5 ms·

BBC is a joke of a governmental corporation that makes revenues from tv licenses even if you dont own a tv. Essentially they can still make money if you have iP

BBC is a joke of a governmental corporation that makes revenues from tv licenses even if you dont own a tv. Essentially they can still make money if you have iPlayer on your computer which requires a license. I live in the UK and every year they send letter to warn all residents even if they dont own a TV (which I dont) they might still need to pay due to iPlayer being on your computer. Blaming Netflix is not enough. Their business model is ludicrous.

DanBC 7y ago
You only need a licence if you watch live tv as it's broadcast, or watch catch up tv on iPlayer. If you have iPlayer "installed" but never use it, and you do not watch live tv as it's broadcast, you do not need a licence. And even that isn't quite correct is it, you can watch iPlayer on your laptop if you're in someone else's home and they have a licence.
- tspiteri 7y ago
  Have things changed recently? The way I remember it (a few years back) was that you didn't need a licence to watch non-live iPlayer, so you could watch yesterday's programmes on iPlayer without the need for a licence.
  - DanBC 7y ago
    Yes, the law changed in 2016. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37226030 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37226030 > All viewers who use the iPlayer to watch any BBC programmes must now be covered by a TV licence after new rules came into force on Thursday. > Previously, iPlayer users only needed a licence if they were using the service to watch live broadcasts. > That meant it was legal to watch programmes after broadcast on catch-up without paying the annual £145.50 fee. > But the TV licence requirements have now been extended to include catch-up, online premieres and online-only shows. It only covers BBC iPlayer tv. It doesn't cover eg Channel 4's catch up service.
bovine3dom 7y ago
You need a licence if you use iPlayer; having iPlayer installed on your devices does not mean you require a licence.
- hardlianotion 7y ago
  You need it if you use it to watch tv. Not for radio.
  - ben_w 7y ago
    iPlayer is specifically the BBC. You can watch ITV’s or Channel 4’s catch-up (non-live) services legally without having a TV license, unless the rules changed since I left the country.
    - sleavey 7y ago
      I'm not sure that's ever been true. You need a licence to watch any broadcast TV because it also pays for the infrastructure the other channels use.
      - maccard 7y ago
        You need a license to watch broadcast TV, or to watch content on BBC iPlayer. If you're watching archived content on 4od or itv player, you don't need a licence, but if you're watching on iPlayer you do
      - DanBC 7y ago
        You need a licence to watch any live tv service. The law was changed in 2016(?) to add BBC iPlayer catchup services. It doesn't include other channel's catch up service, so you don't need a licence if you only watch catch up on 4OD.
      - ben_w 7y ago
        I think you may have misunderstood me. Broadcast TV does indeed require a license, but catch-up services are not broadcast TV, and I’m referring to that. To quote from the TV licensing website: ””” Do I need a TV Licence for all on demand programmes? No. You don’t need a licence if you only ever watch on demand or catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer* (and you also never watch live TV programmes on any channel, including on iPlayer). You don’t need to be covered by a licence to watch any films or TV shows that you buy online. *You don’t need a licence to watch S4C TV on demand or listen to radio on iPlayer. You also don’t need one to watch films or TV shows on iPlayer that you’ve bought on the BBC Store.””” https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/b...
sleavey 7y ago
> makes revenues from tv licenses even if you dont own a tv This is just plain wrong. You can own a TV (e.g. for a console) but not pay for a TV licence if you say you don't watch broadcasts. You can even have the software installed on your computer and not pay, as long as you don't actually watch iPlayer with it. This is different from e.g. Germany where every household must pay for a licence regardless of whether you watch it or not.
Veen 7y ago
If you don't watch broadcast TV and don't use iPlayer for anything but radio, then you can ignore those letters. Whether you own a TV or not is irrelevant. I own a TV but I only use it for Netflix etc. A chap from the TV licensing people came to my house and I told him we don't need a license for those reasons, and now we don't get the letters any more.

DanBC 7y ago

You only need a licence if you watch live tv as it's broadcast, or watch catch up tv on iPlayer. If you have iPlayer "installed" but never use it, and you do not watch live tv as it's broadcast, you do not need a licence. And even that isn't quite correct is it, you can watch iPlayer on your laptop if you're in someone else's home and they have a licence.

tspiteri 7y ago
Have things changed recently? The way I remember it (a few years back) was that you didn't need a licence to watch non-live iPlayer, so you could watch yesterday's programmes on iPlayer without the need for a licence.
- DanBC 7y ago
  Yes, the law changed in 2016. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37226030 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37226030 > All viewers who use the iPlayer to watch any BBC programmes must now be covered by a TV licence after new rules came into force on Thursday. > Previously, iPlayer users only needed a licence if they were using the service to watch live broadcasts. > That meant it was legal to watch programmes after broadcast on catch-up without paying the annual £145.50 fee. > But the TV licence requirements have now been extended to include catch-up, online premieres and online-only shows. It only covers BBC iPlayer tv. It doesn't cover eg Channel 4's catch up service.

bovine3dom 7y ago

You need a licence if you use iPlayer; having iPlayer installed on your devices does not mean you require a licence.

hardlianotion 7y ago
You need it if you use it to watch tv. Not for radio.
- ben_w 7y ago
  iPlayer is specifically the BBC. You can watch ITV’s or Channel 4’s catch-up (non-live) services legally without having a TV license, unless the rules changed since I left the country.
  - sleavey 7y ago
    I'm not sure that's ever been true. You need a licence to watch any broadcast TV because it also pays for the infrastructure the other channels use.
    - maccard 7y ago
      You need a license to watch broadcast TV, or to watch content on BBC iPlayer. If you're watching archived content on 4od or itv player, you don't need a licence, but if you're watching on iPlayer you do
    - DanBC 7y ago
      You need a licence to watch any live tv service. The law was changed in 2016(?) to add BBC iPlayer catchup services. It doesn't include other channel's catch up service, so you don't need a licence if you only watch catch up on 4OD.
    - ben_w 7y ago
      I think you may have misunderstood me. Broadcast TV does indeed require a license, but catch-up services are not broadcast TV, and I’m referring to that. To quote from the TV licensing website: ””” Do I need a TV Licence for all on demand programmes? No. You don’t need a licence if you only ever watch on demand or catch up programmes on services other than BBC iPlayer* (and you also never watch live TV programmes on any channel, including on iPlayer). You don’t need to be covered by a licence to watch any films or TV shows that you buy online. *You don’t need a licence to watch S4C TV on demand or listen to radio on iPlayer. You also don’t need one to watch films or TV shows on iPlayer that you’ve bought on the BBC Store.””” https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/b...

sleavey 7y ago

> makes revenues from tv licenses even if you dont own a tv This is just plain wrong. You can own a TV (e.g. for a console) but not pay for a TV licence if you say you don't watch broadcasts. You can even have the software installed on your computer and not pay, as long as you don't actually watch iPlayer with it. This is different from e.g. Germany where every household must pay for a licence regardless of whether you watch it or not.

Veen 7y ago

If you don't watch broadcast TV and don't use iPlayer for anything but radio, then you can ignore those letters. Whether you own a TV or not is irrelevant. I own a TV but I only use it for Netflix etc. A chap from the TV licensing people came to my house and I told him we don't need a license for those reasons, and now we don't get the letters any more.