Satellite channel costs?

[Howyoudoin]

one wonders why people continue to kick the BBC if they don't think they are getting value for money. Just cancel your licence and subscribe to another TV service.

HYD (Happy Freeviewer / Licence Payer)

Notwithstanding of course that if you watch any as-live broadcast, not just a BBc channel, on whatever device (within the UK you require a UK TV License.

<pedant mode off >

didds

Indeed. Hasn't stopped more than 2 million people cancelling in the last few years though. You don't need a licence if you only watch Netflix and Amazon Prime apparently.

Personally I couldn't do without the 'News' so cancelling isn't an option for me.

HYD

[gbjbaanb]

Is it true that you need a licence to watch any broadcast live event, or only to watch that over the "broadcast" airwaves?

ie. I can watch a lot of live streamed stuff on the internet that nobody would consider to fall under any licence fee requirement, though its all "TV broadcasts". It might be just undefined or vaguely worded, but I think watching "non-BBC live TV" on the internet does not fall under the licence requirement.

Meanwhile, I know some BBC channels have so few viewers they show up as 0 in the stats: BBC's Gaelic service 'Alba' for example. Also they have programmes like BBC Persian and BBC Arabic that I'm sure could be cut without any concern to UK licence fee payers. It also makes me wonder why we have BBC Asian music, BBC 1xtra and BBC 6 (all "black" music stations) when BBC 1 plays loads of it and its well served by commercial stations anyway (and not just Kurupt FM!).

[didds]

Is it true that you need a licence to watch any broadcast live event, or only to watch that over the "broadcast" airwaves?

ie. I can watch a lot of live streamed stuff on the internet that nobody would consider to fall under any licence fee requirement, though its all "TV broadcasts". It might be just undefined or vaguely worded, but I think watching "non-BBC live TV" on the internet does not fall under the licence requirement..

several years ago when we initially binned getting a TV license I had some email correspondence with TVL over this very scenario.
My example was watching a stream on a devzies over the net of a cricket match in India that was not broadcast on any UK based station. their response was that as it was broadcast as-live ANYWHERE in the world (my emphasis) it woud require a TV license.

Now - I suspect that that person made that up on the spot because frankly it makes no sense whatsoever but - having asked the question that is the answer I received. So in a nutshell on that basis if your streamed stuff is live via a TV station somewhere in the world - you need a TVL.

didds

[Redmires]

BBC Asian music, BBC 1xtra and BBC 6 (all "black" music stations)

Yes, I often think that when I listen to the excellent BBC 6, especially on Sunday morning when Cerys Matthews is on, that well known delta blues woman from the deep south (Wales).

All this anti-BBC tosh makes it sound like the Daily Mail has taken over the forum.

[PinkDalek]

Notwithstanding of course that if you watch any as-live broadcast, not just a BBc channel, on whatever device (within the UK you require a UK TV License.

<pedant mode off >

didds

As this used to be DAK:

<pedant mode on>

Licence.

</pedant mode off>

[AF62]

Is it true that you need a licence to watch any broadcast live event, or only to watch that over the "broadcast" airwaves?

ie. I can watch a lot of live streamed stuff on the internet that nobody would consider to fall under any licence fee requirement, though its all "TV broadcasts". It might be just undefined or vaguely worded, but I think watching "non-BBC live TV" on the internet does not fall under the licence requirement..

several years ago when we initially binned getting a TV license I had some email correspondence with TVL over this very scenario.
My example was watching a stream on a devzies over the net of a cricket match in India that was not broadcast on any UK based station. their response was that as it was broadcast as-live ANYWHERE in the world (my emphasis) it woud require a TV license.

Now - I suspect that that person made that up on the spot because frankly it makes no sense whatsoever but - having asked the question that is the answer I received. So in a nutshell on that basis if your streamed stuff is live via a TV station somewhere in the world - you need a TVL.

Actually the BBC says the requirement goes further than that Live TV (and the requirement for a licence) means any programme you watch or record as it’s being shown on TV or live on an online TV service (with the latter being defined as "any streaming or smart TV service, website or app that lets you watch live TV over the internet".

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if- ... u-watch-it

Therefore to properly avoid a licence you need to watch catch-up TV (but not the BBC iPlayer - although oddly you are allowed to use it to watch S4C or listen to the radio without a licence), or through a service which doesn't do live TV such as Netflix, or obviously pre-recorded media such as DVDs, etc.

[didds]

or obviously pre-recorded media such as DVDs, etc.

which rings a bell - you cant have recorded it when actually live on eg a VCR (so presumably similarly a hard drive recording etc) for later viewing etc.

I now also remember some arcane rule about if you record via VCR/HDR that can record in colour, you cant use a monochroome licence even if you'd subsequently watch it in B&W!!! Or sumat like that.


didds