Anyone in the unenviable position of having to buy a TV licence will have to stump up an extra £4 for the privilege from 1st April 2019.
That's the cost of a pint around these parts, so not to be sniffed at.
The cost of an annual colour TV licence will rise to £154.50 and an annual black & white TV licence will increase by £1.50 to £52.00.
Legally speaking a TV licence is required for any property where equipment is used or installed to receive TV programmes at the time they are shown. Additionally, from 1st September 2016, a TV licence is required to watch on-demand programmes via the BBC iPlayer.
As we have discussed on numerous occasions, there are a myriad of perfectly legal ways of avoiding paying the TV licence fee.
A TV licence is not legally needed for the following:
- Watching pre-recorded DVDs;
- Watching content that has been previously downloaded from the web;
- Watching non-live, on-demand content on video sharing sites like YouTube;
- Watching non-live, on-demand programmes on platforms other than the BBC iPlayer;
- Watching non-live, on-demand content on subscription services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.
We also remind readers that mere ownership of TV receiving equipment does not require a TV licence. It is perfectly legal to own a TV set without a licence, as long as it isn't used to receive TV programmes. Similarly it is perfectly legal to own an internet-enabled computer without a TV licence, as long as it isn't used to navigate to "live" broadcast TV programmes or BBC iPlayer on-demand programmes.
Anyone who does not legally require a TV licence is under no obligation to communicate or co-operate with TV Licensing. They do not legally need to confirm their no-TV status and it will probably be a wasted effort if they do. We recommend that anyone in this situation ignores TV Licensing entirely.
The Government has previously indicated that the TV licence fee will increase in line with inflation for at least the next 5 years.
It's a bit like rail fares really. Every year the price goes up, but the service delivered is consistently abysmal. The only difference is that the rail companies refund customers when service falls below a certain standard, whereas the BBC won't even acknowledge any failings on its part.
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Just a note on 'installed'.
ReplyDeleteOn one of the (two) occasions in my life when I let a TV Licensing person into my home (long before this blog existed, I hasten to add!), after examining our television TV Licensing subsequently sent me a letter saying that they were going to prosecute me for having a television installed without my having a licence.
As the television in question was under the (open plan) stairs, not in the main room, was unplugged at the time of the visit, and there was no outside arial on the house - and, moreover, as the only picture the TV Licensing person had been able to obtain was 'snow' - I wrote back asking for the definition of 'installed'.
At the same time I consulted my lawyer (actually a good friend), who is also a bit of a whizz with electronic stuff.
It turns out that the definition - such as it is - of 'installed' is hazy to say the least. So hazy that it means nothing, particularly nowadays when setting up a piece of equipment for use usually entails nothing much more than plugging it in/charging it and turning it on.
So the takeaway from this is that you can safely ignore 'installed'.
TV Licensing have to prove that you are receiving live broadcasts and/or are watching the BBC's iPlayer before taking or succeeeding with action against you. Nothing less.
You can have all the broadcast-receiving equipment that you want in your house, and it can be plugged in and tuned to anything you want. As long as you aren't watching broadcasts as they go out, or watching the BBC iPlayer, you don't need a licence.
'Installed' my foot...
Thanks for your detailed comment and continued support Maryon Jeane.
ReplyDeleteGreat news. I hope more people wake up and stop watching live TV so that we can bring the Freemason BBC to its knees. There should be no legal requirement to watch mind control rubbish presented by secret trannies and paedophiles. We should not have to pay for repeats, and lies created by the deranged lunatics of the MSM. People should not have to pay for fake stories and hoaxes that are designed to promote fear and keep everyone busy as more unnecessary draconian laws are brought in behind our backs and government deals that will lead to depopulation of humanity.
ReplyDelete