TV and radio licences

[Ern]

Billy Bloggs has a radio and a TV in his house. He likes to listen to the radio in the daytime and watches films on Amazon Prime and Netflix in the evenings. He hasn't got a TV licence. Is he breaking the law?

 

[otherclive]

Billy Bloggs has a radio and a TV in his house. He likes to listen to the radio in the daytime and watches films on Amazon Prime and Netflix in the evenings. He hasn't got a TV licence. Is he breaking the law?

I think that he is.

 

[Buckman]

Billy Bloggs has a radio and a TV in his house. He likes to listen to the radio in the daytime and watches films on Amazon Prime and Netflix in the evenings. He hasn't got a TV licence. Is he breaking the law?

Yes as the TV is capable of receiving a signal. If it was a monitor without a tuner then that is something different.

 

[Ern]

According to the BBC statement I read this morning on their news article, Billy is legal.

 

[Buckman]

According to the BBC statement I read this morning on their news article, Billy is legal.

Then that is incorrect unless the TV is incapable to receiving a broadcast signal or if Billy Blogs is 75 and getting Pension Credit.

Also you do not need a TV Licence to watch:

• non-BBC programmes or online catch-up services
• videos or DVDs
• clips on websites like YouTube
• closed circuit television (CCTV)

I don't think either Prime or Netflix are catch up services. See https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one?WT.ac=home_plt_check

 

[Ern]

Then that is incorrect unless the TV is incapable to receiving a broadcast signal or if Billy Blogs is 75 and getting Pension Credit.

You may be correct. I had a similar feint memory of the same, however the BBC article shows this
"The law says that you must have a TV licence if you:

• watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, even if it's not on the BBC
• watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Sky Go
• download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer"

Note the word Live. If you are watching a recorded film on Netflix or even a recorded BBC programme which has been sold or rented to Netflix or similar, its legal, according to the Beeb's own article.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I have a TV but no license as I do not watch any live TV or anything on iPlayer.

I watch DVDs and stream from Netflix.

Every couple of years the licensing authority ask me to verify that we don't watch anything live or from iPlayer.

While my TV has a tuner I cannot receive over the air transmissions. Only once in 12 years has anyone bothered to come and check and they just poked their head around the door, saw the TV, which wasn't on, and then went away.

 

[Buckman]

You may be correct. I had a similar feint memory of the same, however the BBC article shows this
"The law says that you must have a TV licence if you:

• watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, even if it's not on the BBC
• watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Sky Go
• download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer"

Note the word Live. If you are watching a recorded film on Netflix or even a recorded BBC programme which has been sold or rented to Netflix or similar, its legal, according to the Beeb's own article.

If the TV can receive a TV signal it will be very hard to prove that you cannot and do not watch BBC, ITV or any of the many Freeview channels. Have you ever known the BBC to be clear and truthful in the past 20 years?

 

[Sam Vimes]

If the TV can receive a TV signal it will be very hard to prove that you cannot and do not watch BBC, ITV or any of the many Freeview channels. Have you ever known the BBC to be clear and truthful in the past 20 years?

Not that difficult in my case. The only way to get over the air TV here is by satellite dish, which I don't have.

 

[Ern]

I've just been reading the TV Licencing website and this says the same as the BBC article. There is no mention of having a device which is capable of receiving etc, which I think was once the case.
It seems that Billy is legal.

 

[Ern]

I have a TV but no license as I do not watch any live TV or anything on iPlayer.

I watch DVDs and stream from Netflix.

Every couple of years the licensing authority ask me to verify that we don't watch anything live or from iPlayer.

While my TV has a tuner I cannot receive over the air transmissions. Only once in 12 years has anyone bothered to come and check and they just poked their head around the door, saw the TV, which wasn't on, and then went away.

Do you mind if I ask why can't you receive over the air transmissions? Aerial disconnected?

 

[Sam Vimes]

Do you mind if I ask why can't you receive over the air transmissions? Aerial disconnected?

Two reasons really.

In my area there is no reception of TV signals via a conventional aerial. The only way is via satellite dish, eg Sky.

It's easy to see that I have neither and equally there's nothing connected to the receive input on the TV.