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?
'First Date'
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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?
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.
Whoa, really? So someone who hasn't paid their license fee, but watches something on iPlayer gets in trouble?
You need to pay to watch British TV live, period.
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.
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.)
meara, if you're worried, then change the password and tell your friend.
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.
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."
"At the $1 million level we give you anything you want" ... oops! already in place!