TV licence non payment could be made a civil offence

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by martyh

Of course i think my opinion is right ,it's called having an opinion .What a crazy thing to say .

It's not such a crazy thing to say, we all have our opinions but the majority of us respect that even those that have opinions that are wildly different from our own my have a point.

You Sir, in every discussion you get into appear to dismiss everyone else with a conflicting view as being wrong and that your view is right. I have only met one other person who acts exactly the same, and this is because he suffers from a serious case of Autism/aspergers.

Originally Posted by rhyds

If they can afford to pay for a TV licence now, then they could afford to pay the subscription if they chose to.

So what you are actually arguing about is abolishing PSB's in the uk not how the BBC is funded .The whole point of the BBC is that it is a public service not a commercial enterprise .

If your arguing that the subscription would be higher than the licence fee, then the only ones to suffer from the fall in revenue and subscriber numbers would be the BBC,

I think that the BBC would take customers from Sky/Virgin there is a finite amount of money available for subscriptions and suddenly introducing an already well established and popular broadcaster into the subscription market will be very detrimental to the existing companies,as would allowing the BBC to advertise .

who would be forced to either make more popular programmes or reduce the subscription cost to a more palatable level.

What make you think that the BBC produce unpopular programs ? you may not like a particular program but that doesn't mean the BBC is producing unpopular programs

---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 ----------

Originally Posted by Escapee

It's not such a crazy thing to say, we all have our opinions but the majority of us respect that even those that have opinions that are wildly different from our own my have a point.

You Sir, in every discussion you get into appear to dismiss everyone else with a conflicting view as being wrong and that your view is right. I have only met one other person who acts exactly the same, and this is because he suffers from a serious case of Autism/aspergers.

Of course it is ,you are entitled to your opinion just as much as i am entitled to disagree with your opinion.
I couldn't give a rats ass if you don't allow TVL into your home to prove that you do or do not require a licence but in my opinion it is a ridiculous stance to take and can only cause you or anyone who adopts that approach problems.

and yes i believe my opinion to be correct just as you believe your opinion to be correct

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by martyh

So what you are actually arguing about is abolishing PSB's in the uk not how the BBC is funded .The whole point of the BBC is that it is a public service not a commercial enterprise .



I think that the BBC would take customers from Sky/Virgin there is a finite amount of money available for subscriptions and suddenly introducing an already well established and popular broadcaster into the subscription market will be very detrimental to the existing companies,as would allowing the BBC to advertise .



What make you think that the BBC produce unpopular programs ? you may not like a particular program but that doesn't mean the BBC is producing unpopular programs

---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 ----------



Of course it is ,you are entitled to your opinion just as much as i am entitled to disagree with your opinion.
I couldn't give a rats ass if you don't allow TVL into your home to prove that you do or do not require a licence but in my opinion it is a ridiculous stance to take and can only cause you or anyone who adopts that approach problems.

and yes i believe my opinion to be correct just as you believe your opinion to be correct

Even though TVL doesn't have the legal authority to support your opinion.

Perhaps you are suggesting that the law should be changed so private companies can enter peoples premises whenever they please.

Originally Posted by Escapee

Even though TVL doesn't have the legal authority to support your opinion.

Perhaps you are suggesting that the law should be changed so private companies can enter peoples premises whenever they please.

Now your talking nonsense ,i know that TVL cannot enter your property without permission my argument is why would anyone refuse that permission if they have nothing to hide .You may so paranoid that you have to shut yourself in and not allow anyone onto your property but most people simply allow companies like the gas/electric/royal mail/TVL etc onto the property to conduct their business with no fuss whatsoever.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by martyh

Now your talking nonsense ,i know that TVL cannot enter your property without permission my argument is why would anyone refuse that permission if they have nothing to hide .You may so paranoid that you have to shut yourself in and not allow anyone onto your property but most people simply allow companies like the gas/electric/royal mail/TVL etc onto the property to conduct their business with no fuss whatsoever.

None of these companies need to come into my premises.

Gas meter located outside, so no need for them to enter.

Electric meter read from outside, but I do have this argument every few years when they want access to inspect it internally. (I have told them they should fit the meter outside)

Royal mail, have never needed to, and I have no idea why they would ever need to come into my house to deliver. (I don't have parcels delivered to my address anyway)

TVL certainly have no need to come into my house, if they have sufficient reason to believe I'm lying they can obtain a warrant.

I think you just need to put things into perspective, it's a licence for watching live TV. Making a statement that you don't require the service should be enough, I couldn't care less if the penalty being caught for watching live TV was raised to £100k and 5 years in prison because it doesn't affect me.

I don't have the police knocking on the door because I don't have a shotgun licence, or the civil air authority knocking because I don't have a pilots licence etc. I haven't got these licences because i don't shoot a gun or fly a plane and they seem to accept that without assuming I must be a liar.

Originally Posted by Escapee

I don't have the police knocking on the door because I don't have a shotgun licence, or the civil air authority knocking because I don't have a pilots licence etc. I haven't got these licences because i don't shoot a gun or fly a plane and they seem to accept that without assuming I must be a liar.

Grasping at straws much ?

the reason the police or CAA don't knock on your door is because you don't have a gun or a plane ,if they suspected you did then they would knock on your door .....quite hard .The reason why TVL knock on your door is because there is a high probability of you having and using the required equipment to require a tvl ,despite your extremely naive protestation that your word should be enough ,in 400,000 cases per year people are proven to be liars

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by martyh

Grasping at straws much ?

the reason the police or CAA don't knock on your door is because you don't have a gun or a plane ,if they suspected you did then they would knock on your door .....quite hard .The reason why TVL knock on your door is because there is a high probability of you having and using the required equipment to require a tvl ,despite your extremely naive protestation that your word should be enough ,in 400,000 cases per year people are proven to be liars

There is obviously no point in having any discussion with you, you are acting the same as you did in the parking discussion thread.

Either you lack intelligence, have some sort of autism issue or you just get some kick out of attempting to make people take the bait.

Fortunately the law is not under your control, in this country there has to be a reasonable suspicion that someone is breaking a law. Someone not having a licence without actually having any cause to believe they are undertaking an activity for which the licence is required is not a reasonable enough excuse to obtain a search warrant, unless of course the police officer (TVL) is lying to the judge. (Although in my experience with the police this does happen)

I am quite happy to have reasoned debate based on fact with anyone on this forum who has a different opinion to myself, but in your case I don't wish to have any further discussions with you.

Originally Posted by Escapee

Either you lack intelligence, have some sort of autism issue or you just get some kick out of attempting to make people take the bait.

Or simply a different opinion ,something you appear to take great offense at .

Insulting me shows you have no respect for anyone's opinion ,it is not the first time insults have been your chosen debating method

[Qtx]

Originally Posted by martyh

For those who genuinely don't need a licence then they should have no problem showing the relevant authority the required proof or they will be suspected of cheating the system ,i really don't know why this concept is so hard for some to understand

It's you that don't understand this. It is next to impossible to prove to the BBC licencing that you don't need a licence. Unless you take the receiver out of your tv (invalidating the warrant and making resale impossible) they will consider you guilty and take you to court. Even if you only watch catchup tv and thus don't need one. That is the problem.

So if you don't let them in to your house it is safer legally for the householder, as well as not having to let a stranger in to your house that has no legal right to come in.

---------- Post added at 15:14 ---------- Previous post was at 15:13 ----------

Originally Posted by Escapee

I don't have the police knocking on the door because I don't have a shotgun licence, or the civil air authority knocking because I don't have a pilots licence etc. I haven't got these licences because i don't shoot a gun or fly a plane and they seem to accept that without assuming I must be a liar.

Originally Posted by Qtx

It's you that don't understand this. It is next to impossible to prove to the BBC licencing that you don't need a licence. Unless you take the receiver out of your tv (invalidating the warrant and making resale impossible) they will consider you guilty and take you to court. Even if you only watch catchup tv and thus don't need one. That is the problem.

So if you don't let them in to your house it is safer legally for the householder, as well as not having to let a stranger in to your house that has no legal right to come in.

just because you may have had a bad experience with TVL doesn't mean everybody does .I would suggest (and i'm not suggesting you are one) that the people who have trouble convincing TVL they don't need a licence are those who belong in the 400,000 per year group .But if you won't let them into your house that is your prerogative just don't be surprised or go on forums complaining that TVL try to get into peoples houses to check their licence or lack thereof

[Qtx]

Originally Posted by martyh

just don't be surprised or go on forums complaining that TVL try to get into peoples houses to check their licence or lack thereof

You seriously don't get. They have no right to come in to your house and what they do is harassment. You obviously have no idea how it works, even after explained to you. So im with the poster, pointless continuing this conversation with you.

I haven't had a bad experience with them as after initially letting in to my property once many years ago and them seeing I didn't have a tv at the time, I realised that they would still harass me every two years even if shown, so I just ignore their letters and don't let them in. I shouldn't have to deal with their constant threatening letters and knocks on the door though. We don't arrest everyone for shoplifting if they have been in a shop then ask them to prove their innocence, just because some people shoplift. So why should be the BBC licencing be able to accuse innocent people based on the fact some may watch tv without a licence?

Obviously the powers that be agree that not paying the tv licence should not make you a criminal, hence the proposed changes about it becoming a civil offence. Next the licence will be abolished, I just hope they don't add a tax to recordable media or something silly like that to cover it, as again people who don't watch it will be asked to pay.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

your trying to reason with someone who's brain is only wired to recognize one opinion [their own] ...

Originally Posted by Qtx

You seriously don't get. They have no right to come in to your house and what they do is harassment. You obviously have no idea how it works, even after explained to you. So im with the poster, pointless continuing this conversation with you.
.

I have never argued that they do have a right to enter your house unless with a warrant ,i have simply argued that it is easier to give them the info they want instead of being bloody minded

I didn't have a tv at the time, I realised that they would still harass me every two years even if shown

you may call it harassment but it is actually just them checking that you still don't need one 2 YEARS LATER honestly what a ridiculous statement

I shouldn't have to deal with their constant threatening letters and knocks on the door though

So why should be the BBC licencing be able to accuse innocent people based on the fact some may watch tv without a licence?

You seem to be under rather naive impression that everyone tells the truth .There has to be a system to check the validity of claims stating "honest guv i don't ever watch telly". 400,000 people per year are found to be in error when making that statement.

[Jimmy-J]

Let's pretend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJkg...em-uploademail

[Gary L]

From following a few links from this thread. I come across this.

Families in Britain are struggling to pay the £145.50 TV licence fee, the culture secretary said yesterday, as he hinted that the BBC faced a cut in its public funding.
Sajid Javid, in his first major television interview since taking over from Maria Miller in April, told The Andrew Marr Show: “I still think that’s a large amount for many families up and down the country

To be frank. £145 a year is peanuts compared to the average £700 a year bedroom tax. so shut up you moron.