Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

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Philosophy Explorer
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Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

tv? This sounds odd.

PhilX
uwot
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by uwot »

No. You need a license to watch it, a bit like you need a license to drive a car. The license fee basically funds the BBC which means it isn't reliant on advertising revenue and commercial sponsorship. In return for our license fee, we can watch programs without commercial interests butting in trying to sell us stuff and the BBC is obliged to maintain certain standards.

"The BBC Charter established the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). An accompanying Agreement recognises its editorial independence and sets out its public obligations in detail. Each Charter has run for ten years.

The most recent Charter was granted to the BBC on 19 September 2006. It took full effect from 1 January 2007 and runs until 31 December 2016[1]

A number of important changes were made in the latest Charter to the Corporation's management and purpose:

Abolition of the Board of Governors, and their replacement by the BBC Trust.
A redefinition of the BBC's "public services" (which are considered its prime function):
Sustaining citizenship and civil society;
Promoting education and learning;
Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;
Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;
Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;
Helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services, and taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.
The BBC must display at least one of the following characteristics in all content: high quality, originality, innovation, to be challenging and to be engaging.
The BBC must demonstrate that it provides public value in all of its major activities."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Charter
Philosophy Explorer
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

uwot wrote:No. You need a license to watch it, a bit like you need a license to drive a car. The license fee basically funds the BBC which means it isn't reliant on advertising revenue and commercial sponsorship. In return for our license fee, we can watch programs without commercial interests butting in trying to sell us stuff and the BBC is obliged to maintain certain standards.

"The BBC Charter established the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). An accompanying Agreement recognises its editorial independence and sets out its public obligations in detail. Each Charter has run for ten years.

The most recent Charter was granted to the BBC on 19 September 2006. It took full effect from 1 January 2007 and runs until 31 December 2016[1]

A number of important changes were made in the latest Charter to the Corporation's management and purpose:

Abolition of the Board of Governors, and their replacement by the BBC Trust.
A redefinition of the BBC's "public services" (which are considered its prime function):
Sustaining citizenship and civil society;
Promoting education and learning;
Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;
Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;
Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;
Helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services, and taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.
The BBC must display at least one of the following characteristics in all content: high quality, originality, innovation, to be challenging and to be engaging.
The BBC must demonstrate that it provides public value in all of its major activities."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Charter
In the US, we call it Pay TV (which isn't mandatory here). I get mine for free.

PhilX
bobevenson
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by bobevenson »

uwot wrote:You need a license to watch TV.
Jesus Christ, living in England must be like knocking on Satan's door!
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TSBU
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Post by TSBU »

What is the cost and how do you get that license?
I find curious some things, you need a license, but then even the most crazy idiot can have it if he pays, like guns in USA (well, if they have been in jail or madhouse, for what I know, they can't XD, so there exist people who can't get a weapon... are there people who can't have a TV?).
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Post by bobevenson »

TSBU wrote:Are there people who can't have a TV?
People there can't even have a life.
uwot
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by uwot »

bobevenson wrote:
uwot wrote:You need a license to watch TV.
Jesus Christ, living in England must be like knocking on Satan's door!
You may be right, Reverend Bob. On the plus side, we don't have the end of our willies chopped off at birth. The other advantage is that our main source of news has to be unbiased, which, at £145 per annum, TSBU, some of us consider a good deal. And no, there is no one who cannot get a TV license.
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by bobevenson »

Jesus Christ, if you think the BBC is unbiased, I hope somebody doesn't try to sell you Big Ben!
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by bobevenson »

uwot wrote:We don't have the end of our willies chopped off at birth.
Are you saying that circumcision is illegal in England?
uwot
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by uwot »

bobevenson wrote:Jesus Christ, if you think the BBC is unbiased, I hope somebody doesn't try to sell you Big Ben!
I'm not actually Jesus Christ, Reverend Bob, but if it suits you to call me that, so be it.
The BBC has to answer to everyone in the UK, after all, we pay for it; so it has to be very careful not to promote the interests of any individual or organisation to the detriment of any other. This contrasts sharply with outfits like Fox news, for example, which will not report anything that damages the commercial and political interests, or even just the whim, of the owner, Rupert Murdoch in the case of Fox news.
Thank you for your interest in my financial well being, but I am not currently in the market for large bells.
uwot
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by uwot »

bobevenson wrote:
uwot wrote:We don't have the end of our willies chopped off at birth.
Are you saying that circumcision is illegal in England?
No. It's perfectly legal, but the person being circumcised has no say in the matter. A bit like abortion.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:tv? This sounds odd.

PhilX
No. The license is for receiving a TV signal.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
uwot wrote:No. You need a license to watch it, a bit like you need a license to drive a car. The license fee basically funds the BBC which means it isn't reliant on advertising revenue and commercial sponsorship. In return for our license fee, we can watch programs without commercial interests butting in trying to sell us stuff and the BBC is obliged to maintain certain standards.

"The BBC Charter established the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). An accompanying Agreement recognises its editorial independence and sets out its public obligations in detail. Each Charter has run for ten years.

The most recent Charter was granted to the BBC on 19 September 2006. It took full effect from 1 January 2007 and runs until 31 December 2016[1]

A number of important changes were made in the latest Charter to the Corporation's management and purpose:

Abolition of the Board of Governors, and their replacement by the BBC Trust.
A redefinition of the BBC's "public services" (which are considered its prime function):
Sustaining citizenship and civil society;
Promoting education and learning;
Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence;
Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities;
Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK;
Helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services, and taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.
The BBC must display at least one of the following characteristics in all content: high quality, originality, innovation, to be challenging and to be engaging.
The BBC must demonstrate that it provides public value in all of its major activities."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Charter
In the US, we call it Pay TV (which isn't mandatory here). I get mine for free.

PhilX
You don't understand.
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Harbal
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by Harbal »

The BBC is sacred and worth every penny, let's leave it at that.
bobevenson
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Re: Is it true in the UK that you need a license to own a...

Post by bobevenson »

uwot wrote:I am not currently in the market for large bells.
Not for large balls either, I assume.
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