.tv Online viewers prosecuted for not paying TV licence

[eyedomainous]

"People who watch television online without a licence have been prosecuted for the first time despite uncertainty about how the law works, the BBC has disclosed. Watching TV without a valid licence is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1,000."​

Unbelievable!

But if they want to go there... people should start charging "Processing and Memory Storage Fees" for all the unsolicited media messages they are bombarded with when out in public.

Considering how many there are... the billboard processing fees alone should more than cover the license fee for watching TV.

(Now, about the Memory Storage Fees... the image of Bush and Blair holding pints of Guinness alone is going to cost you a pretty penny...)

 

[GoneWalkabout]

I watch the BBC in the UK and in other countries online and off.

There are no ads at all in the UK on the BBC TV channels, radio or internet - that is why the Uk government asks for a licence.

It is not an anti-internet thing - just the very different way that the UK raises money to create its service of supplying television, radio and internet to the UK. It's also one of the things that ensures the BBC has a budget to make series that commercial Tv wouldn't make (like big costume dramas and really hard to film documentaries)

Nobody outside of the UK will get fined for watching BBC programmes - all you will get is an annoying little ad before you watch something (which people in UK don't)



EXTRA: Just realised I also pay a TV license in Germany so this is not a UK thing alone

 

[eyedomainous]

Thanks, Jimbo. I was wondering about "online viewers" in general... as the article gave (me) the impression they too had to pay.

I use BBC news feeds and videos on some of my sites, and am aware of it being publicly funded, I just thought it was a budget item -not an household, or individual licence fee.

I assume there are some provisions made for poverty level households?

As you likely know, here in the U.S. Public Broadcasting has membership fund raising drives to complement its government funding.

Any politician proposing a TV Viewing Tax would be run out of town on a rail.