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BBC Opens TV Archive to Remixers
megla writes "The BBC has opened its Creative Archive to the public, allowing users to be VJs and remix BBC content. The BBC's "current music" radio station, Radio 1, is running a competition in conjunction with the release.
Unfortunately, the license the content is released under requires that you are a UK resident to use it." For British residents, however, this is well worth the television license.
Well for a start it's "Cock-up" and secondly being a UK resident I don't think it's Unfortunate (rather the opposite for me) but then as a T.V. license payer I wouldn't object to other countries using the content under the same terms either so lets hope it gets extended :)
As I understand the UK licensing (licencing) law, you would not have to pay a licence fee if you do not have a device capable of receiving or recording TV programming. If you have a DVD player with no recording capability and a monitor without a tuner you may be exempt from licencing requirements.
See http://www.kevinboone.com/tv_licence.html for a but more information.
Also see http://www.tvlicensing.biz/info_on_tvlicensing/
IANAL.
Do they still have black vans driving around with tv-detector dishes sticking out the roof?
Yes and no. There are still detector vans but the equipment has got a lot smaller, more sensitive and even portable. So the fact that a van is in the area is not as much of a giveaway as it once was. The vans are not run by the BBC, but a completely separate government agency.
Personally while I think the license fee approach is a good one - it really does seem to raise quality well above what the "free market" delivers, the enforcing of the payment by the licensing authority leaves a lot to be desired. They are possibly the most "big brother" like of all of the govt, with quite unpleasant tactics and attitude. It borders on the facistic.... they assume that everyone has a TV set, so you have to prove you DON'T have one in order for them to leave you alone. Ever tried to prove a negative? Also, they have automatic right of entry to your home without a warrant, though only to search for a TV set. They send you very strongly worded authoritarian and intimidating letters to make you pay, especially if you have no record of payment because you don't have a TV set.. the list goes on. A really pretty unpleasant bunch of people.
> Having moved from the UK to Canada a few years
> back, let me just say that I yearn with nostalgic
> longing for the time when I could watch TV with
> five-minute ad breaks only every fifteen minutes.
The BBC doesn't have advert breaks (although other UK commercial stations do).
http://savingiceland.org
> So the fact that a van is in the area is not as
> much of a giveaway as it once was
Giveaway? Surely the primary point of the vans is to convey the impression that you're likely to get caught watching TV without a licence.
> they assume that everyone has a TV set, so you
> have to prove you DON'T have one in order for
> them to leave you alone.
They have to prove that you DO have one in order for them to prosecute you. They will tend to send intimidating letters though.
> Also, they have automatic right of entry to your
> home without a warrant
No they don't.
> They send you very strongly worded authoritarian
> and intimidating letters to make you pay,
> especially if you have no record of payment
> because you don't have a TV set
True, and quite irritating.
http://savingiceland.org
It's a pity most of the video clips and audio clips on BBC (atleast the Doctor Who stuff) are in rm/ram format. Is there a VLC codec/plugin/gizmo for those formats yet? I installed realplayer a while ago (unfortunately), but now it 'expired' and I can't play/view anything with it.
The Chair Corp. comic(*00-12)
The EM comes from the tuner not the screen, so it works with plasmas and even VCRs.
OTOH as you say they have a list... no need for the technology just find everyone without a license and visit them every now and then to make sure they haven't got a TV.
Wikipedia has a list
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven' - BBC News
Here you go... it's 126.50 GBP per year, or you can pay monthly by direct debit (which works out a little cheaper).
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
This is a little redundant, since obtaining a license is useless if you live in Canada. In fact, you're very much capable of watching BBC shows or TV in general without a license in the UK - although you face a lovely fine should you get caught.
A colour TV Licence costs £126.50 and a black and white licence costs £42.00.
You will need to renew your TV Licence every year.
You can pay over the phone, at a Post Office branch or a Paypoint outlet. To find out more, just choose from the options on the left.
If you would like to pay for your TV Licence by cheque ( hint English spelling ), please make your cheque payable to TV Licensing and write your name, address and postcode on the back. Then send your payment to:
Customer Services
TV Licensing
Bristol
BS98 1TL
It is, however, only valid and available in the UK
do you honestly think they have the resources to do that? I think it works better if the residence has never had a license ...
but they dont check everyone..
Yes they do. My parents have a holiday home in Scotland. It has no TV. It has never had a TV. There is no TV signal receivable (hillsides in the way). They still get "you are watching TV without a license" letters on occasion to the address. The database that is used is of ALL addresses that do not have a license against them - so not giving your address when buying a TV is pointless, your address is already in the database unless you have bought a TV license.
Yes the post realises this: They lived in the UK. Their point was in reference to the ad breaks on UK commercial television (as raised by the parent poster's comments on Sky).
Hope that made sense as I can't remember people's names!
Quoting from the back of my TV license:
Rich
Apropos your final paragraph.
1. The World Service isn't funded from the license fee, it is funded directly from the Foreign Office.
2. Are you saying you would be happy to pay a radio tax? or are you saying that the BBC should cut off all its streaming services from overseas viewers?
Despite this I have to pay the mandatory BBC-tax every year, just because I own a television.
No you dont. Detune your TV, unplug your aeriel, and you dont need to pay. You do need to pay if your watch Corronation Street.
Sure I'm listening to their radio station, and watching their website
You don't need a TV license for either of those things.
with things like the BBC World Service) who don't have to pay this tax.
The World Service (radio) is funded by the foreign office, not the TV license. World TV is funded by advertisers and is not available in the UK (theoretically).
TV licensing people in the UK do not have a right of entry to your home without a search warrant.
They are often accused of being overly aggressive in their approach, because they will make unannounced visits and then ask for entry anyway, which has been viewed as intimidatory by many residents. See here for an entertaining grilling by the House Select Committee on Public Accounts of some senior BBC staff about their approach to checking on people who don't pay the licence fee. (Note that these proceedings were back in 2002.)
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.