4 ms·

Lets not forget that in the UK, if you don't pay a TV licence (if you have a TV) you get fined. Dont pay that fine you get put in prison. Does that sound like

Lets not forget that in the UK, if you don't pay a TV licence (if you have a TV) you get fined. Dont pay that fine you get put in prison. Does that sound like a trustworthy and unbias source for news?

DanBC 13y ago
With the falling crime rate, and the shaky economy, the weird situation (non payment of tv licence is criminal offence, while non payment of other bills is purely civil) a lot of people go through court for non payment of tv licence. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10256679/TV-licence-offences-account-for-one-in-ten-UK-court-cases.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10256679/T...) Despite that, not so many people actually end up in prison for non payment. ("In recent years at least 70 people have been jailed for non-payment of fines associated with TV licensing offences.") I strongly agree that prison is not the right place for people who don't pay fines unless there's no other option, and I don't think that prison was the last resort for all those 70 people. Here's the BBC report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23792388 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23792388) Note that they make a small sneaky claim here: > Most people who own a television set, or who stream live broadcasts through their computer, must pay the annual charge. Compare that to the Telegraph wording: > Anyone who watches television as it is being broadcast must have a valid television licence for their home regardless of whether they watch it on the internet or on a traditional TV set. You can own a tv with no need to pay a licence - use the set for games consoles or DVD players or some such.
- DaveSapien 13y ago
  One person going to jail is horrific. Thanks for the links!
unfamiliar 13y ago
Idiotic comment. You only get fined if you are watching BBC produced TV without a license. You have the choice not to.
- bencoder 13y ago
  That's not true. You get fined if you receive ANY broadcast TV without a licence, regardless of if you watch the BBC or not. That said, I don't see what relevance this has to the topic.

DanBC 13y ago

With the falling crime rate, and the shaky economy, the weird situation (non payment of tv licence is criminal offence, while non payment of other bills is purely civil) a lot of people go through court for non payment of tv licence. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10256679/TV-licence-offences-account-for-one-in-ten-UK-court-cases.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10256679/T...) Despite that, not so many people actually end up in prison for non payment. ("In recent years at least 70 people have been jailed for non-payment of fines associated with TV licensing offences.") I strongly agree that prison is not the right place for people who don't pay fines unless there's no other option, and I don't think that prison was the last resort for all those 70 people. Here's the BBC report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23792388 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23792388) Note that they make a small sneaky claim here: > Most people who own a television set, or who stream live broadcasts through their computer, must pay the annual charge. Compare that to the Telegraph wording: > Anyone who watches television as it is being broadcast must have a valid television licence for their home regardless of whether they watch it on the internet or on a traditional TV set. You can own a tv with no need to pay a licence - use the set for games consoles or DVD players or some such.

DaveSapien 13y ago
One person going to jail is horrific. Thanks for the links!

unfamiliar 13y ago

Idiotic comment. You only get fined if you are watching BBC produced TV without a license. You have the choice not to.

bencoder 13y ago
That's not true. You get fined if you receive ANY broadcast TV without a licence, regardless of if you watch the BBC or not. That said, I don't see what relevance this has to the topic.