Unless I'm mistaken, the TV license lets you watch more stations that just BBC, though.
Oh, God. Oh, God. My hair. My hair! The government gave me bad hair!
Cordelia ,'The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco'
Buffistechnology 3: "Press Some Buttons, See What Happens."
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Spidra Webster - Dec 02, 2010 7:45:09 am PST #15521 of 25501
I wish I could just go somewhere to get flensed but none of the whaling ships near me take Medicare.
tommyrot - Dec 02, 2010 7:47:26 am PST #15522 of 25501
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
How does the UK's TV license work? How do they enforce it?
Free health care, but you have to pay for TV? What kind of crazy melty land is this?
§ ita § - Dec 02, 2010 7:49:51 am PST #15523 of 25501
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Free health care, but you have to pay for TV?
You get to forgo ads on some of the channels, and not just in a PBS way. It's quite addictive.
When I was there, they'd literally ding you if you had a TV antenna up and weren't registered as paying. However, life is much more complex now, because you're liable for charges if you watch live on the internet or your phone.
Spidra Webster - Dec 02, 2010 7:54:53 am PST #15524 of 25501
I wish I could just go somewhere to get flensed but none of the whaling ships near me take Medicare.
Whoa, really? So someone who hasn't paid their license fee, but watches something on iPlayer gets in trouble?
§ ita § - Dec 02, 2010 7:58:05 am PST #15525 of 25501
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
You need to pay to watch British TV live, period.
meara - Dec 02, 2010 8:55:56 am PST #15526 of 25501
Argh, now I'm completely paranoid that the verification thing I did the other day was phishing. I made a new gmail and when my friend tried to log in (it's planned to be a shared account) he emailed me later saying it was locking him out or something. And so I went in and did...something. But don't remember if it autodirected me there or I clicked. Grrr.
Jessica - Dec 02, 2010 10:08:36 am PST #15527 of 25501
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
In the States, some of your tax money goes to PBS, who produces and broadcasts public television.
The UK's TV license fee simply cuts the government out of the equation and gives the money directly to the BBC.
(Which isn't to say that there isn't government oversight, fuckyouverymuchDavidCameronIdidn'twantaraisethisyearanyway, but the idea is the same - public television is owned by the people, therefore the people pay for it to exist.)
Jon B. - Dec 02, 2010 10:10:44 am PST #15528 of 25501
A turkey in every toilet -- only in America!
meara, if you're worried, then change the password and tell your friend.
Toddson - Dec 02, 2010 10:11:18 am PST #15529 of 25501
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"
I'm perfectly happy to have my tax money go to PBS. I'd be happy to pay MORE if they could stop the pledge drives.
Gudanov - Dec 02, 2010 10:14:10 am PST #15530 of 25501
Coding and Sleeping
The way things are going the government will be running pledge drives soon. "At the $1,000 dollar level we plant a tree ripped out of a national park in your yard."