax with your power bill either you have tv's radios or not.. if you dont pay they cut off your electricity

[@BOBMAX68]

My 1st job was delivering/installing TVs, VCRs etc. It used to be that if your equipment was 'capable' of receiving BBC transmissions you were liable to pay for a licence. Eg. A cottage in the middle of the highlands which could not receive BBC broadcasts STILL had to pay for the licence because the equipment 'could'. I always advised customers NOT to volunteer culpability nor allow entrance to their homes. Personally, I have never paid the BBC a penny.

[@moos5221]

living off the others, i see.

[@sweetschmeat7417]

​@@moos5221you good fam?

[@pieterwillembotha6719]

neither have I though I am an American

[@Shiestey]

Seriously though, who enforces that? Is some random guy in a police uniform going to drive all the way out to the sticks to fine someone for having a TV?

[@jjpelham7548]

@@moos5221 Lmfao what the actual fuck are you on about mate? The only thing that license money goes towards is funding the BBC. Considering they make over a billion a year even without the fee, and the fact that he might not even watch bbc programming (and even if he did, its getting made weather he pays the fee or not) is not "living off the others". Its refusing the be a dimwitted idiot who gets fear mongered into giving fascistic corporations his hard earned money.

[@Snaily]

Fun fact: if a TVL officer enters your home, even if you don't have a TV, if they see a computer that has a monitor and have no evidence that you use it to watch TV content, they will assume that you do. Do not let the vultures into your home - they very rarely, if ever, manage to get a search warrant if they do apply for one so they almost never even bother.

[@skylined5534]

I can only assume you're not in the UK.

[@Nick-zp8wk]

@@skylined5534 ? he's right. They can't come in without a warrant, although they will try to insist they don't need one. They are liars and they are paid on commission so they will do whatever it takes to force entry and try to get you to pay up.

[@lachlanchester8142]

@@skylined5534why would you assume that

[@DudelerDudee]

I told them I have a PC monitor, and I don't run Windows or Mac, so they left me alone.

[@skylined5534]

@@lachlanchester8142 Are you serious?

[@oWarCloudo]

Never paid it, don’t answer the door

[@ironhornforge]

I'm gobsmacked, I had never heard of this before.. I'm in Australia and we don't have anything like this, it's honestly absurd...

[@anthonycotter1493]

Australia used to have a TV licence too, the same as the UK It was abolished by the Whitlam government in 1974

[@amentco8445]

Yeah, you just jailed people over a flu-level virus.

[@elusifofficial]

As a british person I have got through 14 years of adult life without paying for a TV license because I only use my tv to watch DVDs and as a computer monitor...

[@Dwigt_Rortugal]

But, THE DATABASE! It looms over you menacingly. They know when you're awake watching Columbo. They know when you've dozed off. It does seem like an awful lot of effort to enforce, but 3 billion pounds? Sheesh, the BBC sure have this thing figured out. Like the early arguments against VCRs and cassette recorders, like the RIAA fighting Napster, this seems like the tactics of a dinosaur trying to artificially prop up a hopelessly outdated system rather than embrace the future. The scare tactic ads are pretty insulting to the British public's intelligence, in my humble armchair opinion from across the Atlantic. Do they really think you can't procure a television without them noticing? Yes, I'm American, and yes, we have copious nonsensical bureaucracy here, too. It's a human problem rather than a geographically localized one. The government is here to help with astounding efficiency. You'd better PAY! Or else the TV inspector will peer into your windows. Okay, they might still peer into your windows even if you do pay.

[@C0lon0]

Here in Brazil we straight use full piracy over all cable TV channels because fuck the corporation and it is not a crime here because only is illegal to distribute copyrighted content, not watch.

[@dragonproductions236]

Fun fact, the bbc wants to tax you for netflix

[@Bleedingskiesmusic]

They are also now trying to count watching livestreams on KZbin or twitch etc as "live tv".

[@thecalham]

Sounds like rural Canada we have only internet streams or shaw satellite lol

[@brylythhighlights4335]

Their own military called out the TV detecting vans as bullocks because even the military didn't have equipment able to do that.

[@paladinboyd1228]

Yeah If I remember right the BBC made the claim that there vans can detect what you’re watching and how long you been watching right down to the second based on the light coming off the TV. Which is just ridiculous that technology that capable would be in the hands of the BBC of all people and not the military.

[@skylined5534]

Sources you pair of b'schitters.

[@spacecowboy2483]

I'm a telecommunications engineer and I was thinkg along those same lines: If the tech existed (which although theoretically possible I don't see how it can be practically implemented) there would be much more profitable applications (i.e. military, espionage) rather than giving it away to make those prop vans actually useful.

[@Joe-it9vb]

And of course here in Ireland, RTÉ was exposed for paying its highest paid presenter, Ryan Tubridy, hundreds of thousands of euros more than what was publicly reported, as well spending ungodly amounts of money on fancy parties etc, all while *DEMANDING* the government to raise the licence fee and broaden it to an "entertainment" fee covering devices other than TVs. Justifiably, far fewer people are paying the licence fee because of it. I certainly won't be paying 🖕

[@oneprizeonegoal]

Hear hear

[@MANTHELEXUS]

I think the total amount of money unaccounted for was about €5 million Euros. Including 250,000 on cars and 5,000 on flip-flops.

[@Subpar1O1]

​@@MANTHELEXUSi remember when it was on the news and they mentioned that he still got free shit from promotional deals like free cars and stuff if they were advertised during the Late Late Show and the man still wanted more money from TV licenses

[@MANTHELEXUS]

@@Subpar1O1 yeah a sports reporter basically stole a car off of Renault for 6 years 😭

[@AlamoOriginal]

@@MANTHELEXUS flip flops? this guy thinks he lives in beaches

[@macekreislahomes1690]

In the U.S. we have a simular yet more balanced appoch. For example, Oregon Public Broadcasting has paid membership options, yet can be watched or listed to for free, Oregon Taxes go to them, they have merchandise, and can't legally enter any private property for any reason, no forced licenses, and often beg for us to buy what they offer.

[@matthewadkins7973]

So the same thing they just sneak it out ur check every week instead of asking u?

[@patrikcath1025]

My dad had to tell them like four times he does not in fact own a TV because they refused to believe anyone could possibly not watch TV.

[@clev7989]

​@@AnonymousGentooman As a quick aside, the ps2 had some really great games

[@OutlawMantis]

Protip: Tell them to fuck off and shut the door. Trying to reason with TV Licensing can lead to prosecution. Non-engagement protects you.

[@Bram06]

Here in the Netherlands, there also used to be a TV licence, as well as TV inspectors. However, due to a small loophole in the law, when the inspector came, you could unplug your TV. That way, it was all fine and the inspector would leave you alone. After all, an unplugged TV is not capable of receiving broadcasts.

[@sumbuddy4088]

“I’m here to inspect your Television.” “It’s unplugged.” “Very well, have a nice day.”

[@fireworkstarter]

Sounds like something we dutch would do. Its also a good way to get rid of stupid laws

[@kitiyana]

Oh.. that’s tricky 👍

[@kelleren4840]

LMAOOOO

[@jwalster9412]

​@@sumbuddy4088"always has been" 😎

[@rhaegartargaryen9315]

Lived in a student accommodation in London, and these vultures with the bogus threat of legal action against pretty much late teens was so frustrating and panic inducing as a foreigner. The pamphlets straight up mention deportation and legal actions neither of these things were in bbc hands but was nothing less than extortion.

[@spaceengineeringempire4086]

The. Isn’t that classified as false advertising of capabilities

[@scottmorley7738]

Under a freedom of information request a few years back regarding the detector vans, they were asked how many people have been prosecuted through the vans? Answer was none. Not one single piece of evidence has ever been submitted to courts from van usage. As for the inspectors, if they knock on your door just remember they are only salesmen working for Capita. As soon as they identify themselves, simply close your door. Do no even talk to them.

[@LoserwinS1]

I have a Cornish friend who showed me this website made by a brit who elaborated on his reasoning behind not paying for a TV license. It then goes on to show how the BBC has tried to fine him, tried to have the host shut down the website, and has bought every similar-sounding domain name to make them redirect to the BBC website. Demanding license fees is one thing, actively trying to hamstring someone simply explaining why they make the legal choice not to consume broadcast TV & thus forgo the license is another.

[@skylined5534]

Link please?

[@darkdahl5562]

thats craaaaaazy

[@justhere4637]

I can't find it.

[@gpo746]

The BBC shaft people for £3.6 BILLION pounds a year and they STILL WANT MORE !!! It is soon going up to £169.50 per annum soon

[@balls9420]

I had to re read the "Cornish" part of this comment. It freaks me the hell out whenever we are mentioned outside of Kernow.

[@butterflywoodworks2374]

Being a citizen is way cooler than being a subject.

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

Yeah, the US is peak citizen country with all the HOAs and 2A infringements.

[@robmcintosh8808]

I don’t support MCFC …not sure about being a Citizen…Up the Chels🤘

[@curtnicol3756]

I'm British, not had a TV licence for decades, and I'd never get one.

[@ToyStory1995]

Imagine paying government taxes to a royal family in the 21st century.

[@Nantawat_Kittiwarakul]

Well, that's ACTUALLY what's happening in my country. It is in fact even more absurd than that, but that's another story.

[@1SmokedTurkey1]

Count your blessings for not living in the middle east, my friend. We pay VAT and import :) no income tax thankfully but I have a hunch soon that won't be the case.

[@Zadir09]

it's that way in every country whether on paper or de facto, it's just how power settles. And Charles isn't the one with the power, the people with the power have their own jurisdiction under the Lord Mayor of London. Not the elected mayor. To be fair, you'd be much better off giving the RF your money, maybe they'd actually address your inability to build more homes due to wealthy landowners standing in the way. I know you hate the King but it helps to have rich friends! People too ideological they get in their own way

[@dbensdrawinvids8390]

In America, dodging taxes and mocking the feds is considered something of a sport so I can only imagine the crap we'd get up to if Washington tried to impose something like this.

[@rum-ham]

Not entirely true, it actually depends on which part of the US you are in.

[@misseselise3864]

our annoying asses would find some loophole to get out of paying it. or we’d brag on the internet about not paying it, depends on the part of the US. i live in georgia and i think we’d be one of the places bragging about all the tv we watch without paying for the tv license

[@mildlydispleased3221]

You see the TV licence ridiculous, how do you think we see your gun laws and expensive healthcare.

[@dbensdrawinvids8390]

@@mildlydispleased3221 i don't know nor do i care

[@skylined5534]

I think it's hilarious how many decades Americans are out of touch by. Quite charming really. Bless 'em and their funny little heads.

[@Bread_Man88]

I failed to pay my TV licence, I woke up from my coma last week.

[@0rphaneye]

they put u in the coma for not paying

[@BenShaffer282]

you too?

[@ipellaers]

Still more fun than watching TV.

[@Bread_Man88]

@@ipellaers fair enough. Nothing good on nowadays

[@dsandoval9396]

Her Majesty's Leg Breakers paid you a visit I see.

[@scottbaldrachi6400]

That commercial is the best!! "And their watching Colombo"...😅😂

[@MrSkippingpig]

I remember seeing an interview with a retired army intelligence officer who said the military could only dream of having the capabilities of surveillance equipment supposedly deployed in TV detector vans...

[@270Winchester]

Getting your house raided by a company that makes nature documentaries is wild 😂😂

[@lavenderlumber]

8:49 this ad doesn't scare me into buying a TV license, this ad scares me into throwing away every electronic in my household and living in the woods.

[@SuperCoolrandomguy]

Ted moment

[@blobofdespair]

"Skeleton of contention" is gold. Your writing is top notch in every single upload. Love this series.

[@peterkragger4824]

In Poland we have TV and radio licence, called "Abonament radiowo-telewizyjny" - "Radio-TV subscription" but almost nobody pays it, because it's not really enforced

[@qwert4871]

I believe it’s the same in Japan. I once read a manga about a guy who bought a house with a hidden passage to a fantasy dungeon of another world. Since he was using only internet he didn’t pay for a TV license. One day, an NHK agent shows up to check if he truly does not have a TV. While searching his home he gets lost in a fantasy dungeon. The next time the main character met him he was wandering with orcs, inquiring fantasy creatures about their TV licenses.

[@ah.neat.408]

I remember seeing an NHK worker in a manga about Jesus and Buddha living in Japan as a vacation. I never fully grasped what the big deal with that dude was and the fee thing. This makes it a lot more understandable.

[@Connie_TinuityError]

do you remember the name of that manga? I want to check it out

[@ah.neat.408]

@Connie_TinuityError Yeah! It's called Saint Young Men. It only got translated a few years ago.

[@Connie_TinuityError]

@@ah.neat.408 thanks, seems pretty interesting!

[@punbug4721]

Damn. Bro really got sucked into a stranger's TV and got turned into an NPC lmao

[@magnusbruce4051]

This was actually a pretty well measured look at the situation. My personal experience of TV Licensing Inspectors was quite funny. One time (around 2012) I was cooking dinner in the kitchen with my housemates and I had to go up to my bedroom to grab something (maybe my phone, I don't remember) and noticed a leaflet had come through the letter box. It said that the TV licensing people had visited but they didn't get a response so they would be back. They wrote down the time on the leaflet and it was exactly the time when I was reading it so they must have just left and we didn't hear them knock. The leaflet said they would be back soon. They never came back. Another time, in another house, we had them show up asking for a specific person (let's say "Alex"). "Alex" had previously lived at the address and had been evicted for non-payment of rent. Apparently he had previous paid for a TV licence (but not rent!) and now they were wondering why he hadn't paid for the licence. We told the guy that "Alex" no longer lived here so we had no further business. The inspector said that there still was no licence so could he come in and take a look. We told him we don't have a TV (which was genuinely true at that time: we just watched Netflix or DVDs on my projector) so no, he didn't need to come in. He persisted so we told him to go away and he did. They never came back.

[@Dwigt_Rortugal]

Tricky tricky, the use of a projector. "Honest, guv, no TV here!" 😅 If you set up a cardboard box and talk through it like a television and your friends are entertained, the inspector will surely know and come knocking for both the broadcasting license and the TV license. You're gonna PAY!

[@ryleypalmer]

Video them on your phone (or act like you are) and they will just turn right around. They don’t want to be on a KZbin compilation video 😂 and never let them in your property because they can make you pay it for anything. Like your tv having a slot for an aerial or your computer because connected to the internet can watch iPlayer.

[@tomr6955]

@@Dwigt_Rortugal I had a great laugh out of this, bravo!

[@skylined5534]

@@Dwigt_Rortugal You're not GONNA PAY. Legally you can side step the licence if you say you don't use any BBC TV service. Working for us for years now.

[@Nick-zp8wk]

"no license so he could come in and take a look". Man it's insane what the lies than these thugs will tell. Like saying they can come into your home. Not without a warrant and police there to enforce it buddy!

[@LendriMujina]

0:50 If anyone's curious just *how* bad mechanical televisions really were, Technology Connections has a couple videos talking about and demonstrating how they worked.

[@Sazandora123]

I remember the TV licence being a thing in my country when I was little. I was at a friend's place while a licence inspector was prowling around our neighbourhood, my friend's mother told us to to lie to the inspector if they ever showed up at their house, and claim that the TV's in their house were just for video games and couldn't actually connect to any TV channels. If I recall correctly the licence thing was eventually removed and replaced with just a simple tax.

[@kylenielsen5083]

So basically if you have a tv without watching the BBC, you have to pay for the BBC anyway, and instead of charging a subscription on the interent you pay a tv licence without a TV. Government at work.

[@skylined5534]

I wish he'd mentioned that you can legitimately not pay the licence fee these days if you don't use the BBC TV service. We don't and haven't for years.

[@MadScientist267]

The irony being here in the US we can watch it completely free 🤣

[@rukus9585]

@@skylined5534 Yeah, I'm American and had heard of the licence but didn't know the specifics. Then, the other day I was watching The Office Blokes channel and one of the guys said he hasn't had a licence in years, but recently accidentally clicked a BBC program and shut it off, only to be notified that he was in default of the licence and fined.

[@PoisonedAl]

"Free" means "ram packed full of ads." The BBC has no ads in programs and only trailers for its own programs between. You pay one way or another. @@MadScientist267

[@VvvnimaL]

You can watch it and not pay a dime, they will send you letters telling you to pay and just not do it. My 90 y.o grandmother has been watching for most of her life and never paid, no one in my family has ever paid.

[@pete904ni]

The funniest part is that Ireland force you to pay for a TV licence and you still get adverts on the state channels.

[@maxweelus]

We here in Austria have the same thing, but you could avoid paying if you removed the receiver from your TV, or if you bought one without one in the first place (there are companies building them specifically for this purpose here). You still had to live with regular surprise visits from their Inspectors - which seemed to be consisting of the most unfriendly people in the country. But starting January 1st next year, they changed the system because too many people did this. So now everyone has to pay, even if you don't own a TV.

[@user-yh5dc8ve8e]

Ich rege mich darüber viel zu oft auf mittlerweile

[@maxweelus]

@@user-yh5dc8ve8e Ich hoff einfach dass es wieder genug Leute gibt die dagegen demonstrieren und einfach nicht zahlen..bis sich wieder was ändert. Wie bei Corona damals 😂

[@user-yh5dc8ve8e]

@@maxweelus Ich auch, aber da ja die meisten Leute davor schon GIS gezahlt haben und für die die Abgaben jetzt sogar geringer ausfallen, glaube ich nicht, dass das zustande kommen wird. :(

[@itisjustacomment]

I'm in the UK, and I've never owned a TV licence. Many of us don't due to bbc scandals

[@thomasawl]

Tl:dr in the TV license vans: they were just made as a scare tactic. The closest thing they could come up with was to watch the lights on your wall through the window and try to match the channel. Yeah, it’s a ‘shadows on the wall’ sorta affair.

[@moos5221]

that's pretty funny, because i have a tv light generator as burglarer protection. when i'm on vacation i set it up and it shines some random different colors LED lights against the walls, so from the outside it looks like someone is inside and watching tv. much more effective, then just leaving a light on. would be funny if a detector van would see that.

[@skylined5534]

Pretty much. They existed but couldn't detect much of anything. Saw none in my locality in the 80s and 90s.

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

The military actually asked how they worked because they wanted to use the technology on he battlefield (lots of radio communications and CRT screens it would be fun to target with missiles). Now, I’m not going to say that the BBC panicked because such technology doesn’t exist (and it’s questionable if it’s even compliant with the laws of physics), placing them in the awkward position of either pretending they were withholding vital defence information, or admitting they were lying. But I will say that the official response of the BBC was to claim that the detection equipment was worked on in secret by engineers working in isolation from eachother, and thus no individual actually knew the principle of operation of the detector, and they couldn’t be reproduced for the MOD. Not only would such measures be unnecessary for this application, it’s also not how engineering works. Even the atomic bomb, which did involve compartmentalisation, required some individuals coordinating everything to understand how the whole system worked. They maintain this position to this day. The question of how they are repairing or replacing what they claim is lost technology is one I’m waiting to ask a license inspector.

[@jtgd]

Then they’d snipe your TV

[@robbinrobbin5582]

As a brit we have a TV but we only use it as a screen for our laptops or PlayStation, this hasn't stopped us receiving a dozen warning letters from the TV licence people saying they'll come for an inspection at their discretion. Despite us not watching TV channels or the BBC they insist they want to enter our property to inspect if we're watching without the licence. We just don't let them in lol

[@thea1990x]

My sister sent them an email saying she only uses NowTV and doesn’t watch any BBC channels and they removed her from the database.

[@rwentfordable]

I've moved many times in the UK. When I've told them I don't need it I never hear them again.

[@JimKerr-xl2jt]

They just send the same few letters on a loop , we've got 16 years worth of them in a box

[@lou5286]

The amount of threatening letters I got at uni for our TV that was used exclusively for Mario Party was insane lmao

[@oronk60]

How can you put up with this?

[@MrTommyboy68]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I was stationed in Germany. One night as I was leaving a friend's apartment, I noticed a black van, windowless, with a large array of antenna's all over it. I asked what that was and I was told you HAVE to have a license to watch TV and I was flabbergasted. Our dorm was directly behind the INTERPOL building so we were used to seeing all sorts of "clandestine" vehicles with blacked out windows coming and going and we could tell if they were interviewing someone in their office as the shades would be drawn.

[@obeanddarth]

In the UK you only need a TV licence to watch any broadcast TV channels or using BBC iPlayer. No licence needed for streaming from things like Netflix, KZbin. As long as it's not from a live TV channel

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

You don't NEED a licence. While I don't watch live TV anyway, I have in the past and have never paid the low IQ tax

[@Droggelbecherbot]

At least you guys get to opt out by just not having a TV. In Germany you get to pay 18€ a month no matter if you even have a TV / radio. I won't even get into the garbage they're producing, gotta watch my blood pressure...

[@Boerkie1990]

lol I was actually looking for a comment like this. True af

[@McLintox]

Its not a licence to own a tv m8!

[@hanseat11]

just dont pay it.

[@miken3963]

BBC manages to pump out a lot of quality stuff for the money. German TV/radio "definitely not a tax, but we will fucking throw you to jail if you don't pay it" tax sucks out twice as much money as the BBC license fee does. And somehow resulting in absolute and utter dog shit content. 8.5 billion Euros in 2022 alone...

[@Boerkie1990]

@@hanseat11 ... and go to jail unlike rapists and thieves

[@JonSpink]

Thirty years ago i knew a guy who used to work in the "detector van" he told me it was a list of houses with no license that they would drive round and peep in the front window. They caught loads.

[@moos5221]

i used to drive the detection van some 20 years ago, but nowadays they just use drones and I'm too old for that shit.

[@mikehunt7419]

What a piece of shit! You know what they say about the company you keep right?

[@justinr9784]

So effectively they were fake? You just went by the list of suspects and all that equipment was for show? 🤣

[@kayakchrispy]

In us … if u on my property, looking in windows … you might not make home for dinner ..

[@user-bt8xr5si9y]

@@kayakchrispyThe way it's supposed to be

[@Spirit-108]

You don't need the license to own a TV it's just watching the channels

[@davidmacon1138]

No no no... We don't laugh in semi-auto. They don't call full auto, the giggle switch, for nothing.

[@brad5426]

When I was staying in student accomdation with roomates I had two letters from the BBC addressed to me and they were letters berating me to pay for a tv license for a tv we didn't use in our living room! Their licensing department threatened me with legal intervention, which was not only bizarre since they were addressed only to me but not to my other roomates, and none of us even watched any BBC media under our TVs. They're bark no bite when it comes to licensing, but at the time I didn't know any better and that experience rubbed me the wrong way, causing me a huge deal of unnecessary panic at the time. They didn't follow it up and presumed they forgot, then eventually so did I until seeing this.

[@wotsurn]

ive gotten a few letters at uni, but i dont bother even opening them haha. I havent ever heard of someone getting a fine, they just hope they can spook you into paying.

[@DeIta.]

*laughs in semi-automatic gunfire*

[@RealMTBAddict]

Fully semi automatic lol

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

Which you'll never point at a government employee, so please, spare us the theatrics because it's all C O P E

[@DeIta.]

@@HaggisMuncher-69-420 ???

[@FrankHaul]

​@@HaggisMuncher-69-420keep crying boy

[@FrankHaul]

​@@HaggisMuncher-69-420keep crying boy

[@kokodk2]

In Denmark we also have TV licenses. Since our version of BBC also have an online streaming platform, you have to pay a license if you have a single device that can access the internet. For that reason nobody in denmark has computers, smartphone or TVs.

[@la89ondevg]

And they question democracy and press freedom in other countries. Questionable ethics.

[@Christopher_S]

My WiFi SSID is "TV Licence Detector Van".

[@lsswappedcessna]

The one on my laptop is the US version, "FBI Surveillance Van"

[@DarthPerkins]

Mine is CH*LD P*RN DOWNLOADING I'd just love to see someone's face when they accidentally connect to that.

[@adamsfusion]

Having a storied history in radio engineering: The thought of "equipment that detects receivers" is hilarious. I'm sure the CIA would like more info on this unicorn of technology.

[@nashooo5903]

I was just wondering the same thing. What exactly would the reciever emit that they could measure? And whatever it is, it must be pretty strong to be able to be measured and pinpointed from the street. Seems to me that patrolling the neighborhoods at night looking for windows with a blueish light would be more effective 😂😂

[@MattExzy]

Most modern radio receivers use an onboard oscillator to generate an intermediate frequency, or IF. It's called a 'heterodyne' receiver, vs. a direct conversion receiver. I imagine they detect receivers by looking for that oscillator - which is why direct conversion receivers were preferred during WWII to avoid detection.

[@ELHV]

In addition to what was already mentioned, I assume you could also look for very characteristic line frequency of ~15.6 kHz that CRT TVs use and inevitably emit.

[@andrewrules231]

I was thinking the same thing. a roll of tinfoil would count as a receiver

[@darealmrog]

That's true, why wouls a RECIEVER transmit a signal?

[@Goblin_deez.]

I find the practice to be it genuinely tyrannical and harassing, I don’t watch tv yet I had letters and people asking to enter my home to prove it It felt like a crime ring attempting to extort me

[@skylined5534]

Wait until you hear about the schit the USA gets away with.

[@twistedyogert]

Doesn't the UK government also tax people based on how many closets their house has? That's why wardrobes are a thing over there.

[@fuzzy7644]

are you telling me people don't have wardobes in the US? What?

[@troodon1096]

@@fuzzy7644 Why would you need them if you have a closet?

[@fuzzy7644]

@@troodon1096 I'm- I'm starting to think we just called wardrobes and closets the same thing now.

[@soldiah]

Here in Italy the TV licence is so important that the national TV broadcaster lobbied into having their licence fee added to the electricity bill and you have to pay a licence if you have any type of screen that "is capable or can made capable of receiving a TV signal" (e.g. your monitor has an HDMI port? well you could buy a TV tuner that plugs to the HDMI port so you have to pay a fee)

[@nasis18]

Damn. lol

[@pootispiker2866]

No wonder that country is going down the pipes

[@skylined5534]

@@pootispiker2866 If you're in the USA look up the word 'ironic'.

[@uastyrdzhii]

European are so cucked lmao

[@skylined5534]

@@pootispiker2866 The irony of an American saying that.

[@ericinMN1970]

Being from the US I first heard about people in the UK needing a TV license in the 80's. It never made sense to me when TV was free when connected an aerial to my TV. But now here I am for the last quarter of a century have been paying, what is essentially a TV license, to various cable TV providers so I can watch TV. I don't even know if it's possible to go back to watching TV in the US without a cable connection and subscription.

[@scarpfish]

There's more over the air channels than ever, but you need to be within range of their tower to receive them. Your mileage may vary.

[@AlamoOriginal]

subscribtion is easier to circumvent, i mean its not like you dont use the service for anything else, and literally just pirate the shows you want to watch if it bothers you to pay, theres alot more nuance and also the convenience of it, tv license doesnt have any of these conveniences and it applied to even IPTV which is just bullshit

[@limyarplane1991]

Yea pretty much only difference here between America and Britain is one is two a private company and the other is to a public one. There both terrible but i guess the public one is the “lesser evil” so to speak.

[@jameslovell8682]

You don't have internet in the USA ???

[@crabman8321]

You might not get as many channels as cable, but you should get some. (Possibly quite a few if you live closer to a city)

[@christinafidance340]

Why can’t they just take all of the time, resources & MONEY they spend on enforcing this tv license law….. and just use it to pay for the public television???? I.m just throwing it out there. It seems like a massive waste.

[@pegcity4eva]

Paying for public broadcasting with my tax dollars is rediculous period.

[@ZioGiovanni]

We’re not entirely “tax” free in the US, either. For example, an Xfinity cable internet subscriber is still charged about $30/month for broadcast and other fees even if you don’t own a TV. On a related note, back in the 1980s it was common (and legal) to pirate the HBO signal using third party equipment. After pirating became illegal, HBO sent vans around looking for pirate receivers. I remember our next-door neighbor got caught, but we didn’t, likely because ours was hidden behind our chimney away from the street.

[@civilprotection3114]

I remember Trailer Park Boys did that.

[@Connie_TinuityError]

Oh dear oh dear. Antenna Man would be fuming if he saw this comment...

[@uastyrdzhii]

One thing is having an subscription or internet plan, brits have to pay the BBC even if they don't wanna watch the BBC

[@zamstig66]

@@uastyrdzhii you dont have to, you can simply not pay it as they have no legal right to check your house

[@Mael-vk1it]

Nah It's because the BBC use propaganda to make people think they do. This is partly why there's so much confusion on the issue.@@uastyrdzhii

[@KBXband]

I have a coworker here in the states who was stationed in England in the late 80s, early 90s. He explained having a blwck and white TV and actually seeing the van driving down the street checking houses. His stuff was all in order but he hated paying for something he thought should be free.

[@MarkJohnson-ro1ed]

The vans are just there to make people scared. Anybody with a high school education would realise that there is no way of determining where a broadcast signal is being received and it takes two (or more) vans to lock onto a signal being transmitted. The average person is an idiot. Give them their bread and circuses and you can make them believe almost anything.

[@shwah8299]

Brits have it right to pay for luxury while having necessity (healthcare) provides.

[@MarkJohnson-ro1ed]

@@shwah8299 I'm in Australia and I don't have to pay for either. At least here you're not left to die in the corridors of some UK hospital.

[@aazelion5189]

@@MarkJohnson-ro1ed True, but you also have possibly the most corrupt government on earth

[@michaelcoward1902]

"PAying for something he thought should be free" So he thought everyone else ought to work for free...We have a few upleasant words for people like that.

[@philrabe910]

I'd say you've done a bang up job of explaining this weird British license! Right on target!

[@HATECELL]

Reminds me of the middle finger to democracy we have in Switzerland. We used to have a company called Billag, which collected the fees for the national TV and Radio companies. Avoiding them was tricky, because unlike the British system it was automatically assumed you were consuming, and in order to get rid of it you had to proove you were literally unable to consume their programs (and given that even some old-school mobile phones can receive AM/FM radio that's difficult). This made it colloquially known as the "eyes and ears tax". Some years ago the public voted to abolish Billag, and as a giant middle finger to the principles of this country Billag got replaced by Serafe. Serafe also collects money, although to be fair they are technically operating in a very different way, for a different cause (I believe they represent artists instead of the broadcasting company), but on the receiving end it feels like the same thing. Another irritating thing is that companies are also required to pay if they play radio or TV at their locations, even though every person there already paid their share (after all you don't pay per device, you pay per person). But as analog broadcasts soon come to an end this discussion might get reignited. Broadcasts for abroad are already encrypted, as the service is only intended for Swiss citizens, which can order some CI-cards to decrypt the programs, which already have the tax on them (on a side note, imagine how terrible it would be if some foreigners were able to receive the glorious Swiss programs. The horror). With analogue broadcast coming to an end it will be more difficult to consume programs without them knowing, or easier for them to turn their programs into a premium service you have to pay for, so perhaps that will end the eyes and ear tax. I kinda doubt it though

[@mightywurlitzer]

I'm American living in Switzerland for 15 years. I always hated Billag and now hate Serafe even more, since they use the cantonal residency register to send you the bill (a huge violation of privacy imo). Plus now you can't even opt out even if the most advanced piece of technology in your apartment is a single incandescent light bulb... since obviously you're going to be be sponging up all that quality Swiss TV from somewhere.

[@marksnow7569]

10:32 Note that even countries which do not issue TV Licences are likely to have some sort of tax-funded audio-visual media. A classic case is Australia, where the state-owned broadcasters are funded out of the general tax budget; a weird case is the USA where the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has traditionally received federal funding but the House majority want to stop it (whereas the Senate majority don't).

[@BerserkJeffy]

Didn't know about this and my kids watch PBSKids all the time. Wonder if I can email someone or find a petition about it...

[@marksnow7569]

@@BerserkJeffy To be fair, the federal funding is a small part of the total for the public broadcasting system, unless you count tax-breaks for donations as "federal funding by stealth"- but those, and funding by local government, will not be affected by the House proposal anyway.

[@purplehaze2358]

I used to think that greed and the monetization of literally everything was a tragedy, but now I know it's an absurdist comedy.

[@G-regTaylor]

how is it greed? its the licence fee that pays for the all the programming and radio.

[@aaaaghdoor6056]

​​@@G-regTaylor with their tax rates they could easily fund quality and free public broadcasting, just like america's public broadcasting service. Hell, with the use of advertisements the bbc would still have about 2 billion to fuck around with due to advertisements and other sources. Greed is the only reason they keep it this way.

[@G-regTaylor]

@@aaaaghdoor6056 please show me evidence of this greed.

[@neonbelly4]

@@G-regTaylor my country doesn't have tv licenses. programming works just fine. like to be a contrarian dont you?

[@G-regTaylor]

@@neonbelly4 what on earth are you talking about

[@mackdog3887]

We don’t need a Licence for a tv we need it to watch live boardcast

[@gavinthecrafter]

It's great to know that America is not the only country with weird/ridiculous laws

[@TroubleToby3040]

One of the worst things about Saville is how much he reinforces the stereotype that you can tell a pedo by looking at him. I mean, NO ONE can look more like a pervert than that man!!

[@skylined5534]

As a kid he always disturbed me. Rolf Harris... Man.. finding out out he was a nonce killed me though!

[@repletereplete8002]

I used to live near him in Leeds and would occasionally see him out and about and he was a freak in the flesh. Fishnet vests and running shorts, stank of cigars and sweat. Lots of us knew he was a nonce as there were so many rumours but his connections kept him out of prison and he knew he'd be protected.

[@repletereplete8002]

I'd also add that his outlandishness in appearance and public behaviour were all part of his smokescreen.

[@TroubleToby3040]

@@repletereplete8002 Yeah, I know he used to tell people he couldn't stand children to throw them off as just one example of his "smokescreen", but who would be dumb enough to think that because you don't "like" kids, you wouldn't molest them? It's two completely different things, I think. You saying he "stank of cigars and sweat" has painted a VERY vivid picture in my head, lol. 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂🤦‍♂️

[@mr.slaphappy3794]

I've never heard of him before this video, and the first thing I thought when he showed up on my screen, was "Oh a pedo"

[@c5cha7]

The worst part about the TV licence is that automatically opts you in. You can say you don't use BBC but every 2 years youll need to reconfirm it or else. If the TV licence was like a netflix subscription where you could just opt in whenever i think everyone would be fine with it. The government also reviewed the licence recently and decided not to do anything with it (due to tory gov links with bbc)

[@anangs120]

At the end of 1963, the TVRI (Television of the Republic of Indonesia) Foundation began collecting taxes for television owners, the authority to tax television ownership began to be assisted by the Pos and Giro Companies and began accepting advertisements from March 1 1963 under the name Siaran Niaga. But since September 2001 there have been no more withdrawals of television fees.

[@LazarusBaccus]

We used to have a TV license scheme in Finland, but it was "improved" to a form of a media-tax over a decade ago.

[@DiscoBallGaming]

you were talking about the first tv and all of a sudden "it was a piece of shit", and THAT is why I watch these videos. Tales from the bottle is great

[@Dwigt_Rortugal]

Mechanical TV... What a concept. But it's all moot because it was a POS, lol.

[@JTA1961]

Athefumen

[@skylined5534]

@@Dwigt_Rortugal People like you and and the OP remind me of idiots laughing at commonplace things we now take for granted which were new concepts way back when.

[@tciddados]

It's wild how much they lean into the Orwellian aspect with their advertisements about it.

[@Frank_Nemo]

Yep, it's called irony.

[@skylined5534]

It's wild how actually Orwellian American life actually is. Don't get sick, muricans.

[@robertaviles8451]

As an American, I'm glad our greedy politicians haven't started with the TV License... yet... 😮

[@marikasdaughter6263]

Probably exaggerated their capabilities? Those detector vans are useless. 100% a scare tactic.

[@TheWTFbomber]

This guy is the god of funny cartoon stories 😂

[@maymayman0]

The Cartoon Network would like to speak with you

[@jffry890]

When he actually does them.

[@BerserkerLuke]

Nah, that's got to be Sam O Nella Academy. Qxir is pretty good though.

[@mattgayda2840]

Well he did point out women in Britain were being prosecuted at high rates for getting the BBC for free

[@Toddfrommario]

Funny cartoon man

[@MNNski]

How to know you're in a dystopia: 1: You need a license for everything you do (including watching TV) 2: Big brother constantly reminds you that they have you in a database and are watching your every move to see if you break their rules.

[@MarkJohnson-ro1ed]

3: You're told that you're not lining in a dystopia 4: You believe that all the restrictions are there 'For the common good'

[@eternalcustodian6594]

5. There are no single women in your area

[@MattExzy]

I knew of the license over there, but I'd never seen those 'big brother' ads. They were truly chilling.

[@MNNski]

@@MattExzy 100% bud. They sure made me happy to be born in the US. We may not be perfect, but at least we don't have that.

[@G-regTaylor]

the guy typing his thoughts and feelings with complete freedom thinks he's in a dystopia. have you even read 1984?

[@CW-Design]

You don’t have to have a license to own a TV. You can watch on demand TV through any other non-BBC channel.

[@nitiad4564]

I 100% thought the TV license was just a joke us Americans made to mock our cousins across the pond. This is far funnier than any joke we coulda made.

[@bordersw1239]

How do you watch TV?

[@sarahjrandomnumbers]

Perfect explanation, apart from 1 small thing. You CAN opt out of them contacting you. You just need to basically agree, legally that you do not use a TV to watch TV programs. Obviously if they catch you they'll use this to throw the book at you in court, but I've never had that issue. Also with TV detector vans, back in ye olde days with CRT's, they would try to detect the leakage from the receiver through the antenna, which is why you often see 2 highly directional antennas on top of the vans. As time moved on, we moved onto digital TV which uses a totally different way (zero-IF) of receiving the signal, so there is no leakage from the receiver because there isn't the frequency conversion being done as before, but even if you do find a way to "detect" a modern TV, whos to say it's not a laptop, or a PC monitor. So now they rely on the database you mentioned. Great video though, as always :) (From someone who has never, and will never get a TV licence, why would I with top quality content like yours 👍👍)

[@ovion]

Its also not for all TV, just BBC and ITV. You just need to sign a declaration to opt out of the license - though they may still contact you, and will every couple of years. Anything else and you don't need one. Also also, the vans never worked, its been proven with extensive testing they just cant - the tech wasn't ever capable of it, even the "it tracked leakage" stuff was rumour meant to make you believe it. Same with the database - they'd need to get a provider or ISP to provide your data, which they won't without a warrant and specific cause. You *can* opt out of contact entirely too - by revoking common law right of access for the TV license letters and inspectors, which means they aren't allowed to come near you. Honestly, most of this video isn't accurate, to the point I wonder if it's deliberate.

[@profpuffofficial2]

in south africa if you stream youtube on a phone they want you to pay a tv license

[@Jackleeds206]

Exactly it’s only if you watch live tv or bbc related programmes or record live tv. If you only watch streaming services Netflix prime KZbin then you’re not required to have one. More and and more people are cancelling. Non of my friends have a license and my immediate family neither have one.

[@JonMurray]

Does anyone still actually pay for their TV license?!

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Yes, I do. I don't think it's so bad and it's cheaper than Netflix!

[@purpleheart334]

Oi, are you suggestin you don’t have a license or your telly? I’m gonna have to report ya to my local bobby.

[@fishfish7177]

​@@purpleheart334shut up ya grass

[@skylined5534]

We don't. And that's a legitimate reason. I don't think we've watched ANYTHING from the BBC in years and only watch stuff online/stream. This is perfectly legal and you can remove yourself from their database but they will still keep sending ''scary' letters but will finally give up. We haven't paid for a TV Licence in years because we haven't had the need for one.

[@JonMurray]

@@y_fam_goeglydjust don’t pay it and ignore the letters then it’s free!

[@markp9621]

There no more "visible" TV Detector Vans on the streets in the UK.

[@SirEattonHogg]

As an American, the first time I ever heard of this was watching an episode of The Young Ones. One of the characters tries to avoids the TV detection agent by eating the television.

[@arealmemeist6421]

I've lived in the uk my whole life and i thought a tv licence was for watching live TV and not for owning one

[@marxunemiku]

did you watch the video?

[@xSUBIACOx]

It is, how he got that wrong was slightly ama\ing.

[@skylined5534]

He also failed to mention (no doubt to get the muricans laughing their small balls off even more) that you can own as many devices including TVs as you like and legally opt out of paying for a licence if you don't receive BBC broadcasts. In this day and age who'd watch the drivel BBC 1 and 2 put out anyway? Strictly come prancing? No ta!

[@Bushkin84]

You could own 500 tv's, doesn't mean you need a license

[@ganjasage420]

Well, as an American, I thank you, British people, as top gear was an amazing show. Thanks to you paying, my American @$$ was able to watch for free.

[@usaccdecks8363]

Jeremaiah, Car ges is bad for helth

[@fallandbounce]

You have free cable where you live?

[@kameronjones7139]

​@@fallandbouncepirating

[@Roy-ze8eo]

Just write ass normally, we're not on some demented American TV show

[@ganjasage420]

@@fallandbounce Samsung TV. Technically, it's not free, paying for internet connection. But nothing else.

[@Tabbytoffee]

My dad used to get continuous knocking on his door, in the 90s. Every time, they had to apologise as he didn't have a TV. Eventually, he bought a B&W licence just to stop it!

[@mikeuchiha5972]

As an Aussie our TV Licencing was Abolished in 1974

[@Osd020]

Last year I forgot to pay the TV license and I got dragged out of my bed by Boris.

[@skylined5534]

'I'm er er er sorry but I er, I'm going to tackle you over this like I tackled that small child in a charity rugby match"

[@moos5221]

another situation where you probably still had better hairstyle then he did

[@proud_emmerian6510]

I got dragged out by Muhammed.

[@Florkl]

Okay people overuse “Literally 1984,” and honestly I think it’s a stretch to say that about this. But boy do those ads do their best to make me think otherwise.

[@skylined5534]

Just about about ANY finger wagging 'you'll be sorry' type ad campaigns are the same.

[@stevethom4329]

I deliver for Royal Mail here in Scotland, I'd easily say I deliver letters to 96% of the houses on my route. Never once seen any progression from them. And I've not owned one in nearly 25years

[@artmanxp]

I remember they had a number of lawsuits because of how many people got fines without owning a TV.

[@kemp10]

I always assumed the TV license was to receive the BBC broadcasts, not for owning a tv lol

[@MidnightDarkness666]

You assume correctly. However, even though the licence only funds the BBC, it's required to watch any live TV.

[@aeon_zero]

you go on the database when you buy one

[@repletereplete8002]

the programs were just broadcast analogue via large transmitters so any TV in range can pickup the signal. It's still the same but with a digital signal. You'd need to have a dedicated BBC receiver box and scrambled broadcasts with what you'd imagined to be the case.

[@paladinboyd1228]

The license was updated a few years back to include the upkeep of the infrastructure of the British network, (radio, tv ect) so you can’t escape it.

[@lemdixon01]

And they assume you own and watch a tv so they can send you a letter saying you have not paid your license but they don't assume you have a driving license if you do or dont own a car.

[@MadScientist267]

No that's an American thing

[@Palmit_]

...or serial killer if you have knives in your kitchen. its a disgrace. presumed guilty and seriously harrassed with intimidation, misleading writing in their letters, and of course, the threats. How they are allowed to operate that way is unfathomable. The gov/BBC embargoes so many news stories. heavily propaganda oriented. the 'service' is not worth having, let alone paying for.

[@erraticonteuse]

Yeah, when I was studying in London for a year in college, I got a letter and I was so confused and panicking that I'd broken a law. I didn't even have a personal TV! Just the one the uni provided in my suite's kitchen!

[@carneeki]

As a guy that knows a little bit about radio waves, my guess as to how the TV detector vans _used_ to work is similar to how many police radar detector detectors work. Most radio receivers have something called an oscillator inside (usually several oscillators) that generate a frequency wave, and these waves are at very common, standard frequencies (455kHz is one). A detector van need only have an antenna that can focus on a narrow spot (a 'directional antenna') designed to pick up these standard frequencies to be able to say "there's the receiver". These days with so much being done over the internet, I haven't really thought too much about it, but, probably it's just a matter of looking at the IP addresses of the viewer and cross referencing that against a giant chart of which ISPs have which IP addresses, which begs the question, why not just have the BBC put up content behind a paywall for citizens and then ditch the license? and now a word from my sponsor, NordVPN...